Physics for Future Presidents

"Physics for Future Presidents" gives the reader 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 hypertechnical times. As citizens of the world today, we need to know - truly understand, not just rely on television's experts - 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, if nuclear power should be encouraged and if global warming is actually happening. This book is written in non-technical language on the science behind the concerns that the West faces in the immediate future. Even active readers of serious journalism will be surprised by the lessons that the book contains. It is essential information for all leaders - and citizens - of the twenty-first century.

Richard A. Muller is a 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.

"Written with a logic that is Feynmanesque in its simplicity and persuasiveness, this is a must-read for future presidents." New Scientist "All in all, without doubt, both the best concept I've seen in ages and an excellent fulfilment of the promise of the title." www.popularscience.co.uk "A marvellously readable and level-headed explanation of basic science and how it relates to the issues." The New York Times