Book excerpt: Written by a hazardous materials consultant with over 40 years of experience in emergency services, the five-volume Hazmatology: The Science of Hazardous Materials suggests a new approach dealing with the most common aspects of hazardous materials, containers, and the affected environment. It focuses on innovations in decontamination, monitoring instruments, and personal protective equipment in a scientific way, utilizing common sense, and takes a risk-benefit approach to hazardous material response. This set provides the reader with a hazardous materials "Tool Box" and a guide for learning which tools to use under what circumstances. Volume One, Chronicles of Incidents and Response, takes an in-depth look at the history of hazardous materials response, points out lessons learned from these incidents, and discusses the impact on our response today. This volume aims to be the most comprehensive study of hazardous materials history ever presented in a single volume. FEATURES Uses a scientific approach utilizing analysis of previous incidents Offers a risk-benefit approach based upon science and history Provides an exploration of components of historic incidents Highlights lessons learned from responders who made the ultimate sacrifice Shows incident trends based upon technology and economics of the time