"Radder is a rising Dutch philosopher who is ploughing a distinctive path between philosophy of science and technology and its sociological counterpart—normally a Scylla and Charybdis that few would attempt to navigate between. This is a concise and powerful exposition of his moderate realist philosophy of science, complete with a case study illustrating the concrete policy implications of that philosophy—in the case of evaluating the 'appropriateness' of a technology in a third-world setting."—Steve Fuller, University of Durham, author of Social Epistemology"It effectively brings together a body of work that has something important to say about the understanding of science and technology in society. The author is working within a community of discourse (what might be called the Dutch school of science and technology studies) that is both important in its own right and is having increasing influence in the Anglo-American science and technology studies community—a community that includes historians, sociologists, and philosophers of science and technology. So I like the fact that this book brings a new voice from this important scholarly community more fully onto the table of discussion in the U.S."The substance of what Radder specifically has to say is also important. Radder's attempt to steer a middle course between radical constructivist relativism and normative judgment, the development of the concept of nonlocality as a counter to the challenges against science as universal, and his appreciation of work done in appropriate technology, are all insightful and useful contributions to scholarly attempts to understand science and technology." — Carl Mitcham, Pennsylvania State University, author of Thinking Through Technology: The Path Between Engineering and Philosophy
