One World Or None: A Report to the Public on the Full Meaning of the Atomic Bomb reprints a collection of essays that originally appeared in 1946, shortly after the beginning of the atomic age. In the introduction, Arthur H. Compton, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1927 for cosmic ray research, describes the purpose of the book, "We now have before us the clear choice between adjusting the pattern of our society on a world basis so that wars cannot come again, or of following the outworn tradition of national self-defense, which if carried through to its logical conclusion must result in catastrophic conflict" (pg. xiii). To that end, the scientists whose work appears in One World Or None used their expertise to attempt to spur the public toward policy change in order to prevent the arms race that dominated the Cold War. Many of these essays originally appeared in other forms, so the collection occasionally feels disjointed. Still, as a window into the early Cold War and reactions to the atomic age, One World Or None is a fascinating read. ( )

Reprinting of a 1946 book with essays by scientists who built the atomic bomb. Philip Morrison's essay "If the Bomb gets out of hand" is as chilling to read today as it was 64 years ago. ( )