Richard A. Muller

Physics for Future Presidents

The Science Behind the Headlines

Learn the science behind the headlines—the tools of terrorists, the dangers of nuclear power, and the reality of global warming.

We live in complicated, dangerous times. They are also hyper-technical times. As citizens who will elect future presidents of the most powerful and influential country in the world, we need to know—truly understand, not just rely on television’s talking heads—if Iran’s nascent nuclear capability is a genuine threat to the West, if biochemical weapons are likely to be developed by terrorists, if there are viable alternatives to fossil fuels that should be nurtured and supported by the government, if nuclear power should be encouraged, and if global warming is actually happening. This book is written in everyday, nontechnical language on the science behind the concerns that our nation faces in the immediate future. Even active readers of serious journalism will be surprised by the lessons that the book contains. It is “must-have” information for all presidents—and citizens—of the twenty-first century.

Richard A. Muller is professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a past winner of the MacArthur Fellowship. This book is based on his renowned course for non-science students.

July 2008 / hardcover / ISBN 978-0-393-06627-2
5 1/2" x 8 1/4" / 224 pages / Science