This book is about nuclear winter, and what scientists have determined it will probably be like. Before I say anything else, let me state as clearly as possible that I am not an expert in this topic. Sometimes it isn't always clear, reading Amazon.com reviews, whether the writer is an expert or just someone who read the book. I am in the second of those categories. Let me quickly mention that I have also read Lydia Dotto's "Planet Earth in Jeopardy: Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War," and I found that to be quite helpful as well. I put some more helpful commenst on my Amazon.com review of that book.This book is one of the scariest things I've ever read. It clued me in on entirely new things over which people should be losing sleep. Did you know that one of the major threats of nuclear war is the threat of strikes on oil refineries? Such strikes can release unbelievably quantities of sun-blocking smog into the air. Did you know that radiation caused directly by nuclear bombs is relatively insignificant, compared to the radiation that would be released if such bombs fell on reactors? Reactors have fuel rods and waste which will remain lethally radioactive for DECADES after the radiation from a nuclear war reached tolerable levels. This book is full of information like this. It is all presented quite accessibly. Also, there is a fantastic question and answer section at the end, which includes back and forth sessions between eminent scientists in related fields. This section alone is worth the price of the book.
Let me point out that the main author listed for this book is only one of many cotributors. Paul Ehrlich has a lot to say here, but it is always made clear when he is writing, or when it's someone else, e.g. Carl Sagan or Lewis Thomas. I make this point here because I wouldn't want anyone to decide against buying this valuable book, because of Ehrlich's old reputation for being an alarmist. In the 1970s, as a member of the "Club of Rome," Ehrlich made some irresponsible statements about the dangers of population growth and energy shortages. Time has shown that he actually wasn't entirely wrong, but his timetables for his predictions were often overly pessimistic. Be that as it may, Stanford University has seen fit to keep him on their faculty, so he can't be seen as wholly out to lunch.
At any rate, this book is certainly worth wrestling with. Ehrlich bends over backwards, to be as conservative and non-alarmist as possible, in his writings here. Carl Sagan, Lewis Thomas, and other contributors take the same approach. Nevertheless, as cool-headed as they are, the underlying horror of their message is unmistakable. Nuclear winter would be an unprecedentedly horrific experience, and there's basically zero chance that anyone reading this would survive it. Please buy this book, get copies for all your friends, and find a way to get involved.
