Megawatts and Megatons
The Future of Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons
428 pages
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55 halftones, 16 tables
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6 x 9-1/4
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© 2002
In Megawatts and Megatons, world-renowned physicists Richard L. Garwin and Georges Charpak offer an accessible, eminently well-informed primer on two of the most important issues of our time: nuclear weapons and nuclear power. They begin by explaining clearly and concisely how nuclear fission and fusion work in both warheads and reactors, and how they can impact human health. Making a strong and eloquent argument in favor of arms control, Garwin and Charpak outline specific strategies for achieving this goal worldwide. But they also demonstrate how nuclear power can provide an assured, economically feasible, and environmentally responsible source of energy—in a way that avoids the hazards of weapons proliferation. Numerous figures enliven the text, including cartoons by Sempé.
"The world certainly needs an authoritative introduction to issues of nuclear power and nuclear weapons for the intelligent and concerned layperson. With this book, Richard L. Garwin and Georges Charpak have done the best job at providing such an account to date."
"A pleasure to read. . . . Should be studied by everyone concerned with the problems of nuclear power."
"Megawatts and Megatons is two books: one a good primer on nuclear power and the other a detailed discussion of nuclear weapons and potential paths for reduction in total numbers of such weapons. . . . The discussion of nuclear power and associated issues is valuable, but what makes the book unique is that Garwin and Charpak are also experts on nuclear weapons and nonproliferation."
"This book is crammed with an almost overwhelming amount of authoritative information and thought-provoking comments on two incredibly complex subjects--nuclear power and nuclear weapons--and the convoluted relationships between them. It is a both a masterful exposition of mankind's ability to manipulate the atom to obliterate civilization or to serve it, and an analysis of how to avoid the former while doing the latter."
"I know of no one book that provides the breadth and depth that this one does on both nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Megawatts and Megatons is a valuable text for anyone interested in becoming informed on two crucial technology areas."
Contents
Acknowledgments
An Optional Review of Units and Dimensions
Introduction
A Fable for Young Readers (and whimsical elders)
1. All Energy Stems from the Same Source
2. The Nuclear Chain Reaction
3. Nuclear Weapons
4. Natural Radiation and Living Things
5. The Civilian Use of Nuclear Energy
6. A Glimpse of the Future of Nuclear Power
7. Safety, Nuclear Accidents, and Industrial Hazards
8. Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
9. Comparing Hazards of Nuclear Power and Other Energy
10. Making Best Use of Scientists
11. From Arms Race to Arms Control
12. Current Nuclear Threats to Security
13. Can We Red the World of Nuclear Weapons?
14. A Turning Point in the Nuclear Age?
Notes
For Further Reading
Index
An Optional Review of Units and Dimensions
Introduction
A Fable for Young Readers (and whimsical elders)
1. All Energy Stems from the Same Source
2. The Nuclear Chain Reaction
3. Nuclear Weapons
4. Natural Radiation and Living Things
5. The Civilian Use of Nuclear Energy
6. A Glimpse of the Future of Nuclear Power
7. Safety, Nuclear Accidents, and Industrial Hazards
8. Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
9. Comparing Hazards of Nuclear Power and Other Energy
10. Making Best Use of Scientists
11. From Arms Race to Arms Control
12. Current Nuclear Threats to Security
13. Can We Red the World of Nuclear Weapons?
14. A Turning Point in the Nuclear Age?
Notes
For Further Reading
Index
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