The Case for Nukes - by Robert Zubrin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Case for Nukes is a unique book. In it, world-renowned nuclear and aerospace engineer

Dr. Robert Zubrin explains how nuclear power works and how much it has to offer humanity. He

debunks the toxic falsehoods that have been spread to dissuade us from using it by variously the

ignorant, the fearful, the fanatical, and by cynical political operatives bought and paid for by

competing interests. He tells about revolutionary developments in the field, including new

reactor types that can be cheaply mass produced, that cannot be made to melt down no matter

how hard their operators try, that use a new fuel called thorium far more plentiful than uranium,

and still more advanced systems, employing thermonuclear fusion - the power that lights the sun

- to extract more energy from a gallon of water than can be obtained from 300 gallons of

gasoline. He tells about the bold entrepreneurs - a totally different breed from the government

officials who created the existing types of nuclear reactors - who are leading this revolution in

power technology.

But there are broader issues involved in the nuclear debate than technology alone, and Zubrin

is not shy about addressing them. He makes clear the critical difference between practical

environmentalism, which seeks to improve the environment for the benefit of humanity, and

ideological environmentalism, which seeks to use instances of human insult to natural

environment as evidence for a prosecutorial case against human liberty. He shows how the latter

school of thought is wrong, not only with respect to the catastrophic harm it would do to

humanity, but to nature as well. He also exposes the masters of mercenary environmentalism,

who deploy troops of dupes to shut down companies or whole industries in order to eliminate

competition in return for being suitably rewarded by the beneficiaries of such efforts. He shows

that when it comes to environmental improvement, freedom is not the problem; freedom is the

solution. He makes clear both the possibility and necessity of a nuclear-power-enabled

revolution in the human condition by putting it in a broader historical context of the overall process of development of civilization, whereby new technologies create new resources and new knowledge, which in turn make possible still more technological advance.

Finally, Zubrin brings all this to bear to address the greatest threat facing humanity today

- which is the possibility that we will turn on each other, as we did in the 20 th century, under the

spell of the false idea that resources are finite.

Only in a world of unlimited resources can all men and women be brothers and sisters.

Only in a world of freedom can resources be unlimited.

That is the world we can, and must, create. In The Case for Nukes, Zubrin shows us how.

Review Quotes

"This book makes a strong case that opposing nuclear energy and driving up its cost turn out to

have been historic self-defeats by the environmental movement given the importance now

attached to emissions."

- Matt Ridley, author How Innovation Works

"Nobody has done more to expose the anti-human roots of the anti-nuclear movement than

Robert Zubrin. By weaving together little-known facts with crucial historical episodes, Zubrin

has made an essential contribution to our understanding of the war on nuclear. The Case for

Nukes is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of the planet and the future of

humanity."

- Michael Shellenberger, best-selling author of Apocalypse Never and San Fransicko

"The Case for Nukes is absolutely a work of genius. It takes the vast complexities of the

workings of and history behind nuclear energy and explains it all in a most interesting, page-

turning manner. It is rare when I learn something new on every page, but I did in Zubrin's The

Case for Nukes. This Providence-given energy source can allow our civilization to not only

survive but go on to a wonderful and most marvelous expansion while maintaining our beautiful

planet. I thoroughly endorse this book."

- Homer Hickam, Author Rocket Boys/October Sky

"The Case for Nukes is a terrific book. Zubrin pulls no punches showing that we already have

the technology to provide human civilization with unlimited and clean energy."

- Marian L. Tupy, Editor Human Progress

"In The Case for Nukes the always provocative Robert Zubrin makes a strong case that

technological innovation can solve the world's most crucial and daunting dilemmas."

- Clifford D. May, founder and president, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

"Robert Zubrin's exposition of the history and science of nuclear power is fascinating. His

account of the malicious and sustained campaign of disinformation, distortions, and fear that has

denied humanity nuclear power's enormous benefits is infuriating. This book needs to be sent to

every American and European old enough to vote."

- Claire Berlinski, Editor The Cosmopolitan Globalist

"The Case for Nukes is the best book I've read on how to harness the incredible promise of

nuclear energy. Robert Zubrin clearly explains why the skyrocketing costs of nuclear are

unnecessary-the product of crippling, irrational regulations imposed by badly-motivated

environmental activists. Most importantly, he offers a clear blueprint for liberating nuclear so

that it can provide low, cost-reliable energy for billions of people for centuries and millennia to

come."

- Alex Epstein, Author of Fossil Future and The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels