– A Slow Death: 83 days of radiation sickness

Rarely is a nonfiction book as unforgiving in its honesty as A Slow Death: 83 Days of Radiation Sickness. With detailed descriptions, accompanied by vivid photographs, this work by an award-winning investigative team unflinchingly presents the effects of radiation sickness, a subject rarely discussed never mind confronted in such arresting detail.

On September 30, 1999, the worst radiation accident in Japan’s history struck a uranium processing facility in Tokaimura, northeast of Tokyo. Three workers were exposed to extreme levels of neutron beams as a result.

Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai, or Japan Broadcasting Corporation), documented the step-by-step deterioration and intense medical treatment of one of those workers. The resulting original television documentary aired in May 2001 and subsequently won the Gold Nymph Award, the highest award possible, at the 42nd Monte Carlo Television Festival in 2002. This book is the print counterpart of that celebrated feature and includes an afterword that updates the narrative.

Given the renewed interest in alternative energy resources, A Slow Death: 83 Days of Radiation Sickness is a timely and sobering reminder of the dangers of nuclear power and man’s relative ignorance in harnessing the power of the atom. It also raises provocative questions about the medical ethics of life-prolonging treatment and the value of human life itself in a world replete with advanced technology.   źródło opisu: okładka źródło okładki: http://www.vertical-inc.com/books/slowdeath.html