12 Writing and Publishing Your Book
Comparison/Contrast Template: Public Perceptions
of Diferent f Types of Risks
Introduction—overview of argument and issues
Personal Health and Safety, 1940s–1960s
Attitudes toward Coal’s Effects—accidents, miners’ health—examples
from each state
Attitudes toward Nuclear Power—effects of radiation—examples from
each state
Concerns about the Environment, 1940s–1960s
Attitudes toward Coal—despoliation of the land, run-off pollution, air
pollution—examples from each state
Attitudes toward Nuclear Power—local waste; long-term, widespread
radiation—examples from each state
Personal Health and Safety after Three Mile Island and Other Accidents,
1970s–2012
Attitudes toward Coal’s Effects—examples from each state
Attitudes toward Nuclear Power—examples from each state
Concerns about the Environment after Three Mile Island and Other Acci-
dents, 1970s–2012
Attitudes toward Coal—examples from each state
Attitudes toward Nuclear Power—examples from each state
Conclusions—ways in which mining and nuclear accidents, as well as
changes in cultural values, affect attitudes toward risk
This plan highlights the differences between fears about nuclear power
and those about coal. The overarching narrative supports my argument about
how growing awareness of health and environmental risks shaped these fears.
But the human-interest stories, gleaned from my case studies, must be pulled
apart to construct this narrative. I’m left with a well-structured but extremely
tedious design.
I try another design based on theme. You might point out that the previous
design follows two themes: environmental risks and personal risks. I agree.
The templates do not impose rigid structures but rather propose patterns on
which to draw an original design. If I center my design on the debate over
nuclear power, I can use vested interests, reformers, and at-risk populations as
my themes. I make cards for the vested interests: coal industry lobbyists, power
companies. I add a card for each of the reformers: leaders of the environmen-
tal movement, local civic groups. I include cards for the at-risk populations:
coal miners, residents of coal mining regions, nuclear plant workers, resi-
dents in the vicinity of a nuclear plant, anyone within reach of radioactivity
in the event of an accident. While making this list, I suddenly see that the
