A New Book on Science Advice

Good news: A new book is out today on science advice for government.
Even better news: The book is rich with content.
It gets even more better: It is free!

The book has been put together by Robert Doubleday of Cambridge University and James Wilsdon of the University of Sussex on the occasion of Mark Walport taking over as the UK government's chief scientific adviser. The book has a UK focus but covers issues of much broader relevance.

Here is the table of contents:

1. The science and art of effective advice - John Beddington
2. Experts and experimental government - Geoff Mulgan
3. A better formula: will Civil Service reform improve Whitehall’s use of expert advice? - Jill Rutter
4. Making the most of scientists and engineers in government - Miles Parker
5. Civil Service identity, evidence and policy - Dave O’Brien
6. The science of science advice - Sheila Jasanoff
7. The case for a Chief Social Scientist - Cary Cooper and Stephen Anderson
8. Engineering policy: evidence, advice and execution - Brian Collins
9. The benefits of hindsight: how history can contribute to science policy - Rebekah Higgitt and James Wilsdon Networks, nodes and nonlinearity: how scientific advice gets into policy - David Cleevely
10. Windows or doors? Experts, publics and open policy - Jack Stilgoe and Simon Burall
11. The power of ‘you’: expertise below the line - Alice Bell
12. The politics of posterity: expertise and long-range decision making - Natalie Day
13. Scientific advice in Parliament - Chris Tyler
14. Letter from America: a memo to Sir Mark Walport - Roger Pielke Jr.
15. The crowded chasm: science in the Australian government - Paul Harris
16. Lessons from the IPCC: do scientific assessments need to be consensual to be authoritative? - Mike Hulme
17. Science advice at the global scale - Bob Watson

Here are several blog posts distilled from the chapters and which have appeared on the Guardian's Political Science blog over the past few weeks:

• The science and art of effective advice by Sir John Beddington
• Experts and experimental government by Geoff Mulgan
• Watching the watchers: lessons from the science of science advice by Sheila Jasanoff
• Will civil service reform improve Whitehall's use of expert advice? by Jill Rutter
• The benefits of hindsight: how history can contribute to science policy by Rebekah Higgitt and James Wilsdon
• The politics of posterity: expert advice and long-term decision making by Natalie Day
• Letter from America: a memo to chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport by Roger Pielke Jr
• The crowded chasm: the place of science in the Australian government by Paul Harris
• The power of 'you'? Science policy below the line by Alice Bell

Enjoy!!