A clarifying, fascinating, urgently needed book on radiation-what it is, what should and shouldn't concern us about it, and what place radiation and radiation-related technologies have in our world. The universe and our galaxy and planet Earth were born in a nuclear explosion. We live on a radioactive planet, and without radiation there would be no life here. While radiation can be dangerous, it is also deeply misunderstood and often mistakenly feared. Now Dr. Robert Peter Gale-one of the world's leading experts on radiation-and Eric Lax set the record straight, correcting myths and establishing facts with an exceptional depth of knowledge and the ability to impart that knowledge in an impartial, lucid, and compelling manner. Demystifying society's trigger words for anxiety-uranium, plutonium, iodine-131, X-ray, CT scan, radiation of food-the authors explore the science, benefits, and risks of radiation exposure, drawing on the most up-to-date research and on 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.