Abstract
Lawyers representing more than 20 chemical companies took the unusual step of issuing subpoenas to five peer reviewers of a scholarly book as part of litigation over the alleged health risks of a widely used chemical compound. The peer reviewers, who are historians and health experts, were summoned to be questioned in the case, which pits a former chemical worker who now suffers from cancer against the companies, including the Dow Chemical Company, the Goodrich Corporation, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, the Monsanto Company, and Uniroyal Inc. The book's publishers also received subpoenas, several months earlier, to provide information about early drafts of the book and its peer review.