Harry Henderson is a freelance writer who has published more than 30 books relating to computer science, technology, inventions, and related social issues.

• Preface1 Background and HistoryAtoms and Mysterious RaysThe Atomic NucleusNeutrons and Nuclear FissionA Letter of WarningThe Manhattan ProjectThe First Nuclear ReactorNuclear Perils and PromisesThe Atomic Energy CommissionReactors at SeaOther Forms of Nuclear Propulsion"Atoms for Peace,"Science Fiction and Cold War RealityThe Atomic Energy Act of 1954Early Developments and RegulationBreeding ControversyExpansion of Nuclear Power in the 1960s and 1970sThe AEC and the Environmental MovementThe Nuclear Regulatory CommissionFrom Brown's Ferry to Three Mile IslandA Growing Antinuclear MovementThe Chernobyl DisasterYucca Mountain and Nuclear WasteFukushima: The Nuclear Perfect StormAn Uncertain Future2 Problems, Controversies, and SolutionsNuclear Power TodayHow Much Does Nuclear Power Cost?Fuel Costs and ComparisonsGrowth ProjectionsSubsidies, Incentives, and RegulationsContinuing UncertaintyRadiation and HealthEnvironmental EffectsThe Nuclear Fuel CycleManaging Radioactive WasteSearch for a Permanent SolutionTransporting Nuclear WasteDecommissioning Nuclear PlantsNuclear ProliferationNuclear TerrorismThe Non-Proliferation Treaty and Nuclear SecurityThe Search for SafetyDoes "Safety Culture" Work?Coping with Natural DisastersNew Reactor DesignsSmall Modular Reactors"Fast" and Breeder ReactorsFusion?Public Opinion Changing?A Stalled Industry?Nuclear Power and Climate ChangeRenewables as an AlternativePart of the Solution?Conclusion3 PerspectivesNuclear Energy Is a Safe Industry, Brett McCollumSafety, Human Fallibility, and Nuclear Power, Lloyd J. DumasBuilding Back Better: Lessons from Fukushima, Hilary Oliva FaxonNuclear Power: A Faustian Bargain, Mark Troy BurnettWhy Nuclear Energy Is Clean and Environmental Opposition to Nuclear Energy Is a Major Mistake, Bruno CombyNavajos and Uranium Mining: Death Digging Yellow Dirt, Bruce E. Johansen4 ProfilesPeopleBernard Baruch (1870–1965)Hans Albrecht Bethe (1906–2005)Niels Bohr (1885–1962)Helen B. Caldicott (1938– )Jimmy Carter (1924– )Bernard Cohen (1924–2012)Barry Commoner (1917–2012)Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969)Mohamed ElBaradei (1942– )Enrico Fermi (1901–1954)John Gofman (1918–2007)Henry M. Jackson (1912–1983)Abdul Qadeer Khan (1936– )David E. Lilienthal (1899–1981)Lise Meitner (1878–1968)Karl Z. Morgan (1907–1999)Mayumi Oda (1941– )J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904–1967)Dixy Lee Ray (1914–1994)Hyman G. Rickover (1900–1987)Glenn T. Seaborg (1912–1999)Karen Silkwood (1946–1974)Lewis L. Strauss (1896–1974)Leo Szilard (1898–1964)Grace Thorpe (1924–2008)Stewart Udall (1920–2010)OrganizationsAlliance for Nuclear AccountabilityAmerican Institute of PhysicsAmerican Nuclear SocietyArgonne National LaboratoryBeyond NuclearCenter for Nonproliferation StudiesEnvironmentalists for Nuclear EnergyInternational Atomic Energy AgencyNuclear Energy AgencyNuclear Energy InstituteNuclear Information and Resource ServiceNuclear Threat InitiativeOak Ridge National LaboratoryUnion of Concerned ScientistsU.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear EnergyU.S. Nuclear Regulatory CommissionWorld Information Service on EnergyWorld Nuclear Association5 Data and DocumentsHistorical BackgroundThe Nuclear IndustryBackground: What Is Nuclear Energy?Reactor DesignsFuel Cycle and StorageRegulation, Safety, and RisksDebating the Future of Nuclear Power6 Resources for Further ResearchOverview and ReferenceHistorical DevelopmentsEconomic, Regulatory, and Legal AspectsEnvironmental and Health EffectsRisks, Disasters, and Safety in Nuclear PlantsNuclear Waste and the Fuel CycleProliferation and TerrorismNew Designs and TechnologiesClimate Change and the Future of Nuclear Power7 ChronologyGlossaryIndexAbout the Author

Part of the Contemporary World Issues series, this second edition of Nuclear Power . . . has been significantly updated and revised. . . . Each chapter is informative and balanced in coverage. . . . This is a valuable resource for libraries supporting programs in environmental studies, energy studies, and earth sciences. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers.