In the Mouth of the Dragon

Book excerpt: "The bulk of this book consists of six case studies of major fires through which Wallace attempts to create sentiment against plastics, especially polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and for fire safety regulation--much as Rachel Carson did for pesticides in Silent Spring. Wallace does convince the reader that existing combustion tests, standards, fire and building codes, code enforcement, emergency services, public agencies, and private companies send out false assurances, and that neither firefighters nor the public are adequately protected against very toxic or fatal fumes from burning plastics. Her model of a successful resolution is the New York State Building Code, passed in 1986. The book is only a partially successful synthesis of technical and popular material;"--Library journal.