An Essay on the Selection of Technological and Environmental
Worth buying if: You study cultural theory, risk, or public policy.
Skip it if: You expect a how-to guide or practical policy toolkit.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780520050631. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
Mary Douglas and Aaron Wildavsky probe the social processes that shape technological and environmental choices, arguing selection reflects cultural values, institutional pressures, and risk perceptions in policy decisions.
Why this book now
This 1983 analysis remains relevant for anyone tracing the cultural roots of contemporary technology and environmental debates.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You study cultural theory, risk, or public policy.
- You want a compact academic text by Douglas and Wildavsky.
- You expect a how-to guide or practical policy toolkit.
- You prefer up-to-date case studies or recent data.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780520050631
Worth buying if: You study cultural theory, risk, or public policy.
Skip it if: You expect a how-to guide or practical policy toolkit.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Light Short sit-downs
At 224 pages in a university press on-demand edition, expect a focused academic read that can be tackled in multiple sittings.
What stands out here
This Univ of California Press on Demand edition presents the original 1983 text, emphasizing its interdisciplinary arguments rather than new commentary or updates.
Best way to approach it
Read attentively and with pauses to reflect on theoretical claims; useful to pair with notes on cultural theory and policy cases.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780520050631
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.