and if the environmental news writer helps members of the uniounion of the compared sciens of the nuclear power plant meltdown after the march 2011 tsunami. this program is about one hour. normally i'm the person having the questions asked of me and now i get the opportunity to ask a former journalist questions about the book that you wrote. >> guest: i will do my best. it is and on customary role for me to answer questions, but it's good to be here. >> host: i'm glad. i wanted to start to ask you a few issues that are general about the book and the first i just wondered what drove you to this topic, what made you interested in the accident? >> guest: as a journalist it was a very compelling story. i'd covered the 3-mile island accident when i was a reporter at the philadelphia inquirer and followed nuclear issues &. the first moment when the news accounts began to come in i watched transfixed because it was the first time i think the world has only watched an accident on hold. and so i got caught up in the story. not necessarily the technical aspects of the human aspects and the very hig