Michael Wiescher, Freimann Professor of Physics, has published two books on the topic of radioactivity with CRC Press.

The first volume is titled A Natural Phenomenon. It is concerned with the origins and impact of natural radioactivity on earth and the human environment, as well as the consequence of exposure to radiation at different levels. The book reviews the present methods to determine critical limits of radiation exposure.

The second volume is titled Anthropogenic Sources, and covers the topic of anthropogenic radioactivity generated by human activities. This includes technically enhanced radioactivity due to agriculture, building, mining, and non-renewable as well as renewable energy sources. Special chapters are devoted to nuclear energy and nuclear weapons and their consequences for the environment. Also covered in this volume is the use of radioactive elements for material science and the analysis of historical artifacts. While the use of radioactivity in industrial applications has waned, nuclear medicine for diagnostics and therapy is the single most important contributor to the average radiation exposure of mankind, which has nearly doubled over the last twenty years.

The books are written at a level suitable for undergraduate students and readers without a formal scientific education.

More information on the books can be found here.