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A review by bclark8781
Atoms and Ashes: A Global History of Nuclear Disasters by Serhii Plokhy
2.0
Well, I didn't really think much of this book, it reads more like a term paper than any kind of compelling narrative. I don't think it's particularly well written. The (mostly) well-known examples of these disasters all pretty much follow a similar path:
1. Pressure from governments or business competitiveness lead to shortcuts in design, safety features, training etc;
2. A problem occurs that either should have been anticipated or was anticipated but due to poor training, design, shoddy materials, or human error, is not appropriately dealt with;
3. Businesses and (especially) governments are desperate to conceal the causes and (especially) severity of the crises;
Stir, mix, and repeat.
I think this might have been a better book had the author not treated each accident in its own chapter and instead done a more macro look at the problems with nuclear power and delved into the particulars of each incident together, comparing, for example, design flaws or construction short cuts together.
I also think the fact that many of these disasters have had their own books (in the cases of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima, many different books) written leaves one with the feeling that "Atoms and Ashes" is almost a Cliff's Notes version, and it leaves the reader unmoved. It is mostly too dry. For example, not that long ago I read "Midnight in Chernobyl" which was an unbelievable work or research and an edge-of-your-seat thriller as well as an absolutely gripping polemic. THAT book was terrifying. This book, despite the author's best intentions, was yawn-inducing.
1. Pressure from governments or business competitiveness lead to shortcuts in design, safety features, training etc;
2. A problem occurs that either should have been anticipated or was anticipated but due to poor training, design, shoddy materials, or human error, is not appropriately dealt with;
3. Businesses and (especially) governments are desperate to conceal the causes and (especially) severity of the crises;
Stir, mix, and repeat.
I think this might have been a better book had the author not treated each accident in its own chapter and instead done a more macro look at the problems with nuclear power and delved into the particulars of each incident together, comparing, for example, design flaws or construction short cuts together.
I also think the fact that many of these disasters have had their own books (in the cases of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima, many different books) written leaves one with the feeling that "Atoms and Ashes" is almost a Cliff's Notes version, and it leaves the reader unmoved. It is mostly too dry. For example, not that long ago I read "Midnight in Chernobyl" which was an unbelievable work or research and an edge-of-your-seat thriller as well as an absolutely gripping polemic. THAT book was terrifying. This book, despite the author's best intentions, was yawn-inducing.