Three Mile Island [Hardcover]

Mark Stephens (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 245 pages
• Publisher: Random House Inc (T); 1st edition (November 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394510925
• ISBN-13: 978-0394510927
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,621,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars There Are More Up to Date Books, April 6, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Mile Island (Hardcover)

This is an adequate review of the topic, but to get more up to date details I would suggest a newer book. I did find that I wanted more background detail at times. I would have also liked more details of what was taking place in the White House. Overall, not a bad book, but I wish I had spent the time with something more up to date.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good technical review, Great blow blow of bungling bureaucrats., March 21, 2011

By 

MarkB.NV - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Mile Island (Hardcover)

Having lived through that era, I found this a fascinating read. As an engineer who does work in Risk Management the book is part of a good case study. There are a lot of key lessons about direct measurements of key parameters, proper training on maintenance routines, and key principles for running your own reactor (always keep the fuel rods covered by water, never allow them to overheat, keep all radioactive debris contained). The character development of the players was good, but the conflicts between the company, the plant designers, the state, the feds, and NRC was very good (maybe a bit slow, but its more documentary than novel). The question of the day, was who the heck is in charge? That's an important context that other Risk Management books sometimes gloss over.

I found it great reading back in the '80s, but also great refresher to grasp the context of Fukushima disaster. Seems that Japanese management teams are similar to their American counterparts when it comes to gambling with the lives of their employees and customers.