In this book, a group of social anthropologists examine the radioactive legacies of the Cold War. The authors explore the impact of nuclear culture on communities and individuals affected by exposure to the radiation associated with the production and testing of nuclear weapons. Thirteen chapters contain case studies and essays that address the environmental and medical problems resulting from activities associated with nuclear weapons. In the U.S., the communities include those near uranium mines in the Western United States, the plutonium production facility at Hanford, Washington, a nuclear waste site in Alaska, and test sites in Nevada and the Marshall Islands. In comparison to the U.S., communities near the production facility at Chelyabinsk, Russia, and the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan experienced more intense effects from radiation resulting from activities associated with nuclear weapons. The authors' findings support the claim that the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union suppressed information and willfully endangered their citizens in the name of national security.