Change, Hope and the Bomb

by David E. Lilienthal

For thirteen years, since his resignation from the chairmanship of the Atomic Energy Commission, Mr. Lilienthal has kept silent on the atom, turning his energies and talents to the field of international development. Now the first chairman of the AEC speaks out on the vital question of disarmament, on the role of the atom in modern life, and on the AEC itself. His views are controversial, and will not be popular in many quarters. Mr. Lilienthal thinks that the present disarmament negotiations are premature and dangerous, that our view of the place of the atom in the modern world has been mainly wrong, and that the functions of the AEC should be largely absorbed into other government and private activities.

Originally published in 1963.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

180 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2015

Reviews

[Carol Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting to read this book almost 60 years after it was written. So much has changed in our world, that annihilation by nuclear bomb is no longer considered to be our biggest concern. Other than a few rogue states, the use of nuclear weapons seems to have been considered and rejected by the world powers. That's not to say that we could not have a nuclear war -- it just seems like a significantly more remote probability.

However, Lilienthal's concerns about using nuclear science in peaceful applications has somewhat proved to be accurate. Disposal of nuclear waste is a problem that hasn't really been solved. Power plant disasters have occurred due to the actions of both man and nature. There are some nuclear power plants in use around the world, but there doesn't seem to be much interest in increasing the number substantially.

Lilienthal raised interesting and valid concerns and the book is very readable. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history and future of this topic.