In an era when many journalists like to focus on the negative, Clery writes an upbeat account of what drives scientists to discovery and what has captured the imagination and dedication of fusion researchers for decades. He understands that difficulties are viewed as challenges to dedicated scientists.

In the book, Clery writes, "Some people have spent their whole working lives researching fusion and then retired feeling bitter at what they see as a wasted career. But that hasn't stopped new recruits joining the effort every year: optimistic young graduates keen to get to grips with a complicated scientific problem that has real implications for the world. Their numbers have been increasing in recent years, perhaps motivated by two factors: there is a new machine under construction, a huge global effort that may finally show that fusion can be a net producer of energy; and the need for fusion has never been greater, considering the twin threats of dwindling oil supplies and climate change."

He notes that for the nations involved in the fusion quest, the costs for developing fusion represent "a gamble against a future in which access to energy will become an issue of national security." He says, "Most agree that oil production is going to decline sharply during this century. There is still plenty of coal around but burning it in large quantities increases the risk of catastrophic climate change. That doesn't leave many options for the world's future energy supplies. Conventional nuclear power makes people uneasy for many reasons, including safety, the problems of disposing of waste, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. Alternative energy sources such as wind, wave and solar power will undoubtedly be a part of our energy future. The cost of electricity from alternative sources is high but has declined substantially in recent decades and with continuing improvements in technology it will come down further. It would be very hard, however, for our modern energy-hungry society to function on alternative energy alone because it is naturally intermittent--sometimes the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow--and also diffuse -- alternative technologies take up a lot of space to produce not very much power."

Clery notes in the book, "Difficult choices lie ahead over energy and, some fear, wars will be fought in coming decades over access to energy resources, especially as the vast populations of countries such China and India increase in prosperity and demand more energy. Anywhere that oil is produced or transported--the Strait of Hormuz, the South China Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Arctic--could be a flashpoint. Supporting fusion is like backing a long shot: it may not come through, but if it does it will pay back handsomely. No one is promising that fusion energy will be cheap; reactors are expensive things to build and operate. But in a fusion-powered world geopolitics would no longer be dominated by the oil industry, so no more oil embargoes, no wild swings in the price of crude and no more worrying that Russia will turn off the tap on its gas pipelines."

Contrary to current U.S. policy that views fusion as science and not an energy development program, Clery says, "Fusion science is not about seeking knowledge for its own sake, it is about hammering away at a stubborn nut in the conviction that one day it will crack. There are still many skeptics who say that fusion will never supply a single kilowatt of power to the grid because there are just too many scientific and technological uncertainties. But their views will not dent the conviction of those who have dedicated their lives to the dream of fusion energy, enduring ups and downs, dead ends, false trails and minor breakthroughs. The story of fusion is not just one of scientists toiling away in laboratories in isolation. Military expediency, international politics and historical serendipity have all boosted and buffeted the progress of fusion research. Funding for the increasingly expensive machines that fusion requires has ebbed and flowed depending on the eagerness of governments to find alternative sources of energy: the Middle East oil embargo of the 1970s led to a huge boost in funding for fusion but by the 1980s, when oil was cheap again, research money was harder to find. Atomic espionage, superpower summits, hijackings by Palestinian terrorists and the Iraq War have all impacted on fusion's fortunes. What has kept it going is the unwavering belief among the scientists who have embraced the field that one day it will work."

Daniel Clery joined Science in 1993 as one of the founding members of the magazine's first international office in Cambridge, U.K. When not stalking the corridors of power for policy stories, his beat mainly revolves around the big machines of science: fusion reactors, particle accelerators, neutron sources, space probes, telescopes, and power stations. Born in the United Kingdom and brought up in Canada, Daniel returned to the United Kingdom for high school and a degree in theoretical physics at York University. Fleeing academe, he worked his way from the former Electronics & Power magazine, via Physics World, to New Scientist before joining Science. He can be reached at dan.clery2@gmail.com