Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan: A History of Knowledge and Action toward Sustainability. K. E. Wilkening. 2004. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. 328 pp. $25 paperback.

Ken Wilkening's book offers a substantive and compelling read for multiple audiences. Wilkening's writing—informed by his long and deep interest in Japan, its culture, and its people—offers the reader an in-depth perspective on the history of science and the development of a nation's capacity to do science. Wilkening's analytical framework renders an exquisite model for the astute political scientist who seeks to understand the relationship between science and politics beyond the Japanese context that Wilkening's in-depth study so richly describes. This manuscript, abundant in background on the history of relationships between scientists and the Japanese policy-making community, is recommended reading for members of the diplomatic and scientific community engaged in any way with Japan, Korea, China, Canada, and the United States in a collective effort to address and mitigate transboundary pollution problems.