Inaugural 'Mechatastrophe Book Bombardment'

Hello folks, and welcome to the first of (hopefully) many Mechatastrophe Book Bombardments. In these entries, I will display and comment on books I have either read recnetly, or personal favorites from the past. So, without any further delay. Let us begin...

---Breaking Ships--- Ronald Buerk
This is a fairly brief book, with many black and white photos throughout. It details the intentianl beaching and dismantling of the tanker 'Asian Tiger' in Bangladesh. The work of tearing apart a huge ship like a supertanker, to reuse the materials that make it up, is done almost entirely with hand tools. It is dirty, very dangerous and the pay is minuscule. Workers mostly come from teh counrtyside, where work is scarce and any income is more than they would likely get in thier village. It is a pretty interesting book, as well as a quick read.