To my mind, one of the worst crimes of the Bush II administration is the relentless perversion of science by political interests, and the near-medieval attitude towards knowledge espoused by its religious extremist “base”. Chris Mooney goes into depth on this vital topic, and I must advise you NOT to read it if you are of a scientific mind and weak heart, for it will enrage you. Mooney has continued the conversation started in the book on his blog at The Intersection. Both blog and book are must-reads for those interested in the furtherance of science.