The universe was born in a nuclear explosion. We live on a radioactive planet. Without radiation there would be not life. And yet radiation remains deeply misunderstood and often mistakenly feared. Now Dr. Robert Peter Gale—one of the world’s leading experts on the subject—and Eric Lax set the record straight about subjects like uranium, plutonium, iodine-131, X-Rays, CT scans, and the radiation of food, while lucidly debunking myths about radioactivity. In this fascinating book, the authors explore the science, benefits, and risks of radiation exposure, drawing on the most up-to-date research and Gale’s extensive experience treating victims of radiation accidents around the globe. Here is an illuminating and essential guide to our post-Chernobyl, post-Fukushima world.

Dr. Robert Peter Gale was on the faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine for twenty years and has served as chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry. He is the author of twenty-two medical books, eight hundred scientific articles, and numerous pieces on medical topics and nuclear energy for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Eric Lax is the author of medical/science books Life and Death on Ten West, an account of the UCLA bone marrow transplantation unit, as well as Woody Allen: A Biography, each a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. The Mold in Dr. Florey's Coat, about the development of penicillin, was a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year.