In To Punish or Persuade, John Braithwaite declares that coal mine disasters are usually the result of corporate crime. He surveys 39 coal mine disasters from around the world, including 19 in the United States since 1960, and concludes that mine fatalities are usually not caused by human error or the unstoppable forces of nature. He shows that a combination of punitive and educative measures taken against offenders can have substantial effects in reducing injuries to miners. Braithwaite not only develops a model for determining the optimal mix of punishment and persuasion to maximize mine safety, but provides regulatory agencies in general with a model for mixing the two strategies to ensure compliance with the law. To Punish or Persuade looks at coal mine safety in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, France, Belgium, and Japan. It examines closely the five American coal mining companies with the best safety performance in the industry: U.S. Steel, Bethlehem Steel, Consolidation Coal Company, Island Creek Coal Company, and Old Ben Coal Company. It also takes a look at the safety record of unionized versus non-unionized mines and how safety regulation enforcement impacts productivity.

High Explosives and Propellants, Second Edition is a four-part book classified into High Explosives, Blasting Accessories, Application of High Explosives, and Deflagrating and Propellent Explosives. Part I, High Explosives, centers on the general principles, manufacture, design, and assessment of this type of explosive. Part II, Blasting Accessories, describes initiation of explosives and different types of detonators. Part III, Application of High Explosives, deals with the commercial and military applications of high explosives. The last part, Deflagrating and Propellent Explosives, discusses the manufacture, properties, design, and application of propellants.