After a 25-year career as a physicist, Fred Bortz turned to full-time writing in 1996 after his third book for young readers, Catastrophe! Great Engineering Failure--and Success (Scientific American Books for Young Readers, 1995), was designated a Selector's Choice on the National Science Teacher's Association's list of Outstanding Trade Books for Children. His books for Lerner imprints include: Techno-Matter: The Materials Behind the Marvels (Twenty-First Century Books, 2001, winner of the 2002 American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award for works intended for young readers and selected for several best books lists); Collision Course! Cosmic Impacts and Life on Earth (Millbrook Press, 2001, a School Library Journal Top Ten Science and Technology book); Astrobiology (Cool Science series, 2008); Seven Wonders of Exploration Technology (Twenty-First Century Books, 2010); and Seven Wonders of Space Technology (Twenty-First Century Books, 2011).
A physicist examines the latest nuclear disaster and its
ramifications for the world's energy future. On March 11, 2011, at
2:46 p.m., the biggest earthquake in Japan's history hit the Tohoku
region, northeast of Tokyo. A wall of water as high as 128 feet and
110 miles wide surged onto the closest land, damaging or destroying
more than 125,000 buildings. Thirty thousand people were killed,
injured or missing, and more bad news was to come: Three nuclear
reactors were about to undergo meltdowns. Using the disaster as a
case study to examine how earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear
reactors work, Bortz offers a clearly written volume, nicely
embellished with photographs, maps and diagrams. All lead into the
key question: 'Why would any government take the risk of using
nuclear power?' In a straightforward, dispassionate tone, he
proceeds to answer his own question and lay out the potential of
other energy options--hydroelectric, wind, geothermal and solar.
Given the catastrophe that spawned this volume, the discussion is
curiously non-alarmist, telling young readers that future energy
decisions are theirs to make and that wise choices rooted in solid
information will be crucial. Regardless of tone, this clear and
wide-ranging introduction to essential energy issues has much to
offer. --Kirkus Reviews-- "Journal"
Bortz clearly explains the science underlying the 2011 disaster at
Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. After a discussion
of earthquakes and tsunamis, the focus shifts to nuclear physics,
notorious disasters (including Fukushima), and the debate about the
safety of nuclear power and its alternatives. Color diagrams and
photographs effectively illustrate the aftermath of the disasters.
--The Horn Book Guide-- "Journal"
In this book, the orange-alert color scheme, frequent use of
adaptations of the radiation symbol, and abundance of exclamation
marks give a first impression of urgency. Soon, though, the reader
is able to calm down and realize that this thin book is packed with
facts necessary to make informed choices, and there is no need to
panic. The subtitle serves as an overview of the book. The
recounting of the disaster in Japan is a compelling opening for
adiscussion of available energy sources. The step-by-step sequence
of events, from earthquake to tsunami to nuclear emergency, leads
into the power choices to be made now and in the future, with
benefits and drawbacks explored. Besides the table of contents and
index, there is also a brief glossary and a list of source notes
organized by page number, but not footnoted in the text. A selected
bibliography is included, as well as a further reading booklist and
a short list of websites. Free educational resources are available
for download at a companion publisher website. --VOYA--
"Journal"
The first chapter head--'Earthquake! Tsunami! Meltdown!'--and
frequent use of present-tense narrative cranks up the melodrama in
this account of the Great Tohoku Earthquake of March 2011 and the
tsunami-triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear facilities.
Bortz surrounds his blow-by-blow description of the catastrophe
with an explanation of what causes earthquakes, histories of the
discovery of nuclear fission and the growth of the nuclear-power
industry, and relatively detailed analyses of the causes and
effects of other nuclear disasters. After (arguably) concluding
that the still-ongoing disaster is 'much worse than [Three Mile
Island] and not as bad as Chernobyl, ' he closes with a pro-nuclear
look at alternative energy sources. Maps, charts, color photos of
tsunami-wracked landscapes, and a well-maintained update page on
the author's website enhance this broadly informative, if not
exactly evenhanded, view of the disaster and its lingering effects.
--Booklist-- "Journal"
This is a detailed, comprehensive look at the Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant catastrophe that occurred in the spring of
2011. Bortz begins with the earthquake, and takes readers through
the tsunami and resulting devastation leading to the world's worst
nuclear meltdown and its ultimate impact on world energy. Bortz is
meticulous in his detailing of the events, using spectacular
photography, charts, and diagrams to aid the reader in
understanding the magnitude of this disaster. The text and
accompanying data can be overwhelming to the average reader; the
book is written for advanced middle schoolers and high school
students, and would be a welcome addition to any science teacher's
reference shelf. --Library Media Connection-- "Journal"
This is a well written book on a difficult topic. The arc of the
book starts with introducing what a tsunami is and how it is
created by an earthquake. The history of nuclear power is given a
quick overview before the nuclear power plant is introduced in the
story. The combination of the wave and design of the power plant
prove to be a deadly mixture. The accident at the Fukushima
reactors is put into historical context with the Three Mile Island
accident and the Chernobyl reactor accident. After presenting these
ideas in a concise manner that is very suitable for the 5th to 8th
grade student, the book moves on to present the future of power
consumption in the world. This last part of the book is written
with a positive, bias free outlook. Overall this is a well written
presentation of a very difficult and complex topic. The young
reader will be presented with the background and timeline of the
accident and how this accident will affect the world in the future.
Meltdown would be a welcome addition to any school or public
library.--Science Books & Films-- "Journal"
A physicist examines the latest nuclear disaster and its ramifications for the world's energy future. On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m., the biggest earthquake in Japan's history hit the Tohoku region, northeast of Tokyo. A wall of water as high as 128 feet and 110 miles wide surged onto the closest land, damaging or destroying more than 125,000 buildings. Thirty thousand people were killed, injured or missing, and more bad news was to come: Three nuclear reactors were about to undergo meltdowns. Using the disaster as a case study to examine how earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear reactors work, Bortz offers a clearly written volume, nicely embellished with photographs, maps and diagrams. All lead into the key question: 'Why would any government take the risk of using nuclear power?' In a straightforward, dispassionate tone, he proceeds to answer his own question and lay out the potential of other energy options--hydroelectric, wind, geothermal and solar. Given the catastrophe that spawned this volume, the discussion is curiously non-alarmist, telling young readers that future energy decisions are theirs to make and that wise choices rooted in solid information will be crucial. Regardless of tone, this clear and wide-ranging introduction to essential energy issues has much to offer. --Kirkus Reviews
-- "Journal"Bortz clearly explains the science underlying the 2011 disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. After a discussion of earthquakes and tsunamis, the focus shifts to nuclear physics, notorious disasters (including Fukushima), and the debate about the safety of nuclear power and its alternatives. Color diagrams and photographs effectively illustrate the aftermath of the disasters. --The Horn Book Guide
-- "Journal"In this book, the orange-alert color scheme, frequent use of adaptations of the radiation symbol, and abundance of exclamation marks give a first impression of urgency. Soon, though, the reader is able to calm down and realize that this thin book is packed with facts necessary to make informed choices, and there is no need to panic. The subtitle serves as an overview of the book. The recounting of the disaster in Japan is a compelling opening for adiscussion of available energy sources. The step-by-step sequence of events, from earthquake to tsunami to nuclear emergency, leads into the power choices to be made now and in the future, with benefits and drawbacks explored.
Besides the table of contents and index, there is also a brief glossary and a list of source notes organized by page number, but not footnoted in the text. A selected bibliography is included, as well as a further reading booklist and a short list of websites. Free educational resources are available for download at a companion publisher website. --VOYA-- "Journal"The first chapter head--'Earthquake! Tsunami! Meltdown!'--and frequent use of present-tense narrative cranks up the melodrama in this account of the Great Tohoku Earthquake of March 2011 and the tsunami-triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear facilities. Bortz surrounds his blow-by-blow description of the catastrophe with an explanation of what causes earthquakes, histories of the discovery of nuclear fission and the growth of the nuclear-power industry, and relatively detailed analyses of the causes and effects of other nuclear disasters. After (arguably) concluding that the still-ongoing disaster is 'much worse than [Three Mile Island] and not as bad as Chernobyl, ' he closes with a pro-nuclear look at alternative energy sources. Maps, charts, color photos of tsunami-wracked landscapes, and a well-maintained update page on the author's website enhance this broadly informative, if not exactly evenhanded, view of the disaster and its lingering effects. --Booklist
-- "Journal"This is a detailed, comprehensive look at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant catastrophe that occurred in the spring of 2011. Bortz begins with the earthquake, and takes readers through the tsunami and resulting devastation leading to the world's worst nuclear meltdown and its ultimate impact on world energy. Bortz is meticulous in his detailing of the events, using spectacular photography, charts, and diagrams to aid the reader in understanding the magnitude of this disaster. The text and accompanying data can be overwhelming to the average reader; the book is written for advanced middle schoolers and high school students, and would be a welcome addition to any science teacher's reference shelf. --Library Media Connection
-- "Journal"This is a well written book on a difficult topic. The arc of the book starts with introducing what a tsunami is and how it is created by an earthquake. The history of nuclear power is given a quick overview before the nuclear power plant is introduced in the story. The combination of the wave and design of the power plant prove to be a deadly mixture. The accident at the Fukushima reactors is put into historical context with the Three Mile Island accident and the Chernobyl reactor accident. After presenting these ideas in a concise manner that is very suitable for the 5th to 8th grade student, the book moves on to present the future of power consumption in the world. This last part of the book is written with a positive, bias free outlook. Overall this is a well written presentation of a very difficult and complex topic. The young reader will be presented with the background and timeline of the accident and how this accident will affect the world in the future. Meltdown would be a welcome addition to any school or public library.--Science Books & Films
-- "Journal" |
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