Megawatts and Megatons: The Future of Nuclear Power and [Paperback]

Richard L. Garwin (Author), Georges Charpak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0226284271 | ISBN-13: 978-0226284279 | Edition: 1

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A pleasure to read.... Should be studied by everyone concerned with the problems of nuclear power." - Stuart Young, Nature "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." - Frank N. von Hippel, Science

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

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Product Details

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (December 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226284271
• ISBN-13: 978-0226284279
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,048,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different subtitles, same book?, November 8, 2003

By 

"mensetmanus" (Oak Ridge, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Megawatts and Megatons: The Future of Nuclear Power and (Paperback)

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.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Drop the politics and increase the economic sensibilities..., December 5, 2004

By 

Ali-Reza Anghaie (Manchester, CT United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Megawatts and Megatons: The Future of Nuclear Power and (Paperback)

While I appreciate the discussion on nuclear arms I don't think it needed to be at the length the authors took it.

And while I really enjoyed the discussion on nuclear power I was disspointed that the authors took great care to detail and expound ideas (Rubia's for example) at the expense of other economical and safe technologies (Gen III+ and IV LWR for example).

There was no reason not to expand on the the available, decades-proven, and economical designs of today. Basically what I'm thinking is they could've done better to discuss evolutionary designs as opposed to completely new (relatively speaking) concepts. Either way it's a great book, -Ali

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hard to Recommend, August 1, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Megawatts and Megatons: The Future of Nuclear Power and (Paperback)

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.

Notwithstanding their views on disarmament, the authors support nuclear power and do a pretty good job explaining the scientific, financial and engineering aspects of the Peaceful Atom. If the portions on nuclear power were available separately as a pamphlet I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. On balance, however, those few chapters don't justify wading through the entire book.