The failure of politics
I had a copy of Glasstone when I worked for AEC.
Sourcebook of Atomic Energy. It's still an excellent reference because nuclear physics and engineering have really not changed all that much since the 60s. The physics is now all happening at the sub-nuclear level (quarks and such), and the engineering is the same (except for the now-ubiquitous digital control devices). Where else are you gonna find a detailed schematic of the fission-powered liquid hydrogen rocket engine they actually successfully tested in the 60s?
But you cannot alter nuclear decay rates with "engineering" and you are confusing "control rods" and "fuel rods". I've not only read Glasstone, I took some physics courses in college, too.