Radiation: What It Is, What You Need to Know

Description

The universe was born in a nuclear explosion. We live on a radioactive planet. Without radiation there would be not life. And yet radiation remains deeply misunderstood and often mistakenly feared. Now Dr. Robert Peter Gale-one of the world's leading experts on the subject-and Eric Lax set the record straight about subjects like uranium, plutonium, iodine-131, X-Rays, CT scans, and the radiation of food, while lucidly debunking myths about radioactivity. In this fascinating book, the authors explore the science, benefits, and risks of radiation exposure, drawing on the most up-to-date research and Gale's extensive experience treating victims of radiation accidents around the globe. Here is an illuminating and essential guide to our post-Chernobyl, post-Fukushima world.

Dr. Robert Peter Gale was on the faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine for twenty years and has served as chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry. He is the author of twenty-two medical books, eight hundred scientific articles, and numerous pieces on medical topics and nuclear energy for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Eric Lax is the author of medical/science books Life and Death on Ten West, an account of the UCLA bone marrow transplantation unit, as well as Woody Allen- A Biography, each a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. The Mold in Dr. Florey's Coat, about the development of penicillin, was a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year.

Praise for Robert Peter Gale and Eric Lax's Radiation "Eric Lax Gale weigh up the risks and benefits of industrial, medical and natural radiation clearly, logically and with ample science. . . . It is Gale's phenomenal frontline experience that gives this book edge." -Nature "Humorous and accessible. . . . Gale and Lax aim to fill in the gaps in the public understanding of all things nuclear, and they are adept at doing so. . . . The book navigates this troublesome territory without bias. . . . [Gale and Lax] present a host of interesting facts and figures . . . and their explanation of the biological effect of internal radiation is excellent. . . . This book does a good job at explaining radiation and what it does, both good and bad. Radiation is integral to our planet and its use will shape our future here. In Radiation, Gale and Lax help us understand how and why." -New Scientist "Everyone needs to read this book; it's compact, easy to understand, rife with interesting revelations, and it cuts through a great deal of the noise surrounding the subject [of radiation]." -Jewish Journal "Stellar. . . . Gale and Lax objectively present the danger and value of radioactivity. In content and writing, Radiation absolutely glows." -Booklist (starred review) "[Lax and] Gale's is an invaluable guide for negotiating an increasingly radioactive world-for scientists, patients of radiation-related medical procedures, and environmentalists alike." -Publishers Weekly "A well-written extension of the reach of reason in an area fraught with phobia and hysteria." -Kirkus Reviews