Not a scientist: how politicians mistake, misrepresent, and utterly mangle science
A book that looks critically at the way science is treated by policymakers, reviewed by Susan Vickers
Not a scientist describes itself as ‘an eye-opening tour of the political tricks that subvert scientific process’. The book takes its name from a speech by Ronald Regan in which he stated: ‘I am not a scientist and I don’t know the figures, but I just have a suspicion…’ Regan’s suspicion was that the volcano Mount St. Helens had released more sulfur dioxide than human sources had over the previous 10 years. He was completely wrong.