Read the excerpt from the introduction to a state of war and peace.

despite the secrecy behind the selection process and a tradition of keeping the list of nominees from being disclosed for fifty years, i believe there is logic to how the winners are chosen. i hope to arrive at an understanding of the method behind the madness used to sift through thousands of the world's highest achievers year after year.

based on this excerpt, which topic will most likely be covered through the course of the book?

a) an argument as to why the prize should be discontinued
b) predictions for who will win the prize for the next fifty years
c) the criteria the committee uses to create a list of nominees
d) a list of people who have been nominated in recent years