The Politics of Pure Science [Paperback]

Daniel S. Greenberg (Author), John Maddox (Introduction), Steve Shapin (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226306321 | ISBN-13: 978-0226306322 | Publication Date: August 1, 1999 | Edition: Revised

The Politics of Pure Science, a pioneering and controversial work, set a new standard for the realistic examination of the place of science in American politics and society. Dispelling the myth of scientific purity and detachment, Daniel S. Greenberg documents in revealing detail the political processes that underpinned government funding of science from the 1940s to the 1970s.

While the book's hard-hitting approach earned praise from a broad audience, it drew harsh fire from many scientists, who did not relish their turn under the microscope. The fact that this dispute is so reminiscent of today's acrimonious "Science Wars" demonstrates that although science has changed a great deal since The Politics of Pure Science first appeared, the politics of science has not—which is why this book retains its importance.

For this new edition, John Maddox (Nature editor emeritus) and Steven Shapin have provided introductory essays that situate the book in broad social and historical context, and Greenberg has written a new afterword taking account of recent developments in the politics of science.

"[A] book of consequence about science as one of the more consequential social institutions in the modern world. It is one that could be understood and should be read by the President, legislators, scientists and the rest of us ordinary folk. . . . Informative and perceptive."—Robert K. Merton, New York Times Book Review

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[This book] was the first critical study of the post-World War II science establishment and its increasingly complex relationship with the federal government. . . . Those familiar with it will find it once again a compelling analysis. New readers will be struck by how Greenberg's perspective has shaped our current views. . . . [A] highly influential classic." -- Science Books & Films, March/April 2000 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; Revised edition (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226306321
• ISBN-13: 978-0226306322
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,338,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Science politics and policy---they're my journalistic speciality. I started out in Washington as a reporter on the Washington Post, then moved to Science magazine, where I was news editor and European correspondent. In 1973, I founded my own publication, Science & Government Report, which I edited and published until 1997, when it was acquired by the publishing firm John Wiley & Sons. Along the way, I've written four books, served as Washington columnist for the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet, and have published articles and reviews in dozens of popular and professional journals, including the New York Times, the Economist, Science, Nature, New Scientist, Smithsonian, Le Monde, Chronicle of Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report, IEEE Spectrum, etc., etc. I've held appointments as a Visiting Scholar in the Johns Hopkins University Department of History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, and as a Guest Scholar at the Brookings Institution.

For resesrch and writing, I've been awarded grants by the Carnegie Institution, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Often accused by critics of writing fiction, I finally figured "why not?" and have now published a novel, "Tech Transfer," quite possibly based on my journalistic experiences with big-time research universities---though any resemblance to institutions, living or dead, is purely coincidental, on advice of legal counsel. "Tech Transfer" is about a dysfunctional university graced by a president deep in dementia, an eminent scientist who's a complete fraud, and a secret military project that has no place on a university campus. Sex and alcohol play minor roles in the narrative.

Finally, I am the creator of Dr. Grant Swinger, Director of the Center for the Absorption of Federal Funds, who has appeared in many of my journal and magazine writings over the years.