A Field Guide to Radiation

August 1, 2012
Given such scary reminders as the Fukushima nuclear reactor meltdown, radiation is rarely missing from the public's list of environmental concerns. In the same vein as his previous field guides, including the acclaimed A Field Guide to Germs (1995), Pulitzer Prizewinning science-journalist Biddle offers a very readable mini-encyclopedia. His alphabetized entries on radiation-related topics and terms, from cosmic rays to uranium, allow lay readers to temper their fears with knowledge. As Biddle points out in his introduction, radiation is a much less user-friendly subject than birds or flowers, around which more typical field guides are built. Hence, the coverage here includes a good number of intimidating terms, such as becquerel (a unit of radioactivity measurement) and polonium (a dangerous emitter of alpha particles), along with the more familiar subjects of critical mass and radioactive waste. Perhaps because radiation and its consequences don't lend themselves well to witticisms, there are fewer of Biddle's signature jocular asides here. The importance of the subject and Biddle's clarifying approach make this an indispensable volume for every library.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)