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A review essay on books by (1) Fred Roberts, Sixty Years of Nuclear History (Jon Carpenter, 1999); (2) Gill Owen, Public Purpose or Private Benefit? The Politics of Energy Conservation (Manchester U Press, 1999); & (3) Walt Patterson, Transforming Electricity (RIIA & Earthscan, 1999). Roberts recounts the linkage between the technical & political aspects of nuclear power during a period when nuclear weapons production was a priority & the shift from the "hard" nuclear path to the "soft" energy conservation path occurred. Owen discusses why energy conservation policy has failed in the developed countries. Her arguments include the relative rise in energy consumption over efficiency & the energy conservation industry's ineffective marketing. Patterson discusses privatization & liberalization of electrical systems & sustainable electricity. His book is the best example of the three of clear technical writing on complex issues. However, he does not take a position on whether electricity is a commodity or a social service. 5 References. M. Pflum