Megawatts and Megatons: A Turning Point in the Nuclear Age?
A fixture for decades in the U.S. nuclear establishment, Garwin here teams with a French physicist to inform nonscientists about the facts of nuclear energy in both its military and civilian applications. In a world that is, on the one hand, worried by carbon-dioxide emissions but, on the other, consuming ever more copious amounts of electricity, a simpleminded antinuclear stance will not suffice. Nearly one-fifth of the world's electricity is supplied by nuclear plants. The authors essentially instruct readers about three things: how nuclear bombs explode, how nuclear reactors operate, and options for disposing of or reprocessing radioactive material. The fairly technical text is written clearly and is free of advocacy, although the authors ultimately urge the revival of the American Baruch plan of 1947, which proposed turning over all bombs to an international agency. Their preferences aside, the authors' objectivity makes this a public-spirited book that will aid any reader who wants to know more about nuclear energy.Gilbert TaylorCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved