Jonathan Harr

The author of A Civil Action offers a compelling account of the search for a long-lost masterpiece by Italian Baroque master Michelangelo Caravaggio, one his era's most colorful and turbulent figures, following a young graduate student across hundreds of years and four countries to uncover the mystery of "The Taking of Christ." Reprint. 150,000 first printing.

"The legal thriller of the decade." --Cleveland Plain DealerNow a Major Motion Picture!In this true story of an epic courtroom showdown, two of the nation's largest corporations stand accused of causing the deaths of children. Representing the bereaved parents, the unlikeliest of heroes emerges: a young, flamboyant Porsche-driving lawyer who hopes to win millions of dollars and ends up nearly losing everything, including his sanity. A searing, compelling tale of a legal system gone awry--one in which greed and power fight an unending struggle against justice--A Civil Action is also the story of how one determined man can ultimately make a difference. With an unstoppable narrative power, it is an unforgettable reading experience. "Whether in truth or fiction, I have never read a more compelling chronicle of litigation." --John Grisham"A page-turner. Rich and vivid. . . eventful and gripping." --The New York Times"Once you start A Civil Action, you probably will not be able to put it down." --Washington Post Book World

Toxic waste, contaminated water, cancer clusters--these phrases suggest deception and irresponsibility. But more significantly, they are watchwords for a growing struggle between communities, corporations, and government. In No Safe Place, sociologists, public policy professionals, and activists will learn how residents of Woburn, Massachusetts discovered a childhood leukemia cluster and eventually sued two corporate giants. Their story gives rise to questions important to any concerned citizen: What kind of government regulatory action can control pollution? Just how effective can the recent upsurge of popular participation in science and technology be? Phil Brown, a medical sociologist, and Edwin Mikkelsen, psychiatric consultant to the plaintiffs, look at the Woburn experience in light of similar cases, such as Love Canal, in order to show that toxic waste contamination reveals fundamental flaws in the corporate, governmental, and scientific spheres. The authors strike a humane, constructive note amidst chilling odds, advocating extensive lay involvement based on the Woburn model of civic action. Finally, they propose a safe policy for toxic wastes and governmental/corporate responsibility. Woburn, the authors predict, will become a code word for environmental struggles.