Via Bostonglobe.com:
When a publishing company asked Cass Sunstein if he’d like to forge ahead with his plan to write a book that mixed discussions of economic policy and Supreme Court decisions with story lines from the “Star Wars” franchise, he didn’t hesitate to say yes.
“I was faster than the Millennium Falcon,” he said. “And I have never had as much fun writing anything.”
On Wednesday, more than eight months after the idea first clicked in Sunstein’s head to write the book, titled “The World According to Star Wars,” the cover was finally revealed.
It shows a “Star Wars” stormtrooper, clad in an iconic white helmet and armor, bending over with open arms. A smaller LEGO-figure stormtrooper is running toward him. The book’s title is written in bold, black letters that float above the fatherly image.
Sunstein, a Harvard University professor and former head of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under President Obama, said the cover of the book, due out in May, was inspired by both the pivotal “I am your father” moment in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” and his 6-year-old son Declan’s fascination with the films.
“Without him, there’s no way I would have written it,” he said, adding that he himself is a “‘Star Wars’ nerd.”
Fatherhood and the way children can redeem their parents are key topics weaved into the book, he said.
But Sunstein goes farther than that in his quest to use themes from the films to explain the state of current affairs.
In his book, Sunstein looks at the arc of history, rebellion, politics, and law as they relate to a galaxy far, far away.
“It was actually really easy to find themes that worked,” he said. “It’s all right in there.”
One chapter explores the differences between destiny and freedom of choice, using decisions made by key characters like Rey, Han Solo,and Kylo Ren to illustrate the point.
The book also includes what Sunstein calls the “authoritative ranking” of all seven movies.
Sunstein’s No. 1 pick? “The Empire Strikes Back.”
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