Nuclear power has been called "a power too cheap to meter" and a clear source of electricity, which according to this book "may be crucial for preventing catastrophic consequences of global warming and for preventing wars over the world's supply of petroleum" (p. v). Yet there remains a strong opposition to nuclear power due in large part to misconceptions and the fear of nuclear weapons, radiation, and nuclear waste management.



Nuclear Power: Villain or Victim? argues that the basis of such misconceptions is the lack of appropriate information and knowledge. In Chapters 1-10 the book gives information on the properties of nuclear power and energy, and the consequences of nuclear use or not-use. Chapter 11 outlines the benefits from nuclear power, while Chapter 12 makes recommendations for policy and further research.



The first chapter shows nuclear fissile power to be competitive with fossil fuels. Therefore it stands to improve the standard of living in the USA as it did for other countries like France and Japan. Chapters 2 - 4 deal with the physics and engineering of nuclear power processes and nuclear energy generation. The remainder of the book concentrates on nuclear medicine and public health, reactor and plant safety, residual (waste) and waste management, nuclear materials and the spectre of international terrorism in relation to undesired stocks post-Cold War, and old vrsus new generations of reactors, plants, and the entire nuclear energy cycle. Finally, the book describes the cost of producing nuclear power. Figure 14 on page 82, for example, shows that the cost per kilowatt-hour has been lower for nuclear prior to 1985 than for coal, gas and oil. Partly because of safety issues, the cost of nuclear power exceeded that of coal between 1987 and 1995, but the former is falling at an increasing rate. In only 100 pages, Dr Max W. Carbon has written a great book - hands down! Even the "little-known facts about nuclear power" on the back page make excellent reading. An easy 5 star.



Amavilah, Author

Modeling Determinants of Income in Embedded Economies

ISBN: 1600210465