e Making of the Atomic Bomb
Description: This riveting book by Richard Rhodes provides both an in-depth look at the development of the first fission bomb, as well as the scientists who made it possible.
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Description: A great read after The Making of the Atomic Bomb, this book by Richard Rhodes provides an in-depth look into the development of fission-fusion weapons.
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Description: Fascinating book by Tom Zoellner that traces how Uranium, once discarded as waste rock, came to alter the future of the world. __________________________________
Description: This book by Robert Lauf is a great reference source with vibrant photography for the collection and study of radioactive minerals.
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Spying on the Bomb: American Nuclear Intelligence from Nazi Germany to Iran and North Korea
Description: This book provides an intriguing look into how the United States detected and monitored the development of the atomic bomb programs undertaken by other countries, beginning with WWII.
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Description: "The Deadly Element: The Story of Uranium” by Lennard Bickel traces Uranium from its discovery through the various scientific advances that culminated in the development of nuclear weapons.
__________________________________Uranium Frenzy: Saga of the Nuclear West
Description: This book by Ray Ringholz takes the reader through through the sprit and excitement of the Uranium boom. Great accounts of Charlie Steen and others.
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Description: An absolute must-read true account about the brilliance of a young atomic enthusiast in Michigan whose rather hazardous experiments result in the creation of a reactor. Once you begin reading this book, it is hard to stop.
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Description: Jeremy Bernstein’s book takes the reader on a compelling in-depth look at Plutonium.
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Description: This is a unique and in-depth analysis of glass colored with Uranium. Much of it emitting a beautiful glow under UV light, this type of glass collecting is completely unique in that the pieces are radioactive.
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Description: This 300 page book by William Kolb is the absolute definitive book on radioactive items in our culture dating from the early 1900’s. It covers virtually all products made with Radium, Uranium and Thorium in our popular culture. It is by far THE BEST reference source on this topic. Self-published, it is difficult to find.
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Description: This book by Join Coster-Mullen provides a detailed and exacting account of the construction of the first atomic bombs. The author created an exact replica of the Little Boy bomb which is on display at Wendover Utah Airfield Museum.
__________________________________Curve of Binding Energy
Description: John McPhee’s “Curve of Binding Energy” is about the life and career of Theodore Taylor, an extremely innovative theoretical physicist who miniaturized the atomic bomb, and designed the largest-yield fission bomb ever detonated. He also became convinced that weapons-grade uranium and plutonium were available to anyone who might wish to build a bomb, and has since tried to work for improvements in the protection of nuclear materials.
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Description: "The Los Alamos Primer" by Robert Serber, with an introduction by Richard Rhodes, presents the lectures of Serber that were given to young scientists working on The Manhattan Project. Working with Rhodes, the Primer has been annotated for the nonscientist.
__________________________________ece of the Sun
Description: "A Piece of the Sun: The Quest for Fusion Energy" by Daniel Clery. Very interesting account of research into fusion energy. In fusion, two lighter atomic nuclei fuse to form a heavier nucleus. When they combine, some of the mass is lost and is converted into energy. This well researched book presents fascinating detail on plasma physics, and the attempts to overcome barriers posed by the the need to achieve plasma temperatures on the order of hundreds of millions of degrees.
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"Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters” by James Mahaffey provides a detailed historical account of nuclear power beginning with the discovery of radiation and ending with Fukushima.
Mahaffey is a long-time advocate of nuclear research and nuclear energy, and he looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong.
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This book by Lochbaum et al is truly hard to put down. Reviewed as “A gripping, suspenseful page-turner” (Kirkus Reviews) with a “fast-paced, detailed narrative that moves like a thriller” (International Business Times), it is a factual moment to moment account of the Fukushima disaster. It provides tremendous insight into what went wrong and why.