I read this book a while ago but apparently never wrote a review or gave feedback so my memory on it is a little foggy on specifics. I remember this book being slow-paced and informative but once I put it down it was very easy for me to forget about and not want to pick up again. However, I do think this book was able to show the need for scientists to also be good communicators because when you hear that there was a radioactive leak at the lab down the street from your house, it initially sounds very scary and concerning. But once you hear more details it's very clear that this was something that got blown way out of proportion by residents and anti-science activists. Knowing how to communicate things to non-scientists without dismissing their concerns is vital and is a skill more scientists need to practice.

I'm so glad this story has been told and I wish all the best for the author, however this particular book just wasn't for me.

This book was not a good fit for me. The writing style seemed directed more toward scientists and policymakers rather than laypeople. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Really interesting and timely. Did not realize a lot of the history of the lab (and I grew up nearby). Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review.

I loved this book. The storytelling is excellent and the book reads like a novel. Character development of the protagonists and antagonists is excellent. This isn’t really a science book; it's that science provides the setting for the story. There is some science of course, but it is very well explained, with no background needed. The story itself is excellent and has many lessons for today with respect to anti-science movements. The authors were intimately involved in the story, but managed, I think, to tell as unbiased a story as possible, but the authors' pain rightly did show through. Overall this is a great read and I recommend it for anyone interested in the history of science. Thank you to Netgalley and MIT Press for the advance reader copy.

Thanks MIT Press for sharing this ARC. I enjoyed the story, but I think this book has a limited audience. I am a member of that audience having worked at a facility similar to Brookhaven during the same time frame. I think people like me will have a greater understanding and empathy for the main players in the story. And I had great empathy for the Brookhaven employees. One interesting aspect of this was the parallel to the current climate of science denial, I hadn’t expected those similarities but it’s a totally apt comparison. Its important for everyone to understand how scientific facts can be totally discounted in the face of fear-mongering, politics, and media frenzies. I think the book needs a better title as well to grab a larger audience.

When reading The Leak, I felt that I was reading a term paper or research essay instead of a book. I enjoyed the story surrounding the groundwater leak and found the stories of media frenzy and government mishandling interesting but I never felt like I was reading a full fledged story.

I compare this book to Midnight In Chernobyl which deals with a similar story. While Chernobyl was a much bigger event, it still had human intrigue as well as all the Russian government involvement which is similar to The Leak. The difference is that you got to know who was there at Chernobyl and who was affected greatly by the reactor disaster but you never grow to care for anyone in The Leak.

Overall I do not feel The Leak was a story that was executed correctly and feel as though it could have been fleshed out and explained more with a focus on the people more.