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Use in Academic Courses
Waste Is A Terrible Thing To Mind: Risk, Radiation, and Distrust of Government has been used at Cornell University, Kean University, Princeton University, The College of New Jersey and Rutgers University in a variety of undergraduate, graduate and mid-career courses including:
- Environmental Planning and Management
- Ethics in Public Policy
- Introduction to Environmental Engineering
- Introduction to Urban Planning
- Land Use Policy and Planning
- Local Government and the Environment
- Perspectives on Agriculture and the Environment
- Processes of Politics
- Public Policy Decision-Making in the New Millennium
- Seminar on American Politics
...AND SOME COMMENTS FROM
STUDENTS:
“This book was excellent! Assigned for a class, I thought I'd
get a head start on it- believing from its subject matter that it would be
a
tiresome read- but I couldn't put it down. I read the book cover to
cover weeks before it was due- and then shared my favorite parts with
my amused roommate and friends! Weingart's writing style is down-to-earth
and witty, making each chapter more delightful than the last. His anecdotes
of working with the public on a highly sensitive matter
are refreshingly honest and despite his frustrating encounters, and his
consistently hopeful and positive attitude toward the matter remind us
why public service is an honorable profession. I am grateful to have
been introduced to the book and highly recommend it to anyone.”
Sarah
Kohl, Rutgers University, MSW ’04
“ This book stands apart. Not only is it informative, but
Weingart integrates humor, insight, and personal reflection into this tale
of a radioactive waste disposal site in search of a place to call home. The
book provides a real life look into how the public reacts when given the opportunity
to make public policy decisions for themselves. Watching some residents' distrust
of government compete with other residents' open mindedness in each town provided
cliffhanger moments. The innovative, creative, and flexible ways in which the
board handled the siting process kept you in wonder of what they would come
up with next. The characters Weingart presents are so real that you feel like
you are sitting in the open house meetings with him. You want to hug the mayor
that felt betrayed by his friends at the town meeting and scold the Whitman
administration for turning their back on the Board at the last minute when
it was so close to a solution. Songs, newspaper clippings, cartoons, and references
to pop culture lighten the mood of this book and make it fun to read.”
Margaret
Watson, Rutgers University, BA ’04
“ I actually enjoyed Waste Is A Terrible Thing To Mind quite a lot.
It was interesting to see the hoops that a government agency had to go
through trying to get someone to take the site in their town. It had a
nice insider’s
look with a little humor here and there as well, which was a nice touch.”
Glenn
Christofides, Rutgers University, BA ‘04
“ This book was light and fun to read. I used to think nuclear waste
is something to be afraid of in all cases, but Waste Is a Terrible Thing
to Mind convinced me that one should always consider alternative views and
take
a more balanced view. The book also showed in a very practical way the
dangers and problems of the NIMBY phenomenon and showed how a pragmatic approach
to
a hugely controversial issue and a creative response to a problem could,
but sometimes does not, produce a new type of solution. The book also showed
the
necessity of government in solving problems that the public refuses to
understand.”
Lauren
Oleykowski, Rutgers University, BA ‘04
“ It was very well written (accessible to lazy undergraduate seniors
with senioritis). It was on a topic that really is interesting and important
for the social and human nature issues that it brings up (i.e distrust
of experts, fear of things we don’t know about; if it sounds bad, it
is bad; information mangled by the media, etc). And it has funny cartoons
in
it. ”
Beth Ferliccki, Rutgers University, BA ’04