Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published in USA
Apr 2006
336 pages
Genre: History, Science & Current Affairs
Publication Information
They call themselves Jason. Their group is a child of the Manhattan Project by way of the cold war, and they have counted among their ranks scientific stars like Freeman Dyson and Murray Gell-Mann, and among their mentors Edward Teller and Hans Bethe. They’ve inherited a mission from the Manhattan Project - to counsel the government on the military uses of pure science - and have gathered every summer since 1960 to solve highly classified problems for the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. Aside from a brief media firestorm during the Vietnam War, they’ve worked in utter secrecy with unparalleled freedom.
Fiercely patriotic and stubbornly independent, the Jasons have been directly responsible for breakthroughs ranging from the electronic battlefield to "Star Wars" missile defense technology to the national system for predicting global climate. But their mission to keep a vigil over applied science has led them into both moral dilemmas and political stews. In this spellbinding and meticulously researched history, science writer Ann Finkbeiner reveals the critical scientific advances - and the unintended consequences - of the Jasons' shadowy work as well as the fascinating personalities of the Jasons themselves.
"The current Washington climate has decreased Jason's influence, but this portrait of the group will prompt hopes that it can find a way to reassert itself." - Kirkus.
This information about The Jasons shown above was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that the reviews shown do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, please send us a message with the mainstream media reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Become a Member and discover books that entertain, engage & enlighten.
The Fortunate Ones
by Ed Tarkington
An engrossing story of class, love, and loyalty for fans of Kevin Wilson's Nothing to See Here.
Reader Reviews
The Prophets
by Robert Jones Jr.
A stunning debut novel about the forbidden union between two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation.
Reader Reviews
In youth we run into difficulties. In old age difficulties run into us
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
