How Good Is Science?

Over three decades, Daniel Sarewitz’s research and writing at the intersection of science, technology, society, policy, and politics have shaped the views of countless scholars and policy makers. In How Good Is Science?, he confronts the complex, often uncomfortable tensions between science, society, and politics in a world increasingly shaped by rapid technological change and uncertain truths. In six parts, Sarewitz probes the uneasy coexistence of cutting-edge science and decision making, the evolving responsibilities of scientists, and the political and institutional frameworks that guide scientific endeavor. From climate change to vaccines to nuclear waste, he explores how science can illuminate, but not always resolve, the challenges of modern life. Rather than offering easy solutions, How Good Is Science?, selected and edited by Roger Pielke, Jr., equips readers with tools to understand and navigate the conflicts that define science’s role in a pluralistic and often polarized society. Through its vision of how science in a democracy can best advance, How Good Is Science? is ultimately a call to action to foster the societal conditions in which science not only survives, but thrives, for the good of all.