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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"touched by the dust", August 23, 2010
On September 11, the collapse of the Twin Towers hellishly covered everything in a given radius in inches of pulverized, "highly caustic cement dust" laced with asbestos, benzene and "other dangerous elements." People running away were blizzardized with these toxic materials. Nearby buildings, including residences, were infiltrated. And rescue workers who came to the massive pile of WTC debris to search for survivors and fight the ongoing fires breathed the stuff in for days on end.
City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11 is a thoroughgoing examination of the contours of the health crisis that followed from this poisonous dusting (at thick as four inches close to the epicenter) of New York City. Author Anthony DePalma reports on every aspect from adverse symptoms attributed by sufferers to the dust to medical efforts to treat and document them. From city, state, and federal actions taken regarding the health concerns to legal actions (including class action law suits brought in federal court and still pending in 2010) brought against those governments later when their actions were scrutinized and found wanting. DePalma tells the stories of a number who died from complications apparently linked to the dust, as well as of some who are still alive but continue to experience severe respiratory and other ailments. Perhaps most compelling are the passages in which the reader follows along with someone who was near Ground Zero on the fateful day. These stories alone make the book worth reading.
However, the author, not constricted by inch space in a newspaper or a printed magazine, is determined to record countless details. For example: who ordered what when; whether respirators were made available to those working on "the pile" of rubble; whether those respirators were used and if not, why not; what OSHA did' what Mayor Giuliani did; etc. At times, DePalma becomes repetitive as he emphasizes the tendency of the firefighters looking for survivors to work unprotected in the patriotic fervor of the losses of so many of their comrades as well as the thousands of others who died and lay, literally, under their feet. Some editing could have been undertaken without compromising the basic facts. Nevertheless, CITY OF DUST often benefits greatly from being such a meticulously researched work. It is enriched by many interviews and a generally evenhanded representation of the many viewpoints of various people the author depicts.
In the end, one conclusion that is drawn is that, "Responders risked their lives to recover the remains of the victims, a task that was supremely noble but that, in the end, did not require much haste." In other words, once enough time had passed that the mission changed from rescue to recovery, cooler emotions ought to have dictated that any and all workers at the polluted WTC site had to don "protective Tyvek suits and respirators at all times." This was not done. Neither overseeing authorities nor the at-risk individuals used common sense, and as a result, the years ahead will continue to see serious, sometimes life-threatening aftereffects from the dust breathed in there. And some of those affected will also be the civilians who were coated in the toxic dust on 9/11 and who went back to homes where their scrubbing didn't eliminate all the dangerous substances. As one reads, one considers, along with the author, where responsibility should have resided: how much was up to individuals and how much to government agencies and elected officials?
For anyone who wants to know just about everything possible about the consequences of exposure to WTC dust as well as all the ancillary medical, administrative and legal developments, CITY OF DUST is the book for you.
4.5 stars.
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31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I read this book straight through., August 19, 2010
This review is from: City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11 (FT Press Science) (Kindle Edition)
A definite buy if you are interested in the details of the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath!
This book chronicles the lasting effects of the dust cloud that surged over Manhattan on 9/11 when the towers came down. The dust was a mixture of mercury vapor from the thousands of florescent tubes, gasses from the improperly burning jet fuel, asbestos, pulverized concrete dust from the structure itself, as well as untold hundreds of other volatile chemicals made from the burning computers, monitors, carpeting, clothing, and bodies that made up the mess at Ground Zero.
This Dust permeated buildings, schools, hallways, ductwork, and worked it's way deep into the lungs of those that were there that day, pushing high levels of carcinogenic chemicals and concrete dust deep into their bodies. Those that worked at Ground Zero over the next three months had to deal with slowly burning jet fuel deep underground and the toxic off-gassing that came with it, breathing in even more chemicals as they worked tirelessly to rescue people and help rebuild our nation.
Not mentioned much outside of New York City, this book offers a very detailed look into the lives that have been affected by the dust cloud. It chronicles the sense of dread that hung over everyone that was there when the towers came down, the feeling of being blind when the dust clouds first hit, and the panic that even the governmental agencies felt as they took stock of the situation.
It was an unprecedented event that no one in government or business had properly prepared for. The sheer number of things that had gone wrong stupefied all the officials who were being pressured for immediate response and to come together with one resolute face to present to the public.
Our nation, led by Bush's presidency, took a hard-line stance against the terrorists and pushed for rebuilding and recovery. We presented a strong, united front. We pushed for recovery speed over safety, strength over licking our wounds. This decision had lasting effects on those people who risked, and are now giving their lives, to help sort through the rubble.
A lot of mistakes were made, from all sides. We had never had an attack, or fought a fire like this before. The EPA did not have data on what health risks there would be for the thousands of contractors, firemen, police, and others who spent months cleaning up Ground Zero. We all hope the information gathered will never have to be used again.
My hats off to the author who presented many sides to the issue, from the businesses affected, the doctors who ran the free clinics, lawyers who sued years later, students who's high school was shut down due to dust invasion, the firemen and police officers who felt unpatriotic wearing respirators while sifting through rubble, and the government agencies who's own emergency response area had been destroyed in the attacks.
I think everyone should read this book. I for one am fascinated with 9/11 history, and this book provides a deep look into an ongoing facet of the attacks that still haunts America today.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely thorough, February 8, 2011
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Fast approaching the tenth anniversary of the World Trade Center attack, Anthony DePalma's "City of Dust" gives the reader an incredibly comprehensive look at the tangled history of the ground zero site through a public health and policy lens. This is probably the most nuanced and measured analysis of the health implications and impacts of the Trade Center dust on the first responders and the New York residents that I have ever read. For anyone with an interest in this issue, you will finish this book feeling extremely informed.
That being said, DePalma's book needs a large measure of commitment. Because of all of the different angles he uses to approach the issue and that the reader needs to be informed about, he has used a setup method that involves choosing a representative of a group (for example, the head of the Mt. Sinai medical team) and tracing their actions from 9/11 to about five years or so afterward, to give the reader an understanding of that piece of the puzzle. Then he takes the representative of another group (for example, the head of a Manhatten residents' advocacy group), and does the same thing. Then he'll do it again (Mayor Guilliani) and again (the head doctor for the firefighters) and again (one of the policemen on duty that day) and again (a first responder who worked with a body-sniffing dog). It's all interesting information, but it quickly starts becoming almost a little frustrating to be constantly reset to the beginning. But it is necessary, because after all elements are established DePalma starts weaving them together.
This is an extremely informative book, but it is largely retrospective. I finished it feeling extremely frustrated about the mistakes that were made on all sides, but was left with very little in the way of positive ideas for the future and potential programs.
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