Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons

Today's headlines are filled with the real threats of nuclear proliferation. But how does the average person attempt to grasp these issues? In a new book, Bomb Scare, by Joseph Cirincione, this problem is addressed in a clear and understandable tone.

Bomb Scare offers a comprehensive review of the history and theory of nuclear weapons, as well as the options before us. Cirincione begins with the first atomic discoveries of the 1930s and covers the history of their growth all the way to the current crisis with Iran. He unravels the science, strategy, and politics that have fueled the development of nuclear stockpiles and increased the chance of a nuclear terrorist attack. He also explores why many nations choose NOT to pursue nuclear weapons.

But rather than leave the reader without hope of escaping from under the nuclear threat, Cirincione offers an outline of a solution to the world's proliferation problem: a balance of force and diplomacy, enforcement and engagement, that yields a steady decrease in these deadly arsenals.

The book is a straight forward, insightful and thought provoking work. It gives the general reader a clear understanding of this issue. For those not familiar with the author, he is the Vice President for National Security at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., and teaches at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served as the director for nonproliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Available at amazon.com.