Scientific American launched its e-Book program this summer, starting with The Science of Sports: Winning in the Olympics. Each month, we add new titles selected from the most relevant issues facing science today.
For October, our newest e-Book reminds readers that politics makes strange bedfellows. This maxim becomes even more vivid when politics is put under the scrutiny of scientific analysis. Pulling from an array of disciplines including social science, behavioral science and mathematics, Scientific American does just that in this timely e-Book, Playing Politics: The Science of Elections. This anthology offers analyses of key factors in the process of electing a leader: from dissecting the personal and professional qualities considered to be ideal, to how potential leaders are portrayed, to voter behavior, to the voting process—casting, collecting and counting the votes. In recent years especially, science has increasingly been at the center of controversies over voting methods, voters’ motivations, the geography of presidential elections—including the introduction by the media of the terms red states and blue states—even questions about the veracity and capabilities of candidates. Of particular importance is the analysis of how the electoral process actually works and whether it truly represents the majority’s intentions for how the country should run. In addition to providing the tools to analyze the process, this e-Book also addresses the top science issues of Election 2012. Scientific American partnered with ScienceDebate.org, an independent citizen’s initiative, to engage the current presidential candidates—President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney—to answer where they stand on 14 key science and technology policy questions facing the U.S. today. This thoughtful debate, which includes questions on climate change, sustainable energy, the economy and education, caps off an essential read for concerned voters.
Playing Politics: The Science of Elections is available at most e-Book retailers, including: