1st Edition

The Hazards of Life and All That A look at some accidents and safety curiosities, past and present, Third Edition

By J Bond Copyright 1996
    252 Pages
    by CRC Press

    252 Pages
    by CRC Press

    A light-hearted look at an extremely serious subject, The Hazards of Life and All That: A Look at Some Accidents and Safety Curiosities, Past and Present, Third Edition presents numerous examples of accidents throughout history and around the world, drawn from a wide range of contemporary sources. Illustrated with high-quality cartoons, this historical anthology addresses important issues affecting humans while presenting them in a humorous, accessible style. The author relates anecdotes from the gentleman struck, even in death, by lightning to the ICI invention of WATER, a cheap resource for quenching fires. The anecdotes contain salutary reminders on the precautions one should take to secure a long and healthy life.

    Foreword. Introduction. Hors d'oeuvre. At work. And at play. On the move. Gunpowder plots and other explosions. Precaution and prevention. Chemists and alchemists. Grave tales. Packing 'em in. They should have known better. Close confinement. The best laid schemes. Oddities. In song and verse. Apocrypha. Quotes. The one that got away. Janus. Copyright Acknowledgments. Bibliography. Index.

    Biography

    J Bond

    "… packed with an amazing collection of facts … succeeds in deriving humour from events which were often tragedies at the time … quotations are linked and accidents retold [in a] skilled and sensitive way … very handy source of material to enliven safety speeches and writings … if readers … want to fill a stocking … here is the answer."
    -Barry Hotson, IChemE Loss Prevention Bulletin

    "… a book which is effortless to read and may be dipped into at any page … well-researched and written in a lively style. The nature of the storytelling means the reader is compelled to read aloud to anyone who happens to be around, and it is very difficult to put down …"
    -Catriona Kelly, The Chemical Engineer

    "At times, this book reads like source material for scriptwriters of Tom and Jerry cartoons: one improbable event leading to another, equally implausible. If you have enjoyed previous offerings from the Institute of Physics … you will enjoy this."
    -Peter Borrows, Education in Chemistry, Vol. 34, No. 5, September 1997

    "… a valuable compendium of interesting accidents and historical facts … a must for all safety practitioners, and a good buy …"
    -John Gillett, Zeneca, IChemE Safety and Loss Prevention Newsletter, Summer 1997

    "… anthology of disasters, accidents, and lucky escapes … written to educate as well as entertain … a book to dip into and chuckle over … a good book to … give as a present."
    -K. Swinfen, School Science Review, March 1998