I am not a proponent of nuclear power by any means, but I was very curious when I came across this book and was willing to keep an open mind while reading. After reading the prologue, I felt that it was written for skeptics like me.

The Power of Nuclear is well laid out, well-researched, and unbiased in its international overview of the history of nuclear physics, the notable men and women who made it possible, and the development of the atomic bomb.

Understanding the propaganda surrounding nuclear power was a driving point of the book, and Visscher clearly wrote to be understood by a layman or beginner to the subject. Visscher pulls back the curtain of propaganda, exposing where our modern ideas of nuclear energy have originated from. Visscher sheds light on how the ideas surrounding nuclear energy may have been perverted by bad, misled, or ignorant actors over time.

What really struck me and kept me engaged throughout was that the writing in The Power of Nuclear was surprisingly humorous. The author approaches the bitter ironies of the history of nuclear bombs and energy with a cleverness and biting sarcasm that left me chuckling and added a much-needed levity to a heavy subject.

The author provides an accurate overview of all the modern nuclear disasters, namely Chernobyl and Fukushima, and provides backstory of how dangerous (or not) these disasters really were when the damage is assessed through a lens critical of the media at the time and our modern understanding of the aftermath of these disasters.

Visscher lays out a thoughtful and well-presented argument in The Power of Nuclear, and has convinced me that the perfect is indeed the enemy of the good when it comes to finding a renewable energy alternative that responds to the climate crisis in an adequate and time-efficient manner.

My sincerest appreciation to NetGalley, Bloomsbury USA, and Marco Visscher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this fantastic and thoughtful new book about nuclear energy and nuclear power’s place in the twenty-first century and the future, Marco Visscher explores a series of questions of nuclear power and seeks to separate myths and facts about nuclear energy in this intriguing and engaging new release. In understanding what nuclear power has done and what it could do in the future, readers really get some incredible insights into the ways that nuclear power is present in the modern world and how they might interact with it. The different topics and historical events mentioned throughout the book reflect on the history of nuclear power and nuclear physics and the people behind it, from the beneficial to the genocidal and destructive, and Visscher balances the pros and cons of this new system very well throughout this intriguing book. The prose itself is very concise and articulated, and Visscher does a good job in bringing multiple viewpoints and a lot of facts and verified information to life in this book. An excellent book for people working to learn more and educate themselves about nuclear power and alternative energy sources, this is a fascinating, immersive, and thought-provoking read perfect for the modern reader.

I loved this book. Its strongest point is that Visscher looks at both sides of the nuclear power discussion and criticizes the extremes on both. The book tells a great story using clear language and good explanations. The tone is conversational and the book is very readable, with fluid writing. There was even some humor. Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Sigma for the advance reader copy.

This is the story of a non-technical journalist who went from being a staunch supporter of everything Green and a full-on climate change crusader to an over-the-top advocate of nuclear power for the world. The writing is engaging and his nuclear advocacy is so gushing that one can't help but wonder about the accuracy of the book's argument. Regardless of what you believe about climate change, I think that nuclear power is safer than it's usually given credit for, and that it's gained an unfair reputation for a variety of high-visibilty reasons. The book cites sources for some of its data, but I doubt many readers will follow up on those. If we can accept what the book says as reasonably accurate, the case for nuclear power is as overwhelming as it says. So why the stigma? I think the reasons for that are addressed well, but I don't want to spoil the book for any future readers. It's unfortunate that nuclear power plants take so long to bring on-line, as the long lead times create plenty of opportunity for opposition and loss of support. It is heartening to see climate change activists starting to embrace the nuclear option (pun intended), as you just can't have things both ways. Bottom line: if you want to reduce the use of fossils fuels, your portfoliio must include nuclear power.

Very interesting look at nuclear weapons and nuclear power through the history of our world. A true page turner and it feels like you are actually reading a work of thrilling fiction. Definitely check this one out of you are interested in the subject matter or if you like a good history read in general.