The evolution of nuclear reactors since the 1942 Fermi experiment can be described along the lines of natural history, with an initial flourish of uninhibited creativity followed by a severe selection process leading to a handful of surviving species, with light water reactors occupying most of the biotope today. This book combines four approaches: A descriptive one. This gives an overview of the main strengths and weaknesses of the different reactor systems. A historical approach, from the 1940's to nowadays, with an extrapolation to the near future. The LWR dominance being firmly...