Media Center: 'Radiation' by Robert Peter Gale and Eric Lax

Media Center: 'Radiation' by Robert Peter Gale and Eric Lax

author photosWHO: Robert Peter Gale
and Eric Lax

WHAT: RADIATION:
What It Is, What You Need to Know

WHEN:
Published by Knopf January 29, 2013

WHERE: Chernobyl and Fukushima …and everywhere else on Earth

WHY:
EARTH, BORN IN A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION, IS A RADIOACTIVE PLANET; without radiation, life would not exist. And while radiation can be dangerous, it is also deeply misunderstood and often mistakenly feared. Now Robert Peter Gale, M.D.—the doctor to whom concerned governments turned in the wake of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters—in collaboration with medical writer Eric Lax draws on an exceptional depth of knowledge to correct myths and establish facts.
. . . . .

“A stellar book…in content and writing, it absolutely glows.
“‘Virtually everything is radioactive, including us.’ The opening line of this stellar book underscores the omnipresence of radiation, yet, as physician Gale and science writer Lax point out, most people know little about the topic.
“Fear of radiation is out of proportion to the actual risks. About one-half of our radiation exposure occurs naturally, background radiation that has both cosmic and terrestrial sources. The remainder is man-made, and 80 percent of it comes from medical testing and procedures.
“Readers learn about radon, food irradiation, nuclear bombs, the connection between cancer and radiation, radioactive waste, and nuclear power plants (including the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents). Lifestyle choices can collide with radiation hazards. For example, tanning booths give off approximately 12 times as much ultraviolet A radiation as our sun. A fertilizer applied to tobacco crops contains polonium-210, which likens smoking cigarettes to ‘intentionally inhaling a small nuclear weapon into your lungs.’ Gale and Lax objectively present the danger and value of radioactivity.
“In content and writing, Radiation absolutely glows.”
—Tony Miksanek in a starred review for BOOKLIST

Jacket photo“An invaluable guide for negotiating an increasingly radioactive world.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“A well-written extention of the reach of reason in an area fraught with phobia and hysteria.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

Media Resources:
About the book | Author bios | Download the jacket or the author photo

Publicist for this title:
Michelle Somers | 212-572-2082 | msomers@randomhouse.com