The residents of toms river, new jersey didnt mind when a ciba chemical plant opened up in their backyard in the 1950s. A story of science and salvation 20 by dan fagin is the true story of a small new jersey town decimated by industrial pollution. And such is the power of dan fagin s toms river, surely a new classic of science reporting. The book skillfully combines hardcore investigative journalism and scientific discovery. At once intimate and objective, toms river is the heartbreaking account of one towns struggle with a legacy of toxic pollution. How the chemical industry manipulates science, bends the law and endangers your health, 1999 reveals the complex motives that blinded residents of toms river to the consequences of the practices of the towns major employer, cibageigy, a chemical company. The summary at the pulitzer prize site states that toms river is a book that deftly combines investigative. Elizabeth kolbert, author of field notes from a catastrophe. A story of science and salvation, author dan fagin tells the true tale of what happens when large chemical companies with dubious waste disposal practices set up shop in a quiet seaside town in new jersey. It is ironic that within a week after reading dan fagin s book, toms river. The wealthy throw out what they do not want, the poor scavenge what they can, and whatever remains is left to rot.
A story of science and salvation traces the story of a new jersey town plagued by two generations of toxic waste dumping. Mar 19, 20 former newsday reporter fagin journalismnew york univ coauthor. Jun 19, 2014 environmental journalist dan fagin, an associate professor and director of the science, health and environmental reporting program at new york universitys arthur l. Twice, in chapter 9 and again in chapter 34, oliver wakes up to find fagin nearby. A story of science and salvation by dan fagin in doc, fb3, rtf download ebook. It was so low that about onesixth of the flow under the route 37 bridge originated not as rain or groundwater but as wastewater discharged by the toms river chemical corporation two. The riveting true story of sixty years in the life of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting, a fascinating. A story of science and salvation, i saw a tv replay of the movie, a civil action, starring jon travolta. In a nutshella troubling number of cancer cases occurring in very young children living in the area. The riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting, a fascinating scientific detective story.
Toms river book king county library system bibliocommons. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of toms river. Even when the trek to the summit fails to provide the expected hollywood vistas of sunshine and. Mar 19, 20 and such is the power of dan fagins toms river, surely a new classic of science reporting. Can someone give me a short chapter summary of toms river by. A gripping human drama rooted in a centuriesold scientific quest, toms river is a tale of dumpers at midnight and deceptions in broad daylight, of corporate. Recounts the decadeslong saga of the new jersey seaside town plagued by childhood cancers caused by air and water pollution due to the indiscriminate dumping of toxic chemicals. Toms river ebook austin public library bibliocommons. Mar 19, 20 a thrilling journey full of twists and turns, toms river is essential reading for our times. He won the 2014 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction for his.
See a complete list of the characters in uncle toms cabin and indepth analyses of uncle tom, ophelia st. Books dan fagin science and environmental journalist. Toms river, winner of the 2014 pulitzer prize and the academies communication award for best book, tells the story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution. The riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative. Can someone give me a short chapter summary of toms river by dan fagin. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. This study guide consists of approximately 49 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes. Dan fagin won the general nonfiction award, issued a by 19member pulitzer board administered by columbia university. Now available in paperback with a new afterword by acclaimed author dan fagin, the book masterfully blends hardhitting investigative journalism, scientific discovery, and unforgettable characters. Can someone give me a short chapter summary of toms river. It all begins in the town of toms river, new jersey, when the swissowned corporation cibageigy begins polluting the local water supply in the 1950s and 1960s with. It is about the dumping of industrial pollution by chemical companies including cibageigy, in toms river, new jersey, beginning in 1952 through the 1980s, and the epidemiological investigations of a cancer cluster that subsequently emerged there.
Summary on a winter afternoon in the early 1850s, two white men, shelby and haley, discuss business in shelbys dining room on a kentucky farm. Dan fagin has offered to answer questions from students, teachers, and professors, ranging from how he uncovered longburied secrets and wrote toms river to the impacts of chemical pollution on real people. One of new jerseys seemingly innumerable quiet seaside towns, toms river became the unlikely setting for a decadeslong drama that culminated in 2001 with one of the largest legal settlements in the annals of toxic dumping. The river ran low during the parched summer of 1965, the driest in ocean county in a century.
Former newsday reporter fagin journalismnew york univ coauthor. Devito film on toms river cancer cluster to pay homage to. New yorker masterful portrayal of the scientific process at work in a town facing environmental crisis. A thrilling journey through the twists and turns of cancer epidemiology, toms river is essential reading for our times. In his pulitzer prizewinning book toms river, dan fagin uses history, personal narrative, health data and investigative journalism to tell the story of a small towns decadeslong struggle with chemical pollution. By dan fagin the riveting true story of sixty years in the life of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting, a fascinating scientific detective story, deep historical research, and an unforgettable cast of characters into a sweeping narrative that leaves us asking. Toms river by bookrags available from rakuten kobo. Danny devitos film on the toms river cancer cluster, based on book by dan fagin. How a health crisis created a town full of environmentalists. Dan s recent publications include the new york times, scientific american, nature and slate. Pullitzer prize winner and environmental journalist dan fagin discusses industrial pollution, water contamination, and cancer epidemiology in a new jersey beach town.
In a new book, awardwinning journalist dan fagin writes about the legacy of toms river and the lessons learned about about the relationship between cancer and the environment. Chemical troubles in toms river may 6, 20 issue vol. Other characters occasionally refer to him as the old one, a popular nickname for the devil. A story of science and salvation, was awarded the 2014 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction. A thrilling journey full of twists and turns, toms river is essential reading for our times. Kara holsopple spoke with fagin in advance of his september 7th visit to pittsburgh to learn more about what we can learn from toms river. Dan fagin has written a powerful and important book. She turned, and a bright smile lighted up her fine eyes. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. But fagin, an associate professor of journalism and the director of the science, health and environmental reporti. Toms river quotes showing 19 of 9 a simple pecking order has always characterized mankinds relationship to waste. Its author, dan fagin, talks about the origins of dumping in. A story of science and salvation, by dan fagin bantam books share.
Our teachers taught us to explore learning in a way that encouraged us to achieve our dreams through hard work, ethics, values and integrity. This years pulitzer prize in general nonfiction was awarded yesterday to dan fagin, an nyu science journalism professor, for toms river. Jan 24, 20 author dan fagin tells the true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution. A story of science and salvation by dan fagin summary. There were plumes of funnysmelling smoke coming from the building, at first. But, as this years pulitzer prizewinning book details, the. Even when the trek to the summit fails to provide the. Mar 30, 20 toms river investigates the subtle science of linking cancer to pollution.
We began to notice that we were getting a lot of kids from the toms river area in 1993 and 1994, boornazian recalled. A story of science and salvation by dan fagin at indigo. A story of science and salvation is a 20 nonfiction book by the american author dan fagin. Devito film on toms river cancer cluster to pay homage to environmental activism. It is about the dumping of industrial pollution by chemical companies including cibageigy, in toms river, new jersey, beginning in 1952 through the 1980s, 2 and the epidemiological investigations of a cancer cluster that subsequently emerged there.
Despite this books emotionally neutral title, toms river is at bottom a horror story of unregulated capitalism. Dan fagin handles topics of great complexity with the dexterity of a scholar, the honesty of a journalist, and the dramatic skill of a novelist. A gripping human drama rooted in a centuriesold scientific quest, toms river is a tale of dumpers at midnight and deceptions in broad daylight, of corporate avarice and government neglect, and of a few brave individuals who refused to keep silent until the truth was exposed. The residents of toms river, new jersey didnt mind. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Aug 19, 20 it is ironic that within a week after reading dan fagins book, toms river. Dan fagin s new book, toms river, is an edgeofyourseat account of industry and illness in a new jersey town, with plenty of side trips. A story of science and salvation, about a small town in new jersey that was negatively impacted by industrial waste pollution.
Nov 06, 2014 since i was a classmate of dan fagin, i would be more than happy to help you, but first let me give you some insight to the high school we attended. A new classic of science reporting the new york times. In an astonishing feat of investigative reporting, pulitzer prizewinning journalist dan fagin recounts the sixtyyear saga of rampant pollution and inadequate oversight that made toms river a cautionary example for fastgrowing industrial towns from south jersey to south china. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion on toms river by dan fagin. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Although boornazian had never been to toms river, she knew the name well. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. In an astonishing feat of investigative reporting, prizewinning journalist dan fagin recounts the sixtyyear saga of rampant pollution and inadequate oversight that made toms river a cautionary example for fastgrowing industrial towns from south jersey to south china. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Environmental journalist dan fagins book on toms river. And such is the power of dan fagins toms river, surely a new classic of science reporting. A story of science and salvation science book a day.
Toms rivers environmental legacy offers a cautionary tale. A cibaowned chemical plant came to the coastal town of toms river, new jersey, in 1952 to make dyes through processes that used and discharged enormous quantities of water. A story of science and salvation 20 9 minutes 2,153 words. For the readers of a civil action, the emperor of all maladies and the. The summary at the pulitzer prize site states that toms river is a book that deftly combines investigative reporting and.
All questions matter as we aim to stimulate dialogue on this important topic. This study guide consists of approximately 49 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of toms river. Dan fagin is an associate professor of journalism and the director of the science, health, and environmental reporting program at new york universitys. Dan fagin has combined deep reporting with masterful storytelling to recount an extraordinary battle over cancer and pollution in a new jersey town. Instant downloads of all 1297 litchart pdfs including uncle toms cabin. Pulitzer prize awarded to author of book about chemical dumping in toms river. It is about the dumping of industrial pollution by. A story of science and salvation audiobook by dan fagin.
A science journalism professor at new york university, dan fagin is a nationally prominent journalist on environmental health topics. Uncle toms cabin is a novel by harriet beecher stowe that was first published in 1852. A detective story rooted in a scientific quest thousands of years old, toms river is a tale of dumpers at midnight and deceptions in broad daylight, of corporate avarice and government neglect, and of a few brave individuals who would not keep silent. The riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting, a fascinating scientific detective story, and an unforgettable cast of characters into a sweeping narrative in the tradition o. Dan fagin science and environmental journalist science. Dan fagin born february 1, 1963 is an american journalist who specializes in environmental science. His new book project is about monarch butterflies and the future of biodiversity in the anthropocene. The true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river won the 2014 pulitzer prize and has been hailed by the new york times as andquot. He has twice been a principal member of reporting teams that were finalists for the pulitzer prize, he won the 2014 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction, and he has won both of the bestknown science journalism prizes in the united states. It won the 2014 pulitzer prize and was a winner of the new york public librarys helen bernstein book award. In toms river, investigative journalist dan fagin tells a story that is at once a detailed, focused case study and also a sweeping history of epidemiology and environmental health. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Fagin is described as a loathsome reptile and as having fangs such as should have been a dogs or rats.