Publications Journal Review

‘Science and Global Security: The Technical Basis for Arms Control and Environment Policy Initiatives’, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-2, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, UK Marketing Dept., P.O. Box 17, London England WC2E 9PX.

The first edition of this excellent new journal covers the following topics: ‘Verified Elimination of Nuclear Warheads’, ‘Verification of Limits on SLCM’s’ and ‘Space Reactor Arms Control’.

This is certainly a science journal containing as it does original properly reviewed contributions with a wealth of technical detail including tables, illustrations, flow-charts and equations, not to mention substantial notes and references for each article.

Having said this, the writing is of a high standard, which I believe would allow the non-technical reader to grasp the essential points without necessarily having to get embroiled in the more technical passages.

The issues this journal addresses are clearly meant to be of global significance and its international flavour is enhanced by the joint US and Soviet editorial board. There are contributions from US and Soviet scientists in the first issue, but no doubt contributions will in time emerge from other countries (like the UK) where scientists believe ‘that the future of civilisation depends on the way in which their expertise is used’, and who feel part of that ‘growing community of scientists … trying to extend … openness to discussions of the technology’, if I may borrow the words of Prank von Hippel in his Co-Chairman’s Foreword. Indeed he states:

The initial focus of the Journal will be US-Soviet arms control, because that is where our cooperative research agenda is furthest advanced. We hope soon, however, to publish work by scientists in Europe and elsewhere and to extend our coverage to include global energy and environment policy issues.

If you cannot afford the quite reasonable individual subscription price of .C24 per volume (4 issues), then I would strongly recommend that (if you are at a university/polytechnic/college) you lobby to get a library subscription of .C60 per volume organised.

Richard Erskine