Toms River

Listeners hear the whole story of the environmental contamination of Toms River, New Jersey--from the construction of its chemical plant and the burial of the first drum of toxic waste to the completion of the last epidemiological study of possible cancer clusters in the community. Fagin is an excellent writer, and the broad sweep of his narrative offers listeners better opportunities for understanding than most accounts of environmental calamities. He is scrupulously evenhanded in his treatment of both activists and industry executives. Dan Woren's narration is flawless as his clear, well-paced baritone helps bring Fagin's many characters to life. Woren presents Greenpeace demonstrations, complicated health-study methodologies, and everything in between with interest and energy. F.C. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine