Acceptable Risk

Format is approximately 6 inches by 9 inches. xv, [1], 185, [3] pages. Figures. Illustrations. Tables. References. Additional Readings. Index. Signed by Fischhoff on the title page. Baruch Fischhoff (born April 21, 1946, Detroit, Michigan) is an American academic who is the Howard Heinz University Professor in the Institute for Politics and Strategy and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. He is an elected member of the (US) National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine. His research focuses on judgment and decision making, including risk perception and risk Analysis. He has numerous academic books and articles. Fischhoff completed his graduate education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the supervision of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. He has been honored with a 'Distinguished Achievement Award' by the Society for Risk Analysis, a Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology by the American Psychological Association, an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship, and a Doctorate of Humanities by Lund University. He has chaired committees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, National Academy of Sciences, and Environmental Protection Agency. He is a past president of the Society for Risk Analysis and Society for Judgment and Decision Making. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, Society of Experimental Psychologists and Society for Risk Analysis. He won the William Proctor Prize for Scientific Achievement in 2021. The common denominator of a growing number of hard decisions facing modern societies is the need to determine 'how safe is safe enough?'. The authors begin by defining acceptable-risk problems and analyzing why they are so difficult to resolve, considering such issues as uncertainty about their definition, lack of relevant facts, conflicting and conflicted social values, and disagreements between technical experts and the lay public. Drawing on their own experience in risk management as well as the relevant research literatures, they identify and characterize the variety of methods that have been proposed for resolving acceptable-risk problems. They subject these methods to a rigorous critique in terms of philosophical presuppositions, technical feasibility, political acceptability, and validity of underlying assumptions about human behavior. The authors construct a framework for deciding how to make decisions about risks, and offer recommendations for research, public policy, and practice. Although their principal focus is on technological hazards, their analysis applies to many risks, such as those from new medical treatments or innovative programs in criminal justice. The necessity of balancing risks and benefits impinges on most people's lives, and a broad audience will find this book thought-provoking and useful. First paperback edition [stated] Sixth printing [stated].…