The German abandonment of nuclear power represents one of the most
successful popular revolts against technocratic thinking in modern
times--the triumph of a dynamic social movement, encompassing a broad
swath of West Germans as well as East German dissident circles, over
political, economic, and scientific elites. Taking on Technocracy
gives a brisk account of this dramatic historical moment, showing how
the popularization of scientific knowledge fostered new understandings
of technological risk. Combining analyses of social history, popular
culture, social movement theory, and histories of science and
technology, it offers a compelling narrative of a key episode in the
recent history of popular resistance.