Power to Save the World: The Truth About Nuclear Energy

By: Gwyneth Cravens

Narrated by: Christine Williams

With the constant threat of oil shortages facing us and wanting to educate herself about possible alternatives, Gwyneth Cravens skeptically sets out to find for herself the truth about nuclear energy. Her conclusion: It is a totally viable and practical solution to global warming. She enlists the help of Rip Anderson, a leading scientist in the field of risk assessment, and with his tutelage, she travels the country, visiting uranium mines, enrichment centers, reactors, and waste sites.

Along the way we learn a lot of science, review the history of nuclear energy, relive the battles over it, see how successfully it has been applied all over the world, examine the misconceptions, and compare nuclear power to other energy sources, with their risks and benefits. Cravens is not out to deliver a polemic, however. Coming from a childhood spent building fallout shelters, Cravens viscerally understands the terror the word "nuclear" evokes. She gives us a vocabulary for practical risk assessment while investigating the psychology of nuclear fears, starting with the secrecy of the Manhattan Project and the legacy of government cover-ups both here and in the USSR. One by one, she dismantles the arguments against nuclear energy.

©2007 Gwenyth Craves (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

nuclear energy explained for skeptics

this book explains the truth about nuclear energy vs common misconceptions of the vast majority

An intro to a very important subject

If you're curious about nuclear power or looking for some insight to support an arguement for climate change, this book is a great start. As the reign of fossil fuels draws nearer to an end, now more than ever it is important to be informed on our options that satisfy our need for clean energy. This book delves into the complex details of the many facets of nuclear energy and breaks them down for easier mental digestion. From its discovery, the complexities of radiation and exposure to it, the disasters that befell Chernobyl and TMI to nuclear disarmament for power generation to name just a few. Cravens documents her discussions with experts in the field well and the narrator makes it easy to keep track of who's who. If you're looking to gain a foot hold on a complex but important subject, this book is for you.

How politics and lies, ruin clean energy.

I enjoyed this book in an infuriating way. The data is there, and when 1000’s of people die each year from coal fired power that is mentioned as a foot note. Yet nuclear power is not the monster that it’s made out to be. We are waiting time hand ringing about our climate, and the push for more solar and wind all the while ignoring the fact of the toxic mess that solar panel mfg create, the tragically short life of those panel, saying nothing about the even worse toxic mess of battery production. Three mile island and Chernobyl are held up as the cautionary tale of near biblical disasters but the true is it’s so much less than most believe. Nuclear is clean energy, lessons learned make it even safer today. We get more radiation from just living on this planet than the workers at a nuclear power plant.

A must read

If you are a sceptic about nuclear power you should read this. The author details her own journey from ignorance to knowledge and how her opinion on nuclear power has changed as a result.

Must Read

We must use nuclear power. Please read this book. It will change your mind and give you reasons to change other minds in favor of nuclear power.

Brilliant!

A qo default a d fact filled truth expedition Into nuclear energy ans why we need it.

An Eye Opener: Facts vs. Fiction

nuclear energy is the only realistic solution for the mankind for several hundred next year's. fossil fuels are dirty, solar and wind energy has limits and is neither environment saving nor free.

Good for those with little background in NuPow

I enjoyed Gwyneth's narrative on the second read more, focusing on Rip (a friend of hers with a deep background in nuclear power and disposal). I would heartily recommend this book to people who are new to nuclear power and concepts. It doesn't focus much on advanced reactors, looking more to the existing technology of light water reactors and the challenges they can pose. This book has a heavy emphasis on allaying concerns many have about nuclear power, and the reader that is concerned with such things is the ideal target audience. A very good read for laypeople interested in the subject like myself.

Everyone should read (o listen to) this

This should be required reading (or listening). Great summary of all aspects of nuclear power, its risks and its benefits. Explained for all of us to understand. Absolutely wonderful book and really well narrated too.

A Nuclear Change of Heart

Ms Cravens is a lifelong environmental activist who once held the conventional view that nuclear power is evil, evil, evil.

Unlike a lot of activists, she got curious enough to actually look at the science of nuclear energy. After looking deeply at the science of nuclear energy she realized that if man caused climate change is real, then nuclear power isn't an option, nuclear power is required to save the world.

The most helpful part of the book is the deep discussion of what radiation actually is, the different types of radiation, effects of radiation on living things, and how much radiation people are exposed to in their daily lives.

The author traveled around the country visiting nuclear energy related facilities around the country. She goes into explicit detail concerning radiation levels, half lives, safety standards, and risk comparison with other industrial processes.

The author goes into so much detail that the book becomes a bit repetitive near the end, hence the four star rating.

Having said that, this is still a must read book for anyone interested in nuclear energy.