[1] Born in 1952,[3] Peacock began his career with the ABC in 1973 as a trainee cadet with the TV current affairs program This Day Tonight.
Over the course of his career, he "played a pivotal role in uncovering the corruption and spin of the asbestos industry over three decades, and his story was told in the mini series Devil's Dust which screened on ABC TV in 2012".
In the book, Peacock documents how Hardie's practices "led to the deaths of thousands of workers and customers, who were never informed of the dangers", resulting in medical abnormalities, such as asbestosis.
[10] According to Peacock, James Hardie Industries circumvented the rules and regulations designed to protect the community from serious health hazards.
[10] Peacock states that "Hardie embarked on a cold, calculated strategy to maximise profits, minimise compensation and conceal the culprits".