Six High-interest Books Sure to Intrigue Your Students Nothing captures the interest of readers like tales of heroism and tragedy. Featuring such disasters as the wreck of the now-famous fishing boat the Andrea Gail during the "perfect storm, " the nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill, this new Rosen Central series is perfect for use as part of the social studies curriculum. The books illustrate the dangers to the individual and to society posed by an incomplete mastery of technology and a misplaced faith in human competence and judgment. The gripping accounts of these tragic events are supplemented with compelling narrative timelines and enthralling firsthand testimonies. Each title includes a discussion of how, in the aftermath of tragedy, changes in technology and procedure were brought about to help ensure that a similar disaster would never strike again. Author Gillian Houghton brings to vivid life the maritime culture of Gloucester, the rough-and-tumble existence on a swordishing boat, and the desperate lives of the swordfishers that make taking dangerous risks with the weather a necessity. Included in this compelling story are first-person observations of the crew's friends and family, accounts of radio messages from the Andrea Gail's captain, and a timeline that charts the ship's last turbulent hours. Also included are photos of the Andrea Gail that have never been published before