Cardinal Choices: Presidential Science Advising from the Atomic Bomb to SDI. Revised and Expanded Edition

Stanford University Press, 2000 - Science - 358 pages

This book is a history of the complex relations between scientific advisors, primarily physicists, and U.S. presidents in their role as decision makers about nuclear weapons and military strategy. The story, unsurprisingly, is one of considerable tension between the "experts" and the politicians, as scientists seek to influence policy and presidents alternate between accepting their advice and resisting or even ignoring it. First published in 1992, the book has been brought up to date to include the experiences of science advisors to President Clinton. In addition, the texts of eleven crucial documents, from the Einstein-Szilard letter to President Roosevelt (1939) to the announcement of the Strategic Defense Initiative by President Reagan (1983), have been added as appendixes.

Contents

• Chapter 2: 17
• Chapter 3: 34
• Chapter 4: 49
• The Impetus: 67
• Chapter 6: 82
• Chapter 7: 101
• The Perils: 125
• Chapter 9: 146
• 1969: 156
• Chapter 10: 165
• Chapter 11: 184
• Chapter 12: 199
• Speaking the Truth to Power: 217
• A EinsteinSzilard Letter to President Roosevelt proposal to build: 229
• The: 235
• F Killians Charter for PSAC December 1957: 241
• Garwin Letter to President Carter defense of a comprehensive test: 250
• K Members of SACODM and PSAC 195173: 256
• Notes: 263
• Bibliography: 341
• Index: 351

Bibliographic information

• Title: Cardinal Choices: Presidential Science Advising from the Atomic Bomb to SDI. Revised and Expanded Edition; Cardinal Choices: Presidential Science Advising from the Atomic Bomb to SDI; Stanford nuclear age series
• Publisher: Stanford University Press, 2000
• ISBN: 0804764395, 9780804764391
• Length: 358 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Development / Economic Development; Political Science / American Government / General; Science / History