Not As Much Of A Hit Piece As One Might Expect. If you see that a self-proclaimed "environmentalist" is writing a book about nuclear energy and specifically the Diablo Canyon Power Plant along Central California's coast, many would likely assume this is going to be little more than a thinly veiled hit piece about how evil the plant is and how it should never have been extended.

And one would be WRONG in that assumption... mostly.

Tuhus-Dubrow instead actually does a reasonably balanced-ish (if still clearly tilted slightly (your mileage may vary on how "slightly") towards the anti-nuclear position) approach of looking at the totality of everything about nuclear power in the 21st century, showing its evolutions from its earliest incarnations in the middle of the previous century when many thought nuclear power could usher in a Pre-War version of the world from Fallout (briefly seen in the opening sequence of Fallout 4, for example) into its most modern - and promising yet highly contested - forms, using the Diablo Canyon facility as the basis of much of the overall narrative.

Along the way she makes it a point to talk to many on both sides of the issue and give the requisite brief biographies of each of the key players to the narrative she is constructing, as well as discuss in varying detail the whole of the nuclear power saga - everything from its well known incidents to its lesser known incidents to how *exactly* spent nuclear fuel is stored (mostly, she never details the process involved at facilities such as South Carolina's Savannah River Plant, where I've worked a couple of times in a couple of different software engineering roles) and most everything in between. She discusses the various pro- and anti- groups that have formed over the years and actively interviews several leaders on both sides.

But it is during these interviews in particular that Tuhus-Dubrow develops a new term she clearly means and uses as a pejorative throughout much of the text, specifically to describe many - if not all - on the pro-nuclear energy side: "nuclearists".

Still, even this wasn't truly significant enough to necessitate the star deduction. Instead, that comes from the dearth of a bibliography, clocking in at just 11% or so of the Advance Review Copy of the book I read nearly four months before publication.

Ultimately, no matter your position on nuclear energy and even if you, like I, have actively worked in the field for any length of time, you're going to learn something from reading this book. So give it a read, and make sure to write your own review about your own experience with it. And then go read the fictional Viral Apocalypse series by Michael McBride, showing one way Diablo Canyon could actually someday help cause the Apocalypse. ;)

Very much recommended.

This is the second of two pro-nuclear books I've read recently. The people pushing for the reduction of fossil fuels for power generation are realizing that solar and wind are not going to make that happen anytime soon, if ever. They bring with them their own environmental issues, too. The first book I read was written by a convert, someone in the green movement who used to be anti-nuclear but has seen the light. It was written with all the exuberance of a new convert. This book is more even in tone, and focuses on the stories of a few representatives in the pro-nuclear movement rather than focusing on the author. Those representatives are a mix of converts and others who have long been for nuclear, and it comes across more balanced as a result. What it lacks compared to the first book is data and references. The author did a lot of firsthand research, which is excellent, but she left out the data that would help a reader like me understand her position. I am for nuclear power, but if I didn't already hold that position then I would be left wondering if there was merit to her sources' positions.

Overall, it's a good read if a bit long, it covers the field well, and I recommend it as one of multiple sources interested readers should look into.