The new york timesthe 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. Winner of the pulitzer prize winner of the new york public librarys helen bernstein book award a new classic of science reporting. 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 of a civil action, the emperor of all maladies, and the immortal life of. Toms river book douglas county libraries bibliocommons. Danny devito options rights for book about toms river. Toms river winner of the pulitzer prize winner of the new york public librarys helen bernstein book award a new classic of science reporting. One of new jerseys seemingly innumerable quiet seaside towns, toms river became the unlikely setting for a decadeslong. The toms river subwatershed is 124 square miles, the largest drainage area of any river in the barnegat bay watershed. Toms river topeka and shawnee county public library overdrive. By the mid1960s, people living in toms river noticed that their drinking water had a medicinal taste and smell. Read 23 chapters during the week and decide if you want to check the book out of the library.
Its high time a book did for epidemiology what jon krakauers bestselling into. Toms river mah jong meetup 54 members jersey shore women in business jswib jersey shore women in business jswib. Mar 12, 2020 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. Toms river is a cautionary tale about the faustian tradeoffs between unfettered economic growth and industrial pollution. Toms river food fest takes place along washington street in downtown toms river. Toms river topeka and shawnee county public library. A quiet seaside town in new jersey, toms river became the unlikely setting for a. This service emails a 5minute portion of a book each day. Aug 14, 2018 the townships public drinking water supplier then called united water toms river now suez had drawn an underground plume of pollution from reich farm into its parkway well field.
Twitter facebook email a book that deftly combines investigative reporting and historical research to probe a new jersey seashore towns cluster of childhood cancers linked to water and air pollution. 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 a new classic of science reporting. Toms river book bellingham public library bibliocommons. Recent publicprivate coalitions to restore the river and to purchase and preserve the wetland areas near its source in the pinelands have resulted in an increase in water quality citation needed. 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. 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 of a civil action, the emperor of all maladies, and the. Danny devito, shown here in london, optioned the screen rights for a book about the jersey shore town of toms river, and a communitys battle with water pollution and a cancer outbreak.
Dan fagin won the general nonfiction award, issued a by 19member pulitzer board administered by columbia university. Toms river book santa clara county library bibliocommons. A story of science and salvation, was awarded the 2014 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction. Thousands turned out for food, vendors of all types, music, and a beer garden. A thrilling journey through the twists and turns of cancer epidemiology, toms river is essential reading for our times. Toms river book whatcom county library system bibliocommons. The riveting true story of sixty years in the life of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative. A story of science and salvation, examined the issue in detail.
A story of science and salvation, a new book about a town in new jersey devastated by industrial pollution by dan fagin april 3, 20. Mar 19, 20 the question at the heart of the story is straightforward enough. Toms river book edmonton public library bibliocommons. A science journalism professor at new york university, dan fagin is a nationally prominent journalist on environmental health topics. 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.
Dan fagin has written a powerful and important book. You choose which club to join from fiction, nonfiction, teen, business, romance, good news, science fiction, mystery, horror, audio, and prepublication. One of new jerseys seemingly innumerable quiet seaside towns, toms river became the unlikely setting for a. 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. Book explores toms rivers toxic history with industrial. For many years ciba geigy polluted the toms river a river that flows into barnegat bay with waste from its dye manufacturing facility. Toms river by dan fagin penguin random house audio. This book chronicles the long struggle as many members of the community noticed a large number of children with cancer and tried to get the government to investigate and clean up the problem. The new york times 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. Toms river, winner of the 2014 pulitzer prize and the academies. The group investigative reporters and editors named toxic deception a.
Jun 06, 2019 pulitzer prize awarded to author of book about chemical dumping in toms river. The city of toms river, new jersey, suffered decades of pollution from toxic waste both from a large chemical company and an illegal dumpsite. At once intimate and objective, toms river is the heartbreaking account of one towns struggle with a legacy of toxic pollution. 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. Jul 18, 2015 the swiss had hoped that dilution would mask its pollution of the toms river, just as they had hoped it would in the rhine and the ohio.
Fagin recounts the sixtyyear saga of rampant pollution and inadequate oversight that made toms river a cautionary tale. Feb 21, 2020 the result was a notorious cluster of childhood cancers scientifically linked to local air and water pollution. Elizabeth kolbert, author of field notes from a catastrophe. The new york timesthe 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. The toxic dumping that occurred in toms river in 2001 was the subject of the 20, pulitzer prize winning book toms river. Online book clubs dear reader ocean county library. 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. Toms river book deschutes public library bibliocommons. 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 of a civil action, the emperor of all maladies, and the immortal life of henrietta lacks. 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.
Toward the end of the 20th century, the residents of toms river, n. The swiss had hoped that dilution would mask its pollution of the toms river, just as they had hoped it would in the rhine and the ohio. The new york timesthe riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting. How toxic dumping led to tragedy in a small seaside town. New jersey that was negatively impacted by industrial waste pollution. One of new jerseys seemingly innumerable quiet seaside towns, toms river became the unlikely setting for a decadeslong drama that culminated in 2001. Jersey shore girls book club 21 fabulous women new jersey railtrail riders. A story of science and salvation harvard book store. But, over 60 years ago, the jersey shore town became home to. Danny devito options rights for book about toms river pollution. New jersey monthly the complete tale of twentiethcentury environmental calamity told in brilliant microcosm as if it were a le carre spy thriller peopled with a cast of dickensian characters youd find in a john.
Its many headwater tributaries begin in western ocean county, draining a large area of the pinelands, and eventually the river flows into barnegat bay, 11 miles north of the barnegat inlet. Toms river is home to many beaches located along the jersey shore, including ortley beach, normandy beach, monterey beach, ocean beach, chadwick beach and silver beach. The question at the heart of the story is straightforward enough. It has been described as a new classic of science reporting. This book appeared in advance copy, a column in which nasw book. A story of science and salvation, by dan fagin bantam books. Now available in paperback with a new afterword by acclaimed author dan fagin, the book masterfully blends hardhitting investigative journalism, scientific. But the natural flow of the toms averaged just 120 million gallons per day about five hundred times less than the ohio and dropped to only about thirtysix million gallons when the weather was hot and dry. Toms river may not seem like a prime example of a town struggling with industrial pollution. According to deadline, the book focuses on a group of families who. A story of science and salvation, by dan fagin bantam books share.