Uranium: War, Energy, and the Rock That Shaped the World -- Tom Zoellner, Paperback

The astonishing biography of a mineral that can sustain our world- or destroy it

Uranium occurs naturally in the earth's crust-yet holds the power to end all life on the planet. This is its fundamental paradox, and its story is a fascinating window into the valor, greed, genius, and folly of humanity. A problem for miners in the Middle Ages, an inspiration to novelists and a boon to medicine, a devastat-ing weapon at the end of World War II, and eventually a polluter, killer, excuse for war with Iraq, potential deliverer of Armageddon and a possible last defense against global warming-Uranium is the riveting story of the most powerful element on earth, and one which will shape our future, for better or worse.

Author: Tom Zoellner
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 02/23/2010
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.50w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780143116721
Age Range: 18-UP

Review Citation(s):
New York Times Book Review 03/28/2010 pg. 22

About the Author
Tom Zoellner has worked as a contributing editor for Men's Health magazine and as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. His book The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds and Desire will be published in the summer of 2006.