A thought-provoking and invaluable book for anyone who cares about risk communication and management in the 21st century
Anna Jung, Director General, European Food Information Council

Professor Ragnar L fstedt has once again produced a most interesting book on risk management and trust, well-based on theory and built on empirical findings
Mikael Karlsson, President, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation

Highlights the difficult balancing task facing risk regulators. Regulatory inaction against real risks can undermine public trust. However, exaggerated responses to risks can also jeopardize regulators credibility. The diverse international case studies developed by Ragnar L fstedt provide guidance for how regulators can navigate these and other frequently competing concerns
W. Kip Viscusi, Cogan Professor of Law and Economics, Harvard University, USA

In democracies, government policies cannot succeed without public acceptance. Yet complex risk management requires technical expertise. How to reconcile these competing needs? Ragnar L fstedt provocatively challenges recent research claiming that risk managers must engender public trust via deliberative dialogue. He uses four cases studies to argue that the reasons for distrust vary and demand different responses; that in some cases trust can flow from technical competence without public deliberation; and that in others public deliberation can actually aggravate distrust. Trust me: L fstedt s book will add spice to the debate over risk, experts, the public and trust
Jonathan B. Wiener, Perkins Professor of Law and Environmental Policy, Duke University, USA

We live in post-trust societies, in which public confidence in governments and corporations over health, food and environmental risk is eroding rapidly. Good risk communication can help companies, governments and institutions minimize disputes, resolve issues and anticipate problems. Without such communication, the best policies can become derailed and trust can be lost. Most policy-makers still use outdated methods to communicate policies and achieve their objectives - methods developed before public trust in industry and government was affected by health scares such as BSE, genetically modified organisms and dioxins in Belgian chicken. This book provides effective methods for managing and communicating risk effectively in contemporary societies.

About the Author
Ragnar E. Loefstedt PhD is a Professor in Risk Management and the Director of the Centre for Risk Management, Department of Geography, School of Social Science and Public Policy, Kings College London. He is a renowned expert on risk communication and regulation issues.

Reviews

'Stimulation to reflection and provocation to reconsider beliefs and prejudices are needed in any part of science. Risk Management in Post-Trust Societies has those qualities and I therefore recommend it to both scientists and professionals interested in risk communication.'
Tomasberg, Associate Professor, University of Kalmar, Sweden, in Risk Analysis

Book Information
ISBN 9781844077021
Author Ragnar E Lofstedt
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Earthscan Ltd
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 249g