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A Desperate Passion: An Autobiography
"Dr. Helen Caldicott," the Sunday
San Francisco Chronicle
declares, "is back on the scene."
A Desperate Passion
is Caldicott's engaging, inspiring memoir, chronicling her life both on and off the scene. Raised in Australia and trained as a physician, she first found her voice protesting French nuclear tests in the Pacific. Years later she rose to international prominence,
...more
Paperback
,
384 pages
Published
November 17th 1997
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published September 1st 1996)
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By the time I finished this book I felt an overwhelming fatigue. Sometimes the fight for sanity in this world seems impossible. The effort that Dr. Caldicott put into her work to save the world from nuclear holocaust seems almost superhuman. She is not afraid to venture her opinion and she must have taken quite a bit of verbal abuse for those opinions. Dr. Caldicott was eventually betrayed by members of her own contingent with people showing themselves willing to work but easily following the le
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I had mixed feelings throughout this book about being able to relate to Helen Caldicott. I definitely appreciated the aspects of her story that involve her becoming empowered and that made me aware of the recent history of nuclear power/war. Pretty fascinating to realize what was really going on regarding nuclear war when I was in the 4th grade and suddenly became aware of the possibility of the destruction of Earth as we know it....a memorable day for me.
An Australian view of the head-to-head U.S.-U.S.S.R. cold war with insights into some of the major players; Brezhnev, Reagan, Gorbachev, etc. But mostly a look at the motive forces that compelled her to act at the forefront of the antinuclear campaign. She is candid about her flaws and honest about her perceived impact. Perhaps the most telling statement she makes is late in the book: "I was arrogant."
This woman is beyond amazing and one person I truly respect and admire.
If the world only had more of her. Inspiring autobiography. Must read in my opinion.
If the world only had more of her. Inspiring autobiography. Must read in my opinion.
Feb 17, 2009
Joan
added it
Think your juggling allot? This woman stops for nothing!
It was a great book!
It was a great book!
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“Jeanine Honicker. . . . coined a sentence . . . 'The solution to pollution by dilution when it comes to radiation if fallacious.”
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