Cold Fusion And The Future, by Jed Rothwell
Reviewed by Dieter Britz

An enthusiastic projection of cold fusion into the future. The author makes clear at the outset, "... predicated on the assumtion that cold fusion does exist" and that the book is "speculative and informal". JR is not a trained scientist, so this is not a book about the physics or chemistry of cold fusion but rather a description of it, and some musings into a future in which cold fusion has helped Mankind in many ways, such as space heaters, factory kilns, municipal street lighting and airplanes. Some of the book reads like an FAQ, with questions, that are then answered. Despite the nontechnical aims of the book, there are some very competent descriptions of, for example, calorimeter types and a discussion of error limits in measurement, always a sore point between believers and skeptics. Issues such as energy vs society are discussed, where the author might be more at home. There is a lot of very optimistic extrapolation and some interesting thoughts on potential new technology. The author is clearly widely read, even citing S.J. Gould on evolution (puncuated equilibrium). The book contains a lot of drawings that appear to be done by a child, but were actually created by an adult, in the Japanese manga cartoon style. The book ends up with military fantasies and what can be taken as science fiction.