Description
Book SynopsisYet many of us still like amusement park rides that scare the devil out of us; they dare us to take risks.
Trade ReviewA thought-provoking study of danger and how people have managed it in American from preindustrial and industrial times up until today. -- Steven Goddard History Wire - Where the Past Comes Alive Risk is a fascinating exploration of culture, history, and mankind's tenuous grasp on saving itself from accidents. Midwest Book Review Writing in a lucid style, Mohun gives an impressive overview of the American transition from vernacular to expert-centered or state-driven risk regimes. -- Claas Kirchhelle British Journal for the History of Science Mohun's claims are persuasively argued, well documented, rooted in the everyday experiences of knowledgeable historical contemporaries, and animated by the broad political, social, and cultural changes that define modernization. -- David Blanke American Historical Review Mohun's comprehensive approach registers a major contribution that takes safety history a big step forward. -- Donald W. Rogers Journal of American History
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: Risks from Nature
1. Fire Is Everybody's Problem
2. The Uncertainties of Disease
3. Doing Something about the Weather
4. Animal Risk for a Modern Age
Part II: Industrializing Risk
5. Railroads, or Why Risk in a System Is Different
6. The Professionalization of Safety
7. The Safety-First Movement
Part III: Risk in a Consumer Society
8. Negotiating Automobile Risk
9. What's a Gun Good For?
10. Risk as Entertainment: Amusement Parks
11. Consumer Product Safety
Conclusion
Notes
Essay on Sources
Index
