1 Introduction: exploring the "Faustain bargain" 2 The nuclear industry: "smoking cigarettes to keep the weight off" 3 Safety and reliability: dealing with "normal accidents" 4 Unfavorable economics: "too costly to matter" 5 Environmental damages: "cutting butter with a chainsaw" 6 Political and social concerns: "broken plowshare" 7 Energy efficiency and renewable energy: "The fire extinguisher" 8 The "self-limiting" future of nuclear power Postscript: the "hydra-headed" Fukushima nuclear crisis