Browse for Books
Book Content
Services
- Discount Days
- Book Vouchers
- Bulk Orders
- Magazine Subscriptions
- Out of Print Books
- Book Industry Directory
- Book Calendar
- Monthly Book Giveaway
BB Facebook Group- For Authors and Publishers
Customer Info
Asbestos House: The Unauthorised Story of James Hardie Industries by Gideon HaighAsbestos House, a monumental history of James Hardie Industries and its 107 -year relationship with a most useful and deadly substance, treads a fine line between exposing problems and attaching blame. Although reports from as early as 1930 suggested a link between asbestos and lung diseases, a succession of Hardie staff persisted in the belief that the problem could be overcome, or ignored until a later time.Published 12 March, 2006
Asbestos House: The Secret History of James Hardie Industries (Gideon Haigh, Scribe, $39.95 tpb, ISBN 1920769625, February) *** Asbestos House, a monumental history of James Hardie Industries and its 107 -year relationship with a most useful and deadly substance, treads a fine line between exposing problems and attaching blame. Although reports from as early as 1930 suggested a link between asbestos and lung diseases, a succession of Hardie staff persisted in the belief that the problem could be overcome, or ignored until a later time. Despite the evidence, which is voluminous, the difficulties of assigning liability have been great. So many individuals were involved, and often it seems the fault of ignorance as much as negligence. James Hardie's asbestos products could once be found almost everywhere, from the brake linings of cars to insulation, building materials and the ubiquitous fibro houses. That the dangers posed by asbestos dust were ignored for so long is almost inconceivable, but this remarkable tale shows how. For the thousands who have suffered as a result, it will be small comfort, but there are lessons here for companies today. The asbestos that for 90 years was Hardie's core business eventually became a liability, and the story of how the company tried-and continues to try-to distance itself from its past makes for fascinating reading. Recommended to readers of corporate and social history. Lachlan Jobbins is a teacher, reviewer and ex-bookseller This review from Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2005, Thorpe-Bowker
More from Non-Fiction Book Reviews
Three additional interviews differentiate the second Champions from the 2006 edition, making Collins’ gathering of players and coaches an even more formidable collection.1 October, 2008 
This book tells the story of the Australian contingent of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) who, in 1946, entered western Japan to ‘demilitarise and democratise’ the atom-bombed backwater of Hiroshima.1 October, 2008 
This is an interesting and revealing book on many levels; from the anecdotal to a historical illustration of the growing sophistication of Australian politics from 1987 to 2007.1 October, 2008 
If you love the underdog, surfing and happy endings, then Occy satisfies on all counts.1 October, 2008 
In the early hours of 2 October 2001, Pakistani security officers stopped a bus travelling between Quetta and Karachi and took off three passengers.1 October, 2008 
Ironic, playful, iconoclastic and provocative, historian Manning Clark left an indelible mark on this country, our thinking, how we view ourselves and our past.1 October, 2008 
The typical fairytale of marrying a prince comes to life in this biography of an Australian girl who leaves her family and sheltered life in Melbourne to marry a Muslim ruler in a small area in India1 October, 2008 
Author Mike McColl-Jones worked alongside Graham Kennedy for almost 20 years, churning out jokes and scripts for the popular television show, In Melbourne Tonight.1 October, 2008 
John Carroll writes books that are generally hard to categorise.1 October, 2008 |
BB Info Bank Sections
|
Book Reviews |
Search News & Reviews |
Add a Comment
Please be civil.