I just finished reading this book in order to gain more back ground information for a paper I am in the midst of writing. Stein has included an enormous amount of very detailed information about the fire, as well as many of its implications. This book proved to be a very useful tool for my paper--I highly recommend it for anyone who wishes to study the tragedy more in depth.

Once I opened this book, I was hooked. The author's writing style grips you by the throat and drags you along with the survivors and the victims of this horrific yet history-making catastrophe! Every time you go into an office building and see a glowing exit sign, idly note that the doors have crash bars and open into the stairwell, or brush up against a fire extinguisher or hose cabinet, you'll remember why they're now mandated to be there. This disaster should never have happened, and this book explains why and how steps were taken to keep it from happening again. But it is also a book about people--those who made it out alive and those who didn't, and the little choices that made the difference.

I teach fire history and I found the book to be an invaluable resource highlighting one of Americas worst tragedies. I would highly recommend it for both those with a passion for history and for fire buffs.