Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation (Unabridged)
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4.6 • 11 Ratings
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, “every bit as important—and as well written—as A Civil Action and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” (The Star-Ledger)
“A new classic of science reporting.”—The New York Times
“A gripping, page-turning environmental thriller.”—NPR
“Unstoppable reading.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
One of New Jersey’s seemingly innumerable quiet seaside towns, Toms River became the unlikely setting for a decades-long drama that culminated in 2001 with one of the largest legal settlements in the annals of toxic dumping. A town that would rather have been known for its Little League World Series champions ended up making history for an entirely different reason: a notorious cluster of childhood cancers scientifically linked to local air and water pollution. For years, large chemical companies had been using Toms River as their private dumping ground, burying tens of thousands of leaky drums in open pits and discharging billions of gallons of acid-laced wastewater into the town’s namesake river.
In an astonishing feat of investigative reporting, journalist Dan Fagin recounts the sixty-year saga of rampant pollution and inadequate oversight that made Toms River a cautionary example for fast-growing industrial towns from South Jersey to South China. He tells the stories of the pioneering scientists and physicians who first identified pollutants as a cause of cancer, and brings to life the everyday heroes in Toms River who struggled for justice: a young boy whose cherubic smile belied the fast-growing tumors that had decimated his body from birth; a nurse who fought to bring the alarming incidence of childhood cancers to the attention of authorities who didn’t want to listen; and a mother whose love for her stricken child transformed her into a tenacious advocate for change.
A gripping human drama rooted in a centuries-old 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.
AN NPR AND KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • WINNER OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY’S HELEN BERNSTEIN BOOK AWARD
Customer Reviews
Uncovering the Hidden Staggering Cost of Industrial Greed
As someone who grew up in Ocean County and lived just a five-minute drive from Ciba-Geigy, Toms River by Dan Fagin hit especially close to home. This book is an eye-opening, deeply researched, and powerful account of one of the most significant public health and environmental crises in modern history. Fagin masterfully weaves together science, history, and human stories in a way that is both compelling and devastating.
I was horrified reading this because neither I nor anyone I know who lives in the area truly understood the full extent of Ocean County’s toxic dumping history and the economic forces that drove it. The fact that corporations knowingly poisoned a community for profit is deeply unsettling, and this book exposes that truth in a way that is both sobering and impossible to ignore.
While this book hit home for me personally, its lessons are universal. It’s not just a story about Toms River or Ocean County—it’s a stark reminder of how easily profit can take precedence over human life and how often these injustices go unnoticed until it’s too late. It highlights the need for vigilance and accountability everywhere, because the same issues could happen—and likely have happened—in countless other communities around the world.
Fagin’s storytelling is meticulous and empathetic, shedding light on the real human cost of these actions and the courage of those who fought for answers. This isn’t just a local story; it’s a wake-up call for anyone who cares about right versus wrong, the importance of community, and the legacy we leave behind.
A must-read for anyone who believes in the value of accountability and protecting future generations. Five stars.