Subjects:  1. Engineering - Nuclear    2. Technology & Industrial Arts    3. Technology: General Issues   

Reviews (5)

riveting: death, sex and uranium
I read half of this while waiting for the train! The author's style is very clear and he's a good storyteller. While some of the chapters were a bit sensationalized, this book is well worth your time and money. "Idaho Falls" is more interesting than 99% of the contemporary fiction out there :)

Fascinating
In the interest of full disclosure I will say up front that I am not in any way connected to The Site (locals' name for the facility out on the desert now called the INEEL)I have friends who work there and friends who would love to see it shut down. Important lesson from history
McKeown does a good job of pulling together the many strands of this story, giving just enough technical detail to know what went wrong, and enough (relevant) human interest to keep the story interesting. Yes, it's true that Idaho Falls isn't exactly a brand-new 'revelation', but few outside the nuclear industry have heard about it, or know its significance. McKeown shows that the ultimate cause was a failure by the designers of the reactor to take into account Murphy's Law - if something can go wrong, it will. This is a common thread running thru nuclear incidents ranging from Windscale to Chernobyl. With some energy experts now calling for us to embrace nuclear power again in order to meet energy demand without triggering excessive global warming, McKeown's book is a very timely reminder of why and how things went wrong 50 years ago, and what we need to look out for the second time around (if nuclear power is granted one) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    2. History - General History    3. History: American    4. Idaho - Local History    5. Modern - 20th Century/Nuclear Age    6. Nuclear Energy    7. Nuclear Plant Safety    8. Technology    9. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)    10. United States - State & Local - General    11. History of specific subjects    12. Nuclear power & engineering    13. Social impact of disasters    14. Technology / Nuclear Energy    15. USA   

Reviews (4)

Good look at the international scene
This book covers the science, history, current practice and issues of nuclear power and nuclear weaponry.The first several chapters go over the science of nuclear fission and fusion, and the technology used to harness it.This is accompanied by a short history of the development of nuclear weapons and power.The rest of the book then looks at the state of the nuclear industry around the world, both from a commercial, political, and technological standpoint, and how this compares with other energy systems such as the oil industry, coal industry, etc...The book covers the different types of reactors in existence and under design.The authors also give a good history of nuclear accidents, both in the reactors, and accidental release of radioactive waste.The book ends with chapters on how nuclear power has affected international relations, and what options exist in this area for the future.Overall a good book to read; highly informative and comprehensive.One minus that I found is that the authors are found of citing facts and figures and reproducing tables and graphs, without always including the corresponding references in the text.Instead, all the references are listed at the end of the book.

Different subtitles, same book?
You might think Megawatts and Megatons subtitled "The Future of Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons" (paperback) would have different contents than the one subtitled "A Turning Point in the Nuclear Age" (hardback), like I did; however, with the exception of a new couple-page "Note to the Paperback Edition," I saw no differences.I'd suggest not falling for Amazon's Buy Both on these two, because you'll probably be disappointed to find out you got two editions of the same book.

Comprehensive, Sci, American level treatment of nuke power
Although its authors fail to recognize that worldwide oil+natural gas extraction will certainly peak before 2015, this book is very timely. Garwin & Charpak write (p. 246) "We believe that one of the highest duties of society as a whole is to assess and to choose its destiny. In this book our goal is less to prescribe than to inform our readers of the options as we see them ... In considering nuclear energy we do not in any way intend to denigrate other approaches to providing for the needs of society -- including renewable energy, improved efficiency to reduce energy needs, and the like. Nevertheless, all these options will have direct and indirect effects on the environment." Nuclear power for electricity generation is one of their threads, the other is weapons and arms control which Garwin has worked on for many years mostly to point out the futility of defense against weapons not delivered by missiles and against missiles after decoys are deployed.Read more

Subjects:  1. Arms control    2. History    3. History: World    4. Military - Nuclear Warfare    5. Nuclear Energy    6. Nuclear Physics    7. Nuclear Weapons    8. Nuclear arms control    9. Nuclear industry    10. Social Aspects    11. Technology & Industrial Arts    12. Current Events / General   

Subjects:  1. Engineering - Nuclear    2. Nuclear Energy    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Technology    5. Technology & Industrial Arts    6. Nuclear power & engineering    7. Technology / Engineering / Nuclear    8. Technology / Nuclear Energy    9. Technology-Nuclear Energy   

Reviews (3)

Drop the politics and increase the economic sensibilities...
While I appreciate the discussion on nuclear arms I don't think it needed to be at the length the authors took it.
Different subtitles, same book?
You might think Megawatts and Megatons subtitled "The Future of Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons" (paperback) would have different contents than the one subtitled "A Turning Point in the Nuclear Age" (hardback), like I did; however, with the exception of a new couple-page "Note to the Paperback Edition," I saw no differences.I'd suggest not falling for Amazon's Buy Both on these two, because you'll probably be disappointed to find out you got two editions of the same book.

Hard to Recommend
This is a strange book. Actually, it's two books in one, with a dopey chapter for children thrown in for good measure. The first half is about nuclear power, both in energy production and weapons. The second half is an editorial for nuclear disarmament. The authors make no attempt to divorce their politics from the discussion. Even the first, more substantive half of the book is liberally laced with disarmament talking points.Read more

Subjects:  1. Military - Nuclear Warfare    2. Military Science    3. Nuclear Energy    4. Nuclear Physics    5. Nuclear arms control    6. Nuclear industry    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Nuclear issues    11. Nuclear power & engineering    12. Nuclear structure physics    13. Nuclear weapons    14. Technology / Nuclear Energy   

Subjects:  1. Alternative & renewable energy sources & technology    2. Energy industries & utilities    3. Nuclear power industries   

Subjects:  1. Nuclear Energy    2. Unassigned Title   

Subjects:  1. Congresses    2. Heavy ions    3. Mathematical Physics    4. Multiplicity    5. Nuclear Energy    6. Nuclear Physics    7. Nuclear matter    8. Particle Physics    9. Particles (Nuclear physics)    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Technology & Industrial Arts    13. Science / Nuclear Physics   

Reviews (4)

Incredible read - highly accurate
I read this book 5 times over the course of several months because it combines technical depth with superb and witty writing.
Powerful & frightening account about our near-Chernobyl
This story DOES read like a novel - I agree with one of the other reviewers. I was only 9 years old when the accident happened, but not long thereafter I bought this book during its first printing. Adding to my fascination to the accident is the fact that I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and my father was a long-time employee of Met-Ed. My interest in nuclear plants is alive and well, since I now live within 5 miles of one of the largest nuclear plants (in Megawatt producing power) in the United States. Surprisingly good mix of technical detail and storytelling
As someone who works at a Nuclear plant, I've had much training on the accident at TMI in much greater detail than provided in this book (although, Gray does do a decent job at explaining how operators responded to that paricular event...he does leave out a lot, however). The best thing about this, for me, was his obvious research with regard to other facilities that had the same problem prior to TMI and the lack of a Nuclear network to help get the word out (we have an extensive network of information sharing now). The character descriptions are excellent and the story does flow like a novel...get this book (if you can find it...it's been out of print for a while) if you want a reasonably close explanation of what occured at TMI, but get it more for the story and the background information. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accidents    2. Harrisburg Region    3. Nuclear Energy    4. Nuclear Plant Safety    5. Nuclear Power Stations    6. Nuclear power plants    7. Pennsylvania    8. Political Freedom & Security - General    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Technology    12. Three Mile Island Nuclear Powe    13. Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant (Pa.)   

Subjects:  1. Buildings    2. Cleanup    3. Dept. of Energy    4. Engineering - Nuclear    5. Environmental Science    6. Environmental aspects    7. Industrial Health & Safety    8. Life Sciences - Ecology - Recycling    9. Nuclear weapons plants    10. Radioactive Contamination And Clean-Up    11. Radioactive Pollutants (Environmental Aspects)    12. Radioactive waste sites    13. Science/Mathematics    14. Technology    15. Technology & Industrial Arts    16. United States    17. United States.    18. Waste disposal    19. Nuclear structure physics    20. Technology / Engineering / Nuclear   

Reviews (4)

The Paradigm of Operational Excellence & High-Reliability
Many biographies have been written about Hyman Rickover, the father of the Nuclear Navy, which focus on his dictatorial idiosyncrasies and leave the reader wondering how anyone could have ever worked for him. In "The Rickover Effect: How One Man Made A Difference" author Ted Rockwell discusses how Rickover's leadership style created a paradigm shift among all of the organizations he came in contact with focusing away from the status quo and toward operational excellence and high-reliability. Rockwell, who worked for Rickover from 1949 to 1964 and served as the Technical Director of the U.S. Naval Reactors Program (NR) between 1954 and 1964 is certainly in one of the best positions to discuss his perceptions of Rickover's personality, work ethic, and style. Detailed, but biased account of a Navy maverick
"The Rickover Effect" is a fascinating depiction of Admiral Hyman Rickover's efforts to build the nuclear Navy.This book is not intended to serve as a comprehensive chronicle of Rickover's career andprivate life, but as a chronicle of Rickover's accomplishments in bringingnuclear power to the Navy as viewed by a subordinate.Within theseself-admitted limitations, the book succeeds, but Theodore Rockwell alsoattempts to turn Rickover's leadership style into some sort of managementprimer. Biased, but readable and interesting
The author holds Admiral Rickover in extremely high regard, so much so that the book reads more like advertising than non-fiction. I can't recall a single case in the book where Rickover is described as making a mistake,being unreasonable, or doing something dumb! People in a position to knowtell me that Rickover was extremely difficult to work with, especially whenchallenged by a subordinate, but you'd never guess at such problems fromRockwell's book! Rickover is presented as stern and demanding, but alwaysfair. Despite my nit-picking, this is still a worthwhile book for someoneinterested in the subject. Rickover definitely knew how to get things done,and deserves great credit for his work on making nuclear power reactorsinto a working concept. It is highly readable, and the Rickover quotessprinkled through the pages are worth the purchase price. A lengthy, butmore balanced account is in Norman Polmar's book, Rickover. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Admirals    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. General    6. History    7. Military Science    8. Nuclear submarines    9. Rickover, Hyman George    10. Submarines    11. United States    12. Biography: historical    13. Maritime history    14. Naval forces & warfare    15. Nuclear power & engineering    16. USA    17. c 1945 to c 1960    18. c 1960 to c 1970   

Subjects:  1. Ecology - Recycling    2. Environmental aspects    3. General    4. Low-level radiation    5. Radioactive Wastes    6. Radiology    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Nuclear power & engineering    11. Waste management   

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - Analytic    2. Chemistry - General    3. Chemistry - Inorganic    4. Engineering - Nuclear    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Social Aspects    8. Superheavy elements    9. Transuranium elements    10. Inorganic chemistry    11. Nuclear chemistry, photochemistry & radiation    12. Science / Chemistry / General   

Subjects:  1. Engineering - Nuclear    2. Environmental Science    3. Industrial Health & Safety    4. Radiation    5. Radiological Safety    6. Safety measures    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Environmental impact of radiation    10. Nuclear chemistry, photochemistry & radiation    11. Nuclear power & engineering    12. Particle & high-energy physics    13. Science / Environmental Science   

Subjects:  1. Biochemistry    2. Environmental Chemistry    3. Environmental Engineering & Technology    4. Environmental Engineering (General)    5. Environmental Science    6. Environmental Studies    7. Environmental engineering    8. Life Sciences - Ecology    9. Mechanics - Dynamics - General    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Heat transfer processes    13. Industrial quality control    14. Nuclear power & engineering    15. Sanitary & municipal engineering    16. Technology / Environmental   

Reviews (16)

Unconventional Wisdom
Contains perspectives on environmental risks of nuclear power compared to other energy sources.
Obviously Partial, Yet A Generally Good Effort
In this book Robert Morris does a generally credible job explaining the benefits of nuclear power. His book is factually accurate and informative, and particularly useful to people who have listened to extensive anti-nuclear rhetoric without attempting to hear the pro-nuclear arguments.
Simple simon nuke propoganda.
A one sided tome, missing two of the most basic facts about nuclear energy. A) The mineral, Uranium Oxide upon which today's nuclear power technology rests is depleting at the rate of between 1 and 2 percent a year. I.e. 50 - 100 year supply. (This includes all factors such as Russian missiles, etc.) B) Nuclear energy today only supplies about 8% of all world energy. Nuclear power would only last 5 to 10 years!
Read more

Subjects:  1. Electric power production    2. Environmental Science    3. Environmental aspects    4. Nuclear Energy    5. Nuclear Plant Safety    6. Nuclear Power (Environmental Aspects)    7. Nuclear engineering    8. Nuclear power plants    9. Risk assessment    10. Safety measures    11. Science    12. Science/Mathematics    13. Technology & Industrial Arts    14. Management of land & natural resources    15. Nuclear issues   

Subjects:  1. Environmental impact of radiation    2. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    3. Nuclear power & engineering    4. Social impact of environmental issues    5. Ukraine    6. c 1980 to c 1990   

Reviews (2)

Waiter! There's some chemical engineering in my soup!
But seriously folks, this is the MOTHER of nuclear chemical engineering novelas! If you plan on reading this book be prepared to BUCKLE UP because you're going for a RIDE. A ride to Nuclear Chemical Engineering LAND! Huzzah! What have we here? Some atoms? Some CHEMICALS? Prehaps this CHEMICAL SOUP ISN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL! BOKKO!

Waiter! There's some chemical engineering in my soup!
But seriously folks, this is the MOTHER of nuclear chemical engineering novelas! If you plan on reading this book be prepared to BUCKLE UP because you're going for a RIDE. A ride to Nuclear Chemical Engineering LAND! Huzzah! What have we here? Some atoms? Some CHEMICALS? Prehaps this CHEMICAL SOUP ISN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL! BOKKO! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General    2. Engineering - Chemical & Biochemical    3. Engineering - Nuclear    4. Nuclear Chemical Engineering    5. Nuclear chemistry    6. Nuclear engineering    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology    9. Technology & Industrial Arts   

Subjects:  1. Chemistry - General    2. Children's Baby - Science    3. Nuclear Physics    4. Physics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Atomic & molecular physics    8. Cosmology & the universe    9. Nuclear power & engineering    10. Physics | Atomic, Molecular, & Optical physics    11. Science / Physics   

Subjects:  1. Engineering - Nuclear    2. Nuclear Fusion    3. Nuclear Physics    4. Pellet fusion    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Solid State Physics    7. Technology & Industrial Arts    8. Atomic & molecular physics    9. Nuclear structure physics    10. Science / Nuclear Physics