Reviews

“This book brings to bear the perspectives of history, sociology, and political science to present novel insights into a key question: Why have societal decisions about energy choices and energy policy sometimes gone awry? Given current interest and need to restructure our energy system to fight global warming, this book couldn't be timelier." – Michael Oppenheimer, Albert G. Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs, Princeton University

"As nuclear power returns to the energy policy agenda, here is a much-needed book. Chi-Jen Yang provides a deep, original, and much needed historical perspective on its early days, when nuclear power was an instrument of the Cold War far more than the "solution" to any energy problem." – Robert Socolow, co-director of Princeton Environmental Institute

"Chi-Jen Yang has written a superb and timely book about the ways in which corporate culture, value systems, and ideological conviction can influence technological outcomes. The triumph of nuclear technology, he tells us, was not the result of reasoned investigation of facts but the outcome of deeply held convictions about U.S. moral superiority. Yang blends keen observation and thoughtful reflection in this lucidly written book, which will appeal equally to scientists and to the public at large." – Patricia Fernández-Kelly, Department of Sociology, Princeton University

"As spiraling fuel costs and global warming provoke a new look at America’s energy policies, this fascinating and timely study will provide a lot of food for thought. Balanced, thoughtful, and eloquent, this book is required reading for anyone who cares about the past and future of nuclear power, synthetic fuels, and other sources of energy. It demonstrates conclusively that government intervention can and has made a crucial difference in the nation's pursuit of alternative energy sources." – Kenneth Osgood, author of Total Cold War: Eisenhower's Secret Propaganda Battle at Home and Abroad