We Almost Lost Detroit

We Almost Lost Detroit, a 1975 Reader's Digest book by John G. Fuller[1], presents a history of Fermi 1, America's first commercial breeder reactor, with emphasis on the 1966 partial nuclear meltdown.[2][3]

It took four years for the reactor to be repaired, and then performance was poor. In 1972, the reactor core was dismantled and the reactor was decommissioned. America's first effort at operating a full-scale breeder had failed.[2]

Reception

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists felt it was "a significant book and it is well worth reading." They felt it explained how the accident happened but not why.[4] Kirkus Reviews called it "the heaviest broadside against the Atomic Energy Commission in years".[5]

Cultural impact

Spoken word and rap pioneer Gil Scott-Heron has a song titled "We Almost Lost Detroit",[6] dealing with the same issue. It has appeared on his 1977 album, Bridges. The song is covered by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. on their album It's a Corporate World.

This song was also covered by Ron Holloway on his album, Groove Update, which features Gil Scott-Heron on vocals.[7]

gollark: Which server are you on?

gollark: It *left*? I don't know how that happened.

gollark: Anyway, garbage, what's the problemobeeoid?

gollark: No, Santa was shot down by the Turkish air force.

gollark: ABR runs gollariosity detection neural nets over all messages.

References

Fuller, John Grant (1975). We almost lost Detroit. Reader's Digest Press. pp. 248-261. ISBN 0883490706. LCCN 75017870.
Clarfield, Gerard H.; Wiecek, William M. (1984). Nuclear America: Military and Civilian Nuclear Power in the United States, 1940-1980. Harper & Row. p. 469. ISBN 9780060153366.
Patterson, Walter C (1976). Nuclear Power (PDF). Penguin Books. pp. 185–186.
"We Almost Lost Detroit (Book Review)". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: 48. Nov 1975. ISSN 0096-3402.
"Kirkus Review: We Almost Lost Detroit". Kirkus Reviews. 1975-10-13. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
Gil Scott-Heron: We Almost Lost Detroit on YouTube (March 14, 1990 in London, UK)
"The Ron Holloway Band: Music". Retrieved 2017-11-02.

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Books	Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free Conservation Fallout: Nuclear Protest at Diablo Canyon Contesting the Future of Nuclear Power Critical Masses: Opposition to Nuclear Power in California, 1958–1978 The Cult of the Atom The Doomsday Machine (book) Fallout: An American Nuclear Tragedy Killing Our Own Licensed to Kill? The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Shoreham Power Plant Making a Real Killing: Rocky Flats and the Nuclear West Nuclear Implosions: The Rise and Fall of the Washington Public Power Supply System Nuclear Politics in America We Almost Lost Detroit
Films	Atomic Ed and the Black Hole The China Syndrome Countdown to Zero Dark Circle Nuclear Tipping Point Silkwood

We Almost Lost Detroit

Reception

Cultural impact

See also

References

Further reading