The origins and nature of air pollution, from earliest days to the present, are examined in this book. Although air pollution has been with us since the discovery of fire, it is proffered that the major culprit now is the burning of gasoline and low-grade heating oil. All other sources of air pollution are negligible. The main thesis is that only a real effort to change auto engine design and to develop a truly workable electric car, plus a substantial improvement in public transportation to keep cars off our city streets, can save our cities from sure disaster. Today, the air in many big cities is heavily contaminated by photochemical smog, caused mainly by automobile exhaust and heavily laced with cancer-producing compounds. The situation exists in almost every large city of the world and consititutes a monumental menace to health. (BL)