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Going Nuclear

How the Atom Will Save the World

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Going Nuclear

By: Tim Gregory
Narrated by: Tim Gregory
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

What if climate change isn’t an environmental challenge, but an energy challenge?

In this visionary book, Dr Tim Gregory urges us to rethink the path to net zero. He argues that the solution to climate change lies not simply in replacing fossil fuels with renewables, but in fully embracing another energy source that emits zero carbon dioxide: nuclear power.

Gregory dismantles the conventional wisdom that renewables such as wind and solar are completely ‘green’, and debunks myths surrounding nuclear waste and radiation, demonstrating that nuclear power is not only reliable, safe and potent, but the most environmentally responsible way to harvest energy.

Going Nuclear calls for decarbonisation to be the twenty-first century's Apollo programme. By interweaving scientific optimism, myth-busting data, and ambitious policy ideas, Gregory illustrates the untapped and boundless potential of the atom beyond just clean energy: from advanced medicine and forensics to atomic gardening and space exploration.

This is a bold case for an alternative, sustainable and prosperous future: a world in which abundant energy is available to all.

'A thrilling book: vividly written, filled with fascinating facts, and inspiring' STEVEN PINKER
'I challenge you to read this book and not be excited about how we get on and power the world with sustainable energy for the next century' HANNAH RITCHIE

© Tim Gregory 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Economics Environment Environmental Economics Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Physics Politics & Government Science Thought-Provoking Inspiring

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Critic reviews

Gregory makes a clear, unflinching case for taking nuclear energy seriously in any realistic path to net zero. His explanations of the science, the trade-offs and the public misconceptions keep the debate grounded while the writing itself is lively and engaging (Best Non-Fiction Books of 2025)
A bold reframing of one of the most misunderstood technologies of the modern age. With clarity, wit and a scientist’s eye for precision ... This book stands out for its capacity to disarm. Nuclear power is here made not only comprehensible but also compelling ... In an age of climate anxiety and technological pessimism, Going Nuclear offers a hopeful alternative (Tone Langengen)
Fascinating … You’ve won Jimmy over, I wish politicians answered like scientists. Informed facts over uninformed opinions. Great (James O'Brien)
This book is a highly engaging and lucid primer on nuclear technology (Steven Poole)
Deeply researched … persuasive ... a strong, carefully argued case (Nick Rennison)
A master class in nuclear science, technology, economics and history (Mark P. Mills)
in this delightful book ... we are urged to reframe our relationship with nuclear power or face extinction. He peppers his convincing argument with surprisingly enchanting anecdotes (James Carey-Douglas)
You will struggle to find anyone who brings nuclear power to life quite like Tim Gregory. You can feel the enthusiasm jump from the page. There’s lots to debate, but I challenge you to read this book and not be excited about how we get on and power the world with sustainable energy for the next century. (Hannah Ritchie)
[A] bible ... Gregory’s case is that nuclear power is humanity’s only hope. Carbon dioxide emissions would vanish as an issue in a nuclear world ... His argument is powerful and it would be interesting to see a counter argument by somebody ... who writes and thinks as well as Gregory. But perhaps there is no such person. (Bryan Appleyard)
Energy is necessary for everything we value in life, and the world will need gargantuan amounts of safe and reliable power to eliminate poverty, decarbonise the economy, and feed entirely new demands like artificial intelligence. Going Nuclear shows where this energy will come from—and not as a last resort, but as the enabler of a new chapter in human progress. This is a thrilling book: vividly written, filled with fascinating facts, and inspiring in its vision for the future. (Steven Pinker)
All stars
Most relevant

Going Nuclear is a straight-talking, surprisingly readable look at nuclear power. Tim Gregory cuts through the fear and hype, laying out the science and history without sugarcoating the risks. He doesn’t push an agenda but makes a solid case for why we should take nuclear seriously if we care about cutting carbon.

If you think nuclear is just about disasters and glowing waste, this book will challenge that. Worth the read.

Nuclear Isn’t What You Think — And This Book Proves It

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Been interested in the nuclear field for some time, especially around the clean energy conversation. Bought after his LBC interview. Tim Gregory makes a typically dry conversation very engaging and informative. He also has a fantastic reading voice - his passion for the subject is quite clear. Would recommend!

Fantastic Listen

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Having been a child when Chernobyl happened I understand the fear it created in people’s minds.
It’s good to listen to an expert opening your eyes to all the benefits nuclear power production and nuclear chemistry do for us every day.
I for one am fully for nuclear power.

Great listen.

See past the fear of the unknown.

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Great to listen to a book written by someone with a positivity and passion about the subject of nuclear energy and power. Nuclear power and chemistry is a much bigger subject than some narratives imply and has bigger and more positive implications than many naysayers would have us believe.
Not only providing an unlimited amount of electricity but also medical isotopes that can be used to target cancer and, surprisingly, target pain for certain diseases that have no other medical relief.
The use of the heavy metals (specifically uranium and thorium) to generate vast quantities of energy (both electricity and heat) goes against the general understanding that we have to burn fossil fuels to make the world go round. And the intelligent used of the skills we possess could mean we quite literally have an everlasting source of energy by building (we’ve already done the groundwork science and engineering) fast breeder reactors - which literally use fundamental physics to make more energy out of apparent waste materials - thus avoiding the requirements of mining ore and then having to dispose of ‘the ash’ or waste, should have all of us, especially environmentalists, clamouring for its development and use.

The only thing about the book that should be corrected for Audible are, the editors should have removed the periodic corrections (or mispronunciation) that the author said, and then corrected. It appears that no one ‘proof listened’ to the book before publication?!(there are about 20(?) instances throughout the book)

Good story, spoken with confidence, intelligence and positivity.

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This book is brilliant and I highly recommend it . I come from a technical background but i massively increased the depth of my knowledge listening to it

A fascinating insight into a subject matter very really given balanced factual coverage in the media.

Every day is a school day

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