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Radiation: What It Is, What You Need to Know Audiobook
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(3.15) - 13 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The essential guide to radiation: the good, the bad, and the utterly fascinating, explained with unprecedented clarity. Earth, born in a nuclear explosion, is a radioactive planet; without radiation, life would not exist. And while radiation can be dangerous, it is also deeply misunderstood and often mistakenly feared. Now Robert Peter Gale, M.D,—the doctor to whom concerned governments turned in the wake of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters—in collaboration with medical writer Eric Lax draws on an exceptional depth of knowledge to correct myths and establish facts. Exploring what have become trigger words for anxiety—nuclear energy and nuclear weapons, uranium, plutonium, iodine-131, mammogram, X-ray, CT scan, threats to the food chain—the authors demystify the science and dangers of radiation, and examine its myriad benefits, from safely sterilizing our food to the relatively low-risk fuel alternative of nuclear energy. This is the book for all readers who have asked themselves questions such as: What kinds of radiation, and what degree of exposure, cause cancer? What aftereffects have nuclear accidents and bombs had? Does radiation increase the likelihood of birth defects? And how does radiation work? Hugely illuminating, Radiation is the definitive road map to our post-Chernobyl, post-Fukushima world. Bonus: Includes a PDF of Illustrations.
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"The title sounds kind of alarmist but the insides aren't so bad. It had a lot of food for thought and refreshed my memory about what we learned in school about nuclear energy and radiation in general. It's pretty up to date as well, talking about as recent events as the Fukushima Daikii accident."
— Sardonyx (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Eric Lax [and Robert] Gale weigh up the risks and benefits of industrial, medical, and natural radiation clearly, logically and with ample science. But it is Gale’s phenomenal frontline experience that gives this book edge.”
— Nature -
“[Lax and] Gale’s is an invaluable guide for negotiating an increasingly radioactive world—for scientists, patients of radiation-related medical procedures, and environmentalists alike.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Gale and Lax objectively present the danger and value of radioactivity. In content and writing, Radiation absolutely glows.”
— Booklist -
“A well-written extension of the reach of reason in an area fraught with phobia and hysteria.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Gale and Lax aim to fill in the gaps in the public understanding of all things nuclear, and they are adept at doing so. Throughout the book they present a host of interesting facts and figures in humorous and accessible prose.”
— New Scientist
Radiation Listener Reviews
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" Informative and well presented, I just realized I don't have a book length fascination with radiation. "
— Brandon, 7/8/2013 -
" informative. skeptical about some of the conclusions. "
— Anthony, 3/15/2013
About the Authors
Robert Peter Gale, a scientist and physician, is presently visiting professor of haematology at Imperial College, London. His career has focused on the biology and therapy of bone marrow and blood cancers, especially leukemias. He is the author of numerous medical books, and his articles have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal. For the last thirty years, he has led or been involved in the global medical response to nuclear and radiation accidents, including those in Fukushima and Chernobyl. He lives in Los Angeles.
Eric Lax is the author of Faith, Interrupted; Conversations with Woody Allen; Life and Death on 10 West, a New York Times Notable Book; The Mold in Dr. Florey’s Coat, a Los Angeles Times Best Book of 2004; and co-author of Bogart, which was nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Biography. His biography Woody Allen was a New York Times and international bestseller and a Notable Book of the Year. His writing has appeared in the Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and New York Times Magazine. An officer of PEN International, he lives with his wife in Los Angeles.
About Robert Fass
Robert Fass is a veteran actor and twice winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has earned multiple Earphones Awards and been named in AudioFile magazine’s list of the year’s best narrations for six years.