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Programming for geographers
82
Book
Reviews
statistical methodology can create a sense of false objectivity and that models should be used to prescribe what ought to be as well as to describe what is. They suggest that without a priori theory the analysis of spatial patterns becomes little more than a search for geometrical regularity and topological properties. It is therefore much mote stimulating than the title might suggest. It is a book that must be read a little at a time, thought about and reread. The bibliography is very substantial and will enable readers to dig deeply into topics of interest. W. G. C. Austin
School of Geogruphy and Environmental Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic
Unwin,
Studies,
D. J. and Dawson, J. A. frogramrningfor Longman, 1985. 252 pp. paperback.
geographers. London: f7.95
The cover suggestion that ‘thjs is a practical, up-todate teaching book that will train students in all the computing techniques they need’, might lead the reader to expect a graduated series of expositions, programs and exercises to illustrate geographical computer concepts and techniques. Unfortunately, sometimes the book attempts to describe programs which would be applicable to a wide range of machines and sometimes it deals with very hardware-specific programs. It falls uncomfortably between being a computer awareness book and an instructional manual. The authors deal with a wide range of topics from the history of computing, through the BASIC and Fortran languages and programming style, to the use of peripherals and software packages. The link between the special needs of geographers and the way topics are dealt wjith is not always as strong as it might be. Some listings include output from the program, most do not. Exercises are suggested usually without hints on how the student might go about solving the problems. A simple subset of BASIC is used to make fhe programs widely applicable, but later listings are computer-peripheral specific. They assume the reader knows no BASIC but within a couple of chapters are discussing nuances of programming style and ways to marginally speed up calculations. This is a disappointing contribution from two authors who have produced several useful articles and books on computing and who have done much to make geographers aware of the great potential for the use of computers in geography. W. G. C. Austin oJ’ Geograplly und Environmenial Studies, Nebvcasrle-upon- 7)me Polyfechnic School
Openrhaw, S. Nuclear power: siting ond safely. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1986.349 pp. f20 hardback; f9.95 paperback. Calzonetti, F. J. and Solomon, B. D. Geographical dimensions of energy. Dordrecht: Reidel, 1985. 516 pp. g48.50 hardback. The disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the USSR in spring 1986 prompted many people to inquire into the whereabouts of the UK’s own nuclear power stations. The book by Openshaw provides them with a very detailed answer, and, for those prone to doubt about safety aspects, the thesis within which it is given will do little to inspire confidence in the way that population densities and related safety issues have been considered by those in charge of siting. The overall argument is that consideration of population distributions have been continually fudged in siting decisions for nuclear power stations in the UK, and a critical interpretative analysis of the history of siting decisions is provided to back up this line of argument, together with a cleat identification of ‘preferable’ locations (on demographic grounds) which have been, and continue to be, neglected. With reference to close scrutiny of specific siting decisions over the years, Openshaw argues that verq’ little detail seems to exist about any eraluations the CEGB might have done in choosing their nuclear power station sites-decisions which could easily see the investment of tens of billions of pounds of public money. Alternative locations that may have been investigated during the site search phase have not been named, in case, according to Openshaw, disclosure aroused undue public alarm. So the public and the government have merely been expected to accept that the locational decisions arrived at by the CEGB were the ‘right’ ones. Openshaw’s writing is direct and laden with sarcasm. He sums up his critical analysis of the apparent scarcity of detailed and publicly available safety studies of different reactor types with the comment that ‘. all the commercial reactors are completely safe because the operators and the government say they are’ (p. l30), and in consideration of the possibility of malfunction due to human fallibility in the running of existing stations it is remarked that ‘CEGB operators are all trained graduates, which is supposed to indicate that they do not make errors’ (p. 276). The book moves from a critical analysis of past $iting decisions to a more forward-looking appraisal of possible future locations. The attacks on the nuclear industry seem relentless, though Openshaw’r spatial interests prevail-maintaining his focus on the question of where (from an optimal demographic viewpoint) nuclear stations should be sited, and not in the question of whether they should be sited. .4nd in his chosen focus, the author raises many questions which the industry has so far failed to answer satisfactorily. It is a distinctive and timely geographical contribution to contempo-
Book
Reviews
statistical methodology can create a sense of false objectivity and that models should be used to prescribe what ought to be as well as to describe what is. They suggest that without a priori theory the analysis of spatial patterns becomes little more than a search for geometrical regularity and topological properties. It is therefore much mote stimulating than the title might suggest. It is a book that must be read a little at a time, thought about and reread. The bibliography is very substantial and will enable readers to dig deeply into topics of interest. W. G. C. Austin
School of Geogruphy and Environmental Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic
Unwin,
Studies,
D. J. and Dawson, J. A. frogramrningfor Longman, 1985. 252 pp. paperback.
geographers. London: f7.95
The cover suggestion that ‘thjs is a practical, up-todate teaching book that will train students in all the computing techniques they need’, might lead the reader to expect a graduated series of expositions, programs and exercises to illustrate geographical computer concepts and techniques. Unfortunately, sometimes the book attempts to describe programs which would be applicable to a wide range of machines and sometimes it deals with very hardware-specific programs. It falls uncomfortably between being a computer awareness book and an instructional manual. The authors deal with a wide range of topics from the history of computing, through the BASIC and Fortran languages and programming style, to the use of peripherals and software packages. The link between the special needs of geographers and the way topics are dealt wjith is not always as strong as it might be. Some listings include output from the program, most do not. Exercises are suggested usually without hints on how the student might go about solving the problems. A simple subset of BASIC is used to make fhe programs widely applicable, but later listings are computer-peripheral specific. They assume the reader knows no BASIC but within a couple of chapters are discussing nuances of programming style and ways to marginally speed up calculations. This is a disappointing contribution from two authors who have produced several useful articles and books on computing and who have done much to make geographers aware of the great potential for the use of computers in geography. W. G. C. Austin oJ’ Geograplly und Environmenial Studies, Nebvcasrle-upon- 7)me Polyfechnic School
Openrhaw, S. Nuclear power: siting ond safely. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1986.349 pp. f20 hardback; f9.95 paperback. Calzonetti, F. J. and Solomon, B. D. Geographical dimensions of energy. Dordrecht: Reidel, 1985. 516 pp. g48.50 hardback. The disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the USSR in spring 1986 prompted many people to inquire into the whereabouts of the UK’s own nuclear power stations. The book by Openshaw provides them with a very detailed answer, and, for those prone to doubt about safety aspects, the thesis within which it is given will do little to inspire confidence in the way that population densities and related safety issues have been considered by those in charge of siting. The overall argument is that consideration of population distributions have been continually fudged in siting decisions for nuclear power stations in the UK, and a critical interpretative analysis of the history of siting decisions is provided to back up this line of argument, together with a cleat identification of ‘preferable’ locations (on demographic grounds) which have been, and continue to be, neglected. With reference to close scrutiny of specific siting decisions over the years, Openshaw argues that verq’ little detail seems to exist about any eraluations the CEGB might have done in choosing their nuclear power station sites-decisions which could easily see the investment of tens of billions of pounds of public money. Alternative locations that may have been investigated during the site search phase have not been named, in case, according to Openshaw, disclosure aroused undue public alarm. So the public and the government have merely been expected to accept that the locational decisions arrived at by the CEGB were the ‘right’ ones. Openshaw’s writing is direct and laden with sarcasm. He sums up his critical analysis of the apparent scarcity of detailed and publicly available safety studies of different reactor types with the comment that ‘. all the commercial reactors are completely safe because the operators and the government say they are’ (p. l30), and in consideration of the possibility of malfunction due to human fallibility in the running of existing stations it is remarked that ‘CEGB operators are all trained graduates, which is supposed to indicate that they do not make errors’ (p. 276). The book moves from a critical analysis of past $iting decisions to a more forward-looking appraisal of possible future locations. The attacks on the nuclear industry seem relentless, though Openshaw’r spatial interests prevail-maintaining his focus on the question of where (from an optimal demographic viewpoint) nuclear stations should be sited, and not in the question of whether they should be sited. .4nd in his chosen focus, the author raises many questions which the industry has so far failed to answer satisfactorily. It is a distinctive and timely geographical contribution to contempo-