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Description
Whole World on FireWhole World on Fire focuses on a technical riddle wrapped in an organizational mystery: How and why, for more than half a century, did the U. S. government fail to predict nuclear fire damage as it drew up plans to fight strategic nuclear war? U. S. bombing in World War II caused massive fire damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but later war plans took account only of damage from blast; they completely ignored damage from atomic firestorms. Recently a
Whole World on Fire focuses on a technical riddle wrapped in an organizational mystery: How and why, for more than half a century, did the U.S. government fail to predict nuclear fire damage as it drew up plans to fight strategic nuclear war?U.S. bombing in World War II caused massive fire damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but later war plans took account only of damage from blast; they completely ignored damage from atomic firestorms. Recently a small group of researchers has shown that for modern nuclear weapons the destructiveness and lethality of nuclear mass fire often--and predictably--greatly exceeds that of nuclear blast. This has major implications for defense policy: the U.S. government has underestimated the damage caused by nuclear weapons, Lynn Eden finds, and built far more warheads, and far more destructive warheads, than it needed for the Pentagon's war-planning purposes. How could this have happened? The answer lies in how organizations frame the problems they try to solve. In a narrative grounded in organization theory, science and technology studies, and primary historical sources (including declassified documents and interviews), Eden explains how the U.S. Air Force's doctrine of precision bombing led to the development of very good predictions of nuclear blast--a significant achievement--but for many years to no development of organizational knowledge about nuclear fire. Expert communities outside the military reinforced this disparity in organizational capability to predict blast damage but not fire damage. Yet some innovation occurred, and predictions of fire damage were nearly incorporated into nuclear war planning in the early 1990s. The author explains how such a dramatic change almost happened, and why it did not. Whole World on Fire shows how well-funded and highly professional organizations, by focusing on what they do well and systematically excluding what they don't do well, may build a poor representation of the world--a self-reinforcing fallacy that can have serious consequences. In a sweeping conclusion, Eden shows the implications of the analysis for understanding such things as the sinking of the Titanic, the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the poor fireproofing in the World Trade Center.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Published: 03/30/2006
ISBN: 9780801472893
Pages: 384
Weight: 1.14lbs
Size: 8.96h x 5.76w x 0.95d
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4.7 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 3
Effective but may be uncomfortable
Color: Pink & Beige, Size: Medium/Large(fits size 8 to 11)
I have eczema on my feet and use a prescription cream that I leave on overnight. I often have a problem sleeping in socks but the silicone feels cool on my feet. The only drawback I have is the opening of the socks feel very tight around my ankles making them uncomfortable on me. I wish the opening was a bit more flexible.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2025
★★★★★ 1
Burned my already sensitive feet, too big
Color: Pink & Beige, Size: Medium/Large(fits size 8 to 11)
Feels icky, and the heat gets trapped and literally felt like my feet were being burned by these. The bottoms of these feel prickly and they are way too big. You have to sit still and cannot walk in them.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Just as good as paraffin wax
Color: Pink & Beige, Size: Medium/Large(fits size 8 to 11)
I might prefer these socks over paraffin wax. They are comfy and very moisturizing. I use these socks once a week to keep the heels and soles of my feet moisturized between pedicures. I rinse with warm, soapy water then hang to dry. They are hard to walk in, but there's a saying printed in the socks that's says something to the effect of "take a break, stay off your feet" lol I love that as a reminder to put my feet up and relax
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Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Love these!
Color: Pink & Beige, Size: Small(fits up to size 7)
Love these! As I write this review, I’m sitting in my recliner with these on. I have had other silicone socks in the past and would like to share a few of the things that I have learned.
These fit great! The others were 2-3 sizes too big because you could not order a size. I wear a size 7 women’s shoe. I got the smaller size. I walked around my apartment in my old ones and they got kinda yucky. Now, I sit in my recliner, put them on and chill for a few hours. I now take them off and put in a ziplock bag so they stay nice and clean (no cat hair!). I use them once a week usually on Saturday or Sunday as I’m a working girl. Also, I use Auqaphor before I put them on and put cotton socks on after I’m finished. Your feet will be SO soft. This is not a one and done…I do this every week especially during sandal season! I know this was lengthy and I hope you got some tips.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Great quality!
Size: 10-11, Color: Jacquard Knit Red/Black
Just the best! Comfy! Warm! Great non-slip bottoms! Husbands second pair and will order again!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2026