Mark Aldrich. Death Rode the Rails: American Railroad Accidents and Safety, 1828-1965. Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. xvi + 446 pp. ISBN 0-8018-8236-2, $59.95 (paper).

This is an excellent narrative of the evolution of public andindustry focus on industrial safety. It is subtitled "accidentsand safety" because accidents played a very public role of focusingattention on particular problems (e.g., brakes, bridge design,rail failures, and explosions of hazardous materials). By lookingat accidents and safety, Aldrich develops four key themes thathe weaves throughout the narrative. Aldrich’s economicanalysis, much of which is contained in the notes and in thirtypages of