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Ready to learn the most important takeaways from The Radium Girls in less than two minutes? Keep reading!
Why This Book Matters:
The Radium Girls tells the story of how radium poisoning influenced the lives of many young girls during the twentieth century and how their misfortune became a prime example of why companies need to try harder to protect the interests of their employees.
The Big Takeaways:
- When radium was discovered in the twentieth century, it was soon added to many products.
- If It was later discovered that radium could be toxic, and many were poisoned through the production of products with radium.
- Several young women took jobs as painters for watches.
- These girls fell ill due to their exposure to the radium in the paint. They often twisted their paintbrushes in their mouths to form fine points.
- There was a lot of money to be made for girls who worked as watch painters.
- However, despite the amount of money women could make painting watches, the medical expenses piled up after being exposed to the radium.
- These young women tried to sue the companies but were legally undermined.
- Instead of letting the case go to trial, many women accepted a sum so they would not have to battle in a twisted court system.
- The radium girls are only one example of negligence on the employer’s part.
- Many businesses still choose greed over the well-being of their employees.
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