Peter Dunlap-Shohl

A brief history of nuclear disasters and near-misses in Alaska during the Cold War from an author who was a child living in Anchorage at the time.

First up, the Great Alaskan earthquake of 1964 wreaked havoc on a nuclear missile facility, Site Point, on the edge of Anchorage, threatening a conventional explosion that would have acted as a dirty bomb, scattering radioactive material over the city.

Then Edward Teller came to the state, obsessed with a plan to prove the peaceful uses of nuclear weapons by digging a brand-new harbor at Point Hope with five bomb explosions. Imagine his irritation when Alaskans started asking questions about the environmental consequences of Project Chariot beyond the new hole full of water and why an area that is icebound most of the year with little to trade needs a harbor in the first place.

Finally, the author recalls having to leave the classroom and stand outside one cold November day in 1971 as school officials tried to protect the children from a possible earthquake that might be set off by an underground nuclear weapons test on the tectonically unstable Aleutian island of Amchitka. Objections to the Cannikin test became a flashpoint for environmental activism, birthing Greenpeace. Otter loves, beware, as it doesn't end well for your furry little friends.

The book is an ode to local activism and a good reminder that we need to stay vigilant as to what our government is doing, as it does not always have our best interests at heart, especially when it has shiny new toys to play with.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Prologue. Einstein's Greatest Mistake -- 1. Labors of Hercules -- 2. Chariot of Fire -- 3. Friendly Fire -- Notes -- Acknowledgments… (more)

This graphic-format memoir is of Peter Dunlap-Shohl’s diagnosis with early-onset Parkinson’s at the age of 43, and it’s inspiring. Ah, how can that be? -- when the opening pages show him more-than-half-hoping that a bear would kill him in an accidental suicide while on a jog.

Well, that was him in the early months of his diagnosis. From there, he backs up to tell of his path through his signs and symptoms; the terminology, pathophysiology and medications of Parkinson’s; his deep-brain stimulation surgery ... and the new mental outlook that gradually takes hold and brings satisfaction back into his life.

"{Y}ou made it this far. Chance took you down this road, but could not bring you all this way. So mark this moment with gratitude and relief, and anticipate the next ten years."

Dunlap-Shohl is a talented cartoonist and his expressive color graphics add a lot to the text. It’s not sweet nor is it disturbing. It’s honest and inspiring.

(Review based on a copy of the book provided by the publisher.)… (more)