The Social Impact of the Chernobyl Disaster

The author of Chernobyl and Nuclear Power in the USSR brings familiarity and expertise to this further investigation into the disaster and its repercussions. A calm, step-by-step chronicle of the power plant's operations up to the accident sets the background. Marples then explores the technical, medical and political ramifications of the calamityfor both the Soviets and the world. In his analysis of the environmental impact of radiation over time, Marples exercises the same fine understanding of the issues that he displays in his chapters on the reconstruction in the danger zone and the restarting of the Chernobyl plant, and on the escalating worldwide debate over nuclear power. Though technically informed and thorough, the writing is lucid and surprisingly entertaining for a scientific monograph, because Marples captures the human story behind the facts. His documentation of the catastrophe may well turn out to be the layman's most comprehensive and definitive source on Chernobyl. (Nov.)