“Mody makes clear that morality, science, and politics are utterly inseparable projects. Whether science and engineering hold the potential for more responsible and equitable conduct remains an open, and crucial, question that we cannot hope to answer without studies like this one.”
Amy E. Slaton, Professor, Drexel University
“The Squares sheds new light on the subtle politics of engineers and scientists in the 'long' 1970s. Cyrus Mody's account of their search for civic relevance in this turbulent era is informative, entertaining, and inspiring.”
Andrew L. Russell, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, co-author of The Innovation Delusion
"In The Squares, historian Cyrus Mody examines what it was like to be an ordinary, or 'square,' physicist during the 1970s. Although that decade is typically seen as being more culturally conservative than the flower-power '60s, Mody demonstrates that it was an era in which even many physicists who self-identified as apolitical began working on societally engaged research topics such as solar power... The squares are fortunate that a person of Mody's talents has taken them up.”
Physics Today
“Essential and illuminating reading for historians of the technosciences, the military-industrial-academic complex, the silent majority, and postboom economies.”
Technology and Culture
“Whether considered on its own or as a starting point for future investigations, The Squares deserves attention from historians and policy makers for demonstrating the importance of scholarly engagement with the scientific 'silent majority.'”
The British Journal for the History of Science
“The Squares showcases Mody's unparalleled skill at analyzing the co-production of practices and institutions.”
ISIS
“[Mody's] intriguing insights into decision-making by individuals and institutions in a complex era make this book vital reading for historians of science, engineering, and Cold War politics.”
H-Net Book Reviews
