Book excerpt: Encyclopedia of Nuclear Energy provides a comprehensive and reliable overview of the many ways nuclear energy contributes to society. Comprised of four volumes, it includes topics such as generating clean electricity, improving medical diagnostics and cancer treatment, improving crop yields, improving food shelf-lives, and crucially, the deployment of nuclear energy as an alternative energy source, one that is proving to be essential in the management of global warming. Carefully structured into thematic sections, this encyclopedia brings together the vast and highly diversified literature related to nuclear energy into a single resource, with convenient to read, cross-referenced chapters. This book will serve as an invaluable resource for researchers in the fields of energy, engineering, material science, chemistry, and physics, from both industry and academia. Offers a contemporary review of current nuclear energy research and insights into the future direction of the field, hence negating the need for individual searches across various databases Written by academics and practitioners from different fields to ensure that the knowledge within is easily understood by, and applicable to, a large audience Meticulously organized, with articles split into sections on key topics and clearly cross-referenced to allow students, researchers and professionals to quickly and easily find relevant information