Front Row Seat: How Science Can (and Can't) Shape Public Decision-Making by Dame Juliet A. Gerrard

Preorder your SIGNED copy!

Juliet Gerrard is part of the Open Book whānau, so all preorders will come signed by the author! (If you don’t want a signed copy, just let us know).

Responding to the terrorist attack on a Christchurch mosque and a global pandemic, the volcanic eruption at Whakaari/White Island and the occupation of Parliament grounds, for six years Dame Juliet Gerrard stood next to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her successors to provide the insights that science might bring to decisions on issues of public importance.

Sometimes these were emergencies: How fast will Covid spread? How many people are likely to die under different policies? Will the mosque terrorist produce copycats? And sometimes they were longer-term issues: What does the science say about cannabis? Should we worry about 5G or genetic engineering? Will it be easy or hard to get rid of plastic bags? Through case studies like these, Gerrard reflects on the realities of providing evidence to inform policy in the political arena – unpacking the tensions and drawing out general principles.

For anyone interested in evidence and public policy,Front Row Seatis a readable insider account of how science can (and can’t) help us solve big public issues.

Dame Juliet A. Gerrard DNZM, HonFRSC, FRSNZ, trained at Oxford and moved to New Zealand in 1993. She is the author of over 175 publications, including three books, and is currently a professor in biological and chemical sciences at the University of Auckland. From 2018–2024, she served as the Chief Science Advisor to three Prime Ministers (Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, and Christopher Luxon).

Please note: We are hosting the Front Row Seat book launch at Old Government House, 24 Princes Street, Auckland CBD at 5.30pm on Tuesday 15th September, 2026. Preorders can be collected at the event, otherwise will be shipped and/or available for pickup from The Open Book in Ponsonby from Wednesday 16 September.