Path to Zero

Richard Falk was formerly the UN special rapporteur to Palestine. His unparalleled scholarship on Israel/Palestine is informed by a deep commitment to humanist thought and an optimism for the future of the Palestinian struggle. He is Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and a Research Fellow in Global Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is the author of over twenty books including Palestine's Horizon (Pluto, 2017) and Chaos and Counterrevolution (Zed, 2015). David Krieger is Founder and President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in Santa Barbara and co-editor (with Richard Falk) of The Nuclear Precipice (2008).

“We are greatly privileged, like flies on the wall, to join this conversation between two remarkable stalwarts, Richard Falk and David Krieger, in the campaign for a nuclear-free world. It is unconscionable that so many of us seem to accept the prospect of our ‘mutually assured destruction’—the immoral massacre of millions of innocent victims—and to view with equanimity such a gross contravention of international law. Falk and Krieger discuss persuasively and cogently the folly of a reliance on nuclear weapons that can cause such apocalyptic devastation. If we want to survive in a habitable world, then we have no choice—we must heed, and do so urgently, these lovers of humankind.” —Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate “In The Path to Zero, two of the world’s most experienced and wisest champions of nuclear disarmament take stock of our situation and chart the way forward. By no means agreeing on every point, they weigh, with subtlety and discrimination, the value of arms control agreements, the chances for nonproliferation, and the significance of these in the context of the effort to reach abolition. No one interested in the nuclear dilemma can afford to miss this trail-blazing book.” —Jonathan Schell, author of The Fate of the Earth and The Seventh Decade “A thoroughly readable, wonderfully wise, refreshingly candid conversation—unprecedented in its philosophical and cultural sweep and holistic understanding of the Nuclear Age and the predominant U.S. role in it. Packed with clearly explained yet concise illustrative historical anecdotes, Falk’s and Krieger’s complementary skills and experience blend into a fascinating tour de force. Full of fresh thinking, this is both a timely reference and an important guide for all those struggling for a nuclear weapon–free world.” —Commander Robert Green, Royal Navy (Ret.), author of Security Without Nuclear Deterrence “Nuclear armament is an issue that too many of us know is a terrible threat to world security but feel helpless to do anything about. Lucky for us, we have Richard Falk and David Krieger and their provocative and fine new book to lead the way. Every one of us has the right to care about this issue. The Path to Zero shows us how.” —Maude Barlow, National Chair of The Council of Canadians, co-founder of the Blue Planet Project, and 2005 recipient of the Right Livelihood Award “In The Path to Zero, Falk and Krieger engage in a stunningly eloquent dialogue on a range of nuclear dangers and our common responsibility to put an end to them. This is urgent reading for citizens, scientists, policymakers, and political leaders—actually for anyone who cares about the future of civilization and life on earth.” —Daniel Ellsberg, releaser of the Pentagon Papers and subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary, The Most Dangerous Man in America "The Path to Zero — a work of great insight and wisdom — is an important part of that global transformation." —Dr. Lawrence S. Wittner, a professor of history emeritus at the State University of New York/Albany.

• Chapter 1 The Nuclear Age; Chapter 2 Nuclear Deterrence; Chapter 3 Nuclear Proliferation; Chapter 4 Nuclear Arms Control and Nuclear Disarmament; Chapter 5 Nuclear Weapons and Militarism; Chapter 6 Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Energy; Chapter 7 Nuclear Weapons and International Law; Chapter 8 Nuclear Weapons, Culture, and Morality; Chapter 9 Nuclear Weapons and Democracy; Chapter 10 The Path to Zero;