Environmental-Health Books

The plight of the people of Libby and the other sites around the country is very sad and you want to hate WR Grace and the previous mine owners and operators. While their reponsibility is not in doubt, the book could have been improved by more information about what exactly they knew and when. I'm sure Grace et al. did not cooperate with the authors, but the extensive litigation should have made some of this information available.

I am in the middle of this book and I find it very compelling. I was interested in customer reviews and when I read the last review on how the story is not yet complete because many of the victims of this scandal do not have health insurance, I felt compelled to write.

Everyone will be making a profit on this story. WB Grace made their money and now the media will make their money. While I agree that the authors have done a wonderful public service uncovering this environmental disaster, I would like to suggest that a substantial amount of the money made on this book (and the perhaps subsequent movie) could be donated to the victims. If not for their illness, there would be no story. I was recently appalled to learn about the monies that were made by media stars on the Watergate scandal while Deep Throat (whoe courage made it all possible) was not doing quite as well. For the media to make money off these stories without providing for the victims is not right either.

I want you to read this book. It is important to you and your family. I consider myself a knowledgeable person and I don't remember this scandal when it came out in 2000-2001. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I live in southern CA, but the problems with asbestos effects all of us in the US. Attic insulation, talc products and even gardening/soil products have asbestos risks that have been used and available for sale up into the 1990's and beyond.

I must have read a review or heard one of the authors in an interview...but somehow this book made it onto my "Must Read" list. When I received the book, I questioned why I had gotten it, having forgotten what motivated my interest in the first place. But I started reading and have found this book to be a treasure.

The story is one of deception, corruption and greed on the part of Big Business, in this case the mining business. The owners and executives misled their workers, investors and the government agencies that regulated them into turning a blind eye to the dangers of asbestos in their products.

While the deception of the miners in Libby was unconscionable, the book goes on to document the Bush White House withholding information that the air in and around the World Trade Center was not healthy! Can you imagine, after a tragedy like the WTC disaster, that your own government, that you rallied round to give support, would turn on you and withhold information that the air that you breathe is full of cancer causing dust? Which tragedy is worse?

The book is truly a must-read.

Lastly, I want to point out the courage of the reporters, editors, doctors and the outstanding EPA field workers that fought to get this story out. Whistle-blowers, whose main motivation is to right a wrong, are oftentimes rewarded by getting fired and branded as outcasts. This book is ultimately a story of courage and perserverance of those determined to overcome the obstacles of standing out and doing what's right.

The author Andrew Schneider tells the story of uncovering a scandal of major proportions. It is a frightening, chilling story of hidden dangers allowed by government officials whose jobs are to keep us safe. It is the story of a mineral still used in our country whose lethal dangers were recorded by Pliny the Elder. Asbestos cannot be safely used in any manner.

This book is a masterpiece of investigative journalism - well written, throughly researched and truly in the interests of the public.

The authors do a superb job of combining all the science and politics with a touching picture of the real Americans who ultimately paid and are paying the price for corporate greed and governmental push-overs.

If you read just one book this year, this should be it!

This book is a must for all people who suffer with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. I read it slowly, trying to absorb each and every suggestion that was written.

Anyone person suffering these illness, and has struggled with the lack of medical help, NEEDS HOPE. I felt this was truly provided in this book along with the information of Healing. Just reading this book, helped my depression of long term illness that no Dr. could see, touch or give me a Rx for. Getting older or gaining weight, being female did not cause these health problems. Seeing other accounts of similar problems has given me a place to start investigating just what is wrong with my health and so armed with this information, I think can be the first step on the path to wellness.

If you have or know someone who suffers from fibromyalgia (chronic muscle pain) or chronic fatigue, you absolutely must get this book. Don't waste one more minute, order it now. IT could save your life. Don't believe the naysayers who tell you that nothing can be done. There is plenty that can be done. Not all of it will work, but at least you now have a good place to get started, and techniques that have proven successful for others. Plus the book gives you excellent resources for finding the best doctors out there to get you well. Any questions feel free to contact me at srowe@nbn.net

After many hours of searching and reading, this book combines documented clinical facts and case studies. I too suffered with these conditions and have found this book and its treatments to produce positive results! I have been in the medical profession for 20 years and had to leave the field because of my condition, but until recently, have I put these practices to the test, and have found those that work for me. If you really suffer from this, trust me, YOU NEED this book. For those interested, please feel free to write me and I'll discuss with you my own treatment plan and results..

My boss bought this book for me, and I thought it was going to be just another, "yeah, you have fibromyalgia and it's a real shame, this is how you cope with it", but instead, this book CHANGED MY LIFE! (Sorry for the run-on sentence). I had so much pain that some days I couldn't get out of bed. I would find a position that was minimally pain free and not move until I was better. It got so bad that I had to use a cane so I could get to work. But I read the book and I couldn't believe the case histories. But when the pain got so bad that I thought I would lose my job, I changed my diet (hey, what did I have to lose? ) and low and behold, within a week the pain was gone (I stopped taking pain medicine everyday), the "fog" lifted and I felt better than I had in YEARS! Another side benefit, is that I have lost weight! But I recommend this book very highly. I will also say that my doctors have pooh-poohed these results, but I firmly believe that what we eat, really effects how we feel. I just never knew how much!

I am a research scientist with a background in psychosocial epidemiology who became interested in the impact of electromagnetic waves on physical, mental and emotional health when I was confronted with applications to construct telecommunications towers in our newly adopted home town. My ideas and information from physics courses were both rusty and dated. Moreover, in postgraduate work I had learned enough about environmental impacts on fetal and child development, neurological functioning, and sleep cycle disruption to be concerned. I wanted to efficiently come up to speed on theories about the waves' effects and peer-reviewed data that tested those theories. Ms. Levitt's book provided an extremely comprehensible and yet responsible orientation to the mechanisms by which electromagnetic waves operate, the research on their impact that was available as of its writing, and the political and economic influences of industry and governmental forces. PLEASE have her update it with the inclusion of the research of the last few years. Solid research findings are supporting her arguments at an escalating rate and they deserve to be disseminated. The public health hazards of unmonitored electromagnetic waves (especially in the rapidly proliferating rf frequencies) are real and an educated public is our best protection against their potential damage.

As an author of a book on a related subject (magnetic healing), I know firsthand how challenging it is to write in a user-friendly fashion about the complex subject of electromagnetic fields and their effect on health.

B. Blake Levitt's extraordinary commitment of time and effort has resulted in a work that makes this complex subject easy to understand. Not only has she succeeded in explaining the untoward health effects of EMFs, but she also gives her readers a look into the complex political and commercial forces that have led to our current state of affairs.

Faced with the potential of a cell phone tower being placed directly overhead in my high-rise apartment building, I used Ms. Levitt's book as a study guide and subsequently consulted her for additional background information. I have no doubt that this information was key in holding off the installation of the tower.

This book is a "must read" for anyone concerned about EMFs -- and everyone should be!

I am an MIT engineer (BSME MIT, 1978) and Author of When Technology Fails, and I highly recommend this book. Just like the title says, this is really the no-nonsense guide to evaluating the true hazards of EMF, and what you can do to control your local environment and personal habits to reduce your exposure to potentially dangerous levels of EMF. Written by an award winning nationally acclaimed science journalist, you can trust that the information in this book has been well researched and documented. If you are one of those unfortunate people who have developed Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome (EHS), meaning that you feel ill around computers, wireless routers, and other high EMF electronics, then the actions that you will need to take, in order to feel healthy again, will be miles beyond those of the average person, and this book will help you to start on your road to recovery. Highly recommended!

This book is not written for the lay person. It should be listed as more of a reference manual.

B. Blake Levitt makes the scientific and medical aspects of electromagnetic fields easily accessible to those of us who are not scientists or physicians. Most fascinating was her insightful chapter "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know and Why." She also traces persuasive evidence of links between EMFs and 20th century ailments such as chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease, and cancer. ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS distills a vast amount of research alerting us to health dangers. It also offers specific suggestions to reduce the impact of EMFs in our homes, workplaces and communities. Our family has become better-informed consumers by relying on this book. Thank you Ms. Levitt for empowering your readers to gain control over an issue with increasing repercussions in all our lives.

This text is a valuable resource for those interested in the science of flooring and tribometry. The scope of topics is comprehensive and I especially appreciated the discussion of flooring types, cleaning methods, and maintenance in Chapter Six.

Mr. DiPilla's book is delightfully clear, concise and comprehensive. It educates the reader from the scope of slips and falls issues, to common procedures for recognizing and mitigating walkway hazards, to management control methods and accident investigation/claims mitigation. The text and illustrations read in a simple, common-sense way, showing the truth of Voltaire's comment that "common sense isn't so common."

Another noteworthy feature of this book are the remarkably comprehensive, annotated references to slip resistance principles, flooring, footwear and slip-resistance measurement techniques, both within the U. S. and internationally. The annotated listings of U. S. and international standards and guidelines in themselves provide the best collection of references I've seen on this complex subject. Remarkable.

David C. Underwood, Ph. D.

One might expect that evaluating the slip resistance of a walking surface is a straightforward procedure. Surely building codes contain specifications for slip resistant walkway surfaces and indicate procedures to evaluate available surfaces. You will not find these specifications or procedures in building codes and you will be frustrated and confused as you seek guidance. Slip and fall Prevention by Steven Dipilla is the best summary of up to date industry standards and test methods needed to perform meaningful evaluations. If you need guidance this should be the reference you purchase.

This book is a comprehensive reference on slips and falls and "must have" for every safety professional reference library. Very useful hazard recognition and prevention guidelines is offered for indoor and outdoor slips and falls from floors, stairs and ramps. In addition, this is one of the best references I've seen on slip-resistance measurement guidelines and tribology standards.

Slip and Fall Prevention by Steven Di Pilla, though probably written primarily for professionals in the field of safety and risk management, can be invaluable to anyone who owns or manages physical assets.

It seems to me that Mr. Di Pilla has dealt with every possible manifestation of the subject. I was particularly impressed with his advice regarding claim mitigation. This handbook belongs on practically everyone's bookshelf.

If your company hasn't already tapped you to be involved in its environmental management effort, your reaction to the mention of ISO 14001 may range from dismissal (What's it got to do with me?) to dispassionate interest (I guess it's a good idea, but my plate's already full.). Gabriele Crognale explains in simple terms why many companies have embraced the concept of environmental management -- and why today's managers need to be aware of what's happening in this field. The book identifies opportunities, management practices, methodologies, and innovative strategies that organizations can implement to improve their environmental management performance. The logic is that if organizations display a strong commitment to sound environmental practices, they can defuse the traditional "command and control" enforcement applied by regulatory agencies. In a total quality organization, sound environmental practices are a shared commitment that makes good business sense. This book explains the issues and provides solid, hands-on guidance for helping your organization as it takes the next step in improving environmental quality.

Many environmental management books in print today, and even some books on the new wave of sustainability, lack the depth and detail that the author provides in his book. His choices of co-authors are a good blend to the mix and depict practical insight into their operations and how they address environmental management and sustainability issues. Practical insight can be gleaned from such diverse companies and industries as HP, Gilette, IBM, ST Microelectronics, Chevron and Texaco, and how each of them addresses environmental management issues as well as how they applied their lessons learned to improve.

Of note, one local university uses excerpts of the book in one of its environmental maangement classes, and was impressed with how specific chapters lend themsleves well to these classes, here in 2007.

Very interesting! A must-read for an environmentalist

Environmental Management Strategies, The 21st Century Perspective, Volume 5 is an asset to any environmental managers' bookshelf. It is very readable while being stuffed with applicable information pertaining to environmental management. It offers a good picture of recent business trends that incorporate environmental practices that often go beyond straightforward compliance. The book also illustrates the possible benefits of companies applying forward thinking regarding environmental management using case studies of successful companies. In addition practical information pertaining to OSHA, EH&S, and EPA requirements are included.

This book offers a unique look into the issues and responsibilities that environmental professionals in companies face on a daily basis. The Editor used finesse in weaving the case studies of other environmental professionals into a smooth flowing book where each new chapter complements the previous chapter. So what you get is good reading instead of dry, dull technical reading. The Editor also includes extensive additional material in the endnotes, references, etc., brings rich value to this book as a suitable reference source for all readers, whether students like me, or professionals in the workplace. It's VERY conservatively priced for what you get, and is easy to read. I enjoyed the book for what it offers, and I recommend it to you.

This book is a great source which highlights SMALL changes we ALL can make that have a significant IMPACT on our home, our planet! There is so much we can do that is so easy and only a slight alterations to our current lifestyle. GO GREEN!

This book does a terrific job listing simple, practical eco-friendly practices that any household can adopt. Highly recommend!

This is a cute book with a great message. While many "green" books give you long list of dos and don't (mostly don'ts!), Green Chic goes further. Author Christie Matheson goes into great detail as to the why that making environmentally friendly choices makes a difference. She is not at all about appearances, but is definitely all about the change of mindset and attitude.

The best part of this book is that Matheson offers very doable tips to make small changes that almost anyone can handle that make a major impact in our world.
Go Green!

So far this book has some good stuff to say. I have doggeared some pages to remember when I have to buy replacement "green" items. Easy read for anyone wanting to improve their "footprint"

Just for starters im 23 yrs old, and am apart of the generation that is really catching on to green living. Im also a major "tree hugger" as my family would call me lol. I love to do anything i can to help our environment, and that includes getting family members to start doing it to. So i have over the past two years bought several books. This one is my absolute favorite! this is perfect for anyone around my age or younger who wants to start going green! In this book it felt like the author really got down to some honest things we do that are hurting our planet without realizing we are doing it! Her words are truly inspiring. I thought i had this whole green living completely figured out, The author points out some things that im even guilty of. This book gave easy, simple and effective soulutions to living green without huge efforts or spending alot of money. The author of this book did a amazing job. I am so Happy i found this, i have three friends who went out and bought it and are now doing their part to live green. I have given it to two friends as part of their birthday gifts and they got back to me and told me they had finished it in less than two days. Fair price for such a Great Book! buy this book! you wont be let down.

the product description matched exactly what i received in the mail. it was also shipped in a timely manner. i was left satisfied with this experience and only reinforces all the other positive experiences i have had in the past when purchasing from amazon.

This book is for my environment health class, however, I didn't really use this book as often as I expected. Some of the readings are pretty interesting but at the time, it conclude a lot of information.

Awesome work!!! Great textbook; covering soil, air, & water problems & the effect on humans & animals. The author did a magnificent job of organization and handling of the various topics & offering solutions.

This is a very well organized book that covers the major environmental issues facing our world complete with case study examples to illustrate the points.

This book was a required text for one of my courses. In the past I have not had the best experiences with texts that offer such broad overviews of topics, and as result, I was not looking forward to reading this book. However, I have found the book extremely well written with an abundance of references for additional reading and further research. Every chapter has inserts of up to date events that outline both the environmental and health effects of pollution on world populations. For example the chapter on "Water Pollution" (Ch. 15) at the same time that it identifies the many sources of water pollution it also provides the reader examples of water pollution on health; such as, describing in detail the how and why schistosomiasis infection rates have remained constant for the past 50 years affecting 250 million people globally. If you are interested on a well written introductory book on the environment and health, this is certainly a book to keep in mind.

I have had this book for two years. Reading it completely 9 times and countless partial times. Gallagher in her effort "to become a blank slate upon which the stories could be written" has embodied the voice of a people not just a position of personal opinion. Hearing that voice cause's the reader to open there eye's to the stark reality of what "we the people" have allowed to happen. Revealing just how fast the holocost of the WWII was pushed out of the conscientious of the people. Allowing the same mentality that drove the Nazi's, to develope in the country "were that could not happen". Without a doubt this "work" is not for the light hearted. Reality with weight, forces the reader to think. Cause's the reader to question not only the government structure and poilcy's we have let be set but the moral code by which we justify a means to a end. How do you determine who live's and who dies? What and Who determines the worth of a human being? You will be challanged, morally, and emotionally. Carole Gallagher has painted people, words, and pictures together in a way that you will not shake off anytime soon. Personal stories will bury themselve's deep into your heart and mind. You will hear the echoed cry's of a people for which there was no justice, no hope. The bottom line reality is we let it happen. This is "the wake up call" Gallagher presents the reader with. It is very disturbing wake up call.

I've read and reread this book so many times I've lost count. In addition I've loaned it out to multiple friends just to get them to open their eyes. Each time I read it I'm still amazed at the liberties taken by the military during this period of time. There is so much important information here I could never even scratch the surface in a short review. The poignant stories told by the victims of these nuclear tests (mostly patriotic mormons who felt the govt. could do no wrong) will move you emotionally, besides backing up Gallaghers claims. If you consider yourself a patriot, prepare to have your world shaken. Just buy it, you wont be sorry.

I've read and reread this book so many times I've lost count. In addition I've loaned it out to multiple friends just to get them to open their eyes. Each time I read it I'm still amazed at the liberties taken by the military during this period of time. There is so much important information here I could never even scratch the surface in a short review. The poignant stories told by the victims of these nuclear tests (mostly patriotic mormons who felt the govt. could do no wrong) will move you emotionally, besides backing up Gallaghers claims. If you consider yourself a patriot, prepare to have your world shaken. Just buy it, you wont be sorry.

I'm a science writer, and I was conducting some research at the M.I.T. library regarding the 1962 series of nuclear tests at Johnston Island in the Pacific. Mostly I was seeking highly technical information -- but I saw this volume sitting on the shelf next to the monographs I was reviewing, so I took what I originally intended to be a quick glance.

After several hours' reading of "American Ground Zero", I found myself quite upset, for this collection of highly credible, first-person accounts clearly demonstrates ongoing efforts of the federal government to ignore, downplay -- even falsify -- data regarding the atomic testing of the 1950s, '60s, '70s, and '80s, particularly the atmospheric tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas up through 1962.

In today's debate regarding DOE's Yucca Mountain Project, the credibility of the federal government and its experts is a big issue in Nevada. This volume shows why -- through first-hand accounts and compelling photography, presented with the perspective of subsequent time. (Yucca mountain is an underground facility located on a corner of the old Nevada Test Site, and it is to become the nation's primary repository for high-level nuclear waste.)

For at least fifteen years, I have been following in the scientific literature the research & development of Yucca mountain. My own feelings on the matter had been ambivalent for high-level waste must be stored somewhere. Recently, I had become concerned with revelations regarding falsification of data by DOE employees and its contractors.

However, in one fell swoop -- this book completely persuaded me to the righteousness of the cause of those many Nevadans who oppose Yucca mountain. It clearly shows that Nevadans (along with residents of Utah and other downwind states) have already suffered far beyond their fair share of the nation's nuclear burden.

Sadly, the sacrifice of these citizens is not only largely unacknowledged today -- this work clearly shows that their earlier "cooperation" was concurrent with misrepresentations by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the predecessor to today's Department of Energy (DOE), as well as by various military authorities.

Many of the individuals profiled in this volume are (were) former employees of the AEC and its contractors, or are (were) military veterans who participated in these atomic tests. Their accounts all seem to have one common thread -- that there were repeated efforts by authorities to downplay, or ignore, radioactive releases and associated health effects from both above- and below-ground nuclear tests.

The author, Carole Gallagher, deserves our nation's appreciation for documenting so eloquently the experiences of these otherwise ordinary citizens and bringing them to our collective attention. Unfortunately, their living testimonies and images are quickly passing...

I grew up in Northern Arizona on the Utah border. Living close to St George and Cedar City, Utah, we heard rumors of families with unusually high incidents of leukemia and other cancers and the ensuing speculation about the cause. Gallagher's compilation of stories supplies the most human view of the downwinders. She documents a dark and frightening chapter in our goverment's history. Most compelling were the stories of the workers at the test site who were not even afforded the pretense of protection from exposure. I would have appreciated additional focus on the effects of the testing on the Native American tribes in Utah and Northern Arizona.

Gallagher has given us a treasure by documenting the stories of radiation exposure victims who deserve to have their stories told. Once started, I could not stop reading this book and found myself studying each photograph for several minutes before reading the accompanying story.

Thank you Ms. Gallagher for leaving your New York roots, succuming to the fashion dictates of southern Utah and permitting yourself to become the blank slate upon which these stories were etched.

Grateful for quick shipping.

I throughly enjoyed this book - most likely because I spent the majority of my life in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately a good unbiased viewpoint is very hard to come by, so I relished the opportunity to fill in a few gaps in my understanding. The flip side of this is that it appears that the authors let a few characters off lightly, on both sides.

The issue I believe is that the situation is very fluid in that part of the world, and events often come to light that change perceptions of various characters. The famous 'They haven't gone away' remark from Mr Adams isn't mentioned for example, and this casts him in a rather different light than is presented in the book.

I do applaud the authors however for not glossing over the lowpoints of Northern Ireland's recent history. Whilst sometimes painful to read, it does help dispel the fairytale fancy of those who have been led to regard murderers as 'freedom fighters'. I just wish that the authors hadn't given their apologists such a light hand.

All in all, if you are new to the area I'd highly recommend this one. This book is a great startpoint but shouldn't be your last read on the matter.

I found this book to be a little bit dry at times, though on the other hand, the descriptions of the violence at the hands of both the IRA and other republican groups and by the Unionist/loyalist groups were quite graphic. Still, it was quite easy to keep up with who was who and who was on which side, something that can sometimes be a problem in a history book. The authors gave a pretty balanced perspective--I do think they were a little more on the Catholic side, but overall, it was balanced. I do wish they had gone more into the background. Why did the British send the Protestants to Catholic Ireland in the first place, and how did the two sides get along before the 20th century? This is glossed over, though I guess what information is given is sufficient. It does whet my appetite to know more, however.

David McKittrick and David McVea present a thoughtful, excellent overview of sectarian strife in Northern Ireland since the 1960's, giving a balanced look at both the Protestant and Catholic communities. They begin with a superb brief historical sketch on the origins and early history of Northern Ireland, chronicling its major events from its inception in 1921 through the 1960's. They offer many fascinating portraits of prominent British, Irish and Northern Irish politicians and terrorists, ranging from the likes of diehard Protestant minister Ian Paisley to former IRA member Gerry Adams. This is quite simply one of the best books I've read on recent Northern Irish history and may be the best historical overview on the origins and current state of "The Troubles".

I read this before a trip to Northern Ireland this summer, where I met with politicians, community leaders and artists. After reading the book, I felt very comfortable with the main themes and events of the Troubles, and several people commented that I seemed particularly well-versed in the history of the conflict (I knew next to nothing even a year before my trip). The book is well-written and balanced, and gives a thorough introduction to the troubles. I recommend reading it after a brief overview of general Irish history (such as "Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction") and, of course, as much Joyce as time allows.

This is an outstandingly readable book despite its sometimes dark and gruesome accounts of things gone badly awry. Dr. Blanc is capable of causing delight even with material that might not be very promising in someone else's hands. He seems to have taken into account Samuel Johnson's adage that "what is read with delight is commonly retained, because pleasure always secures attention."

This might have been an angry and difficult book to read with the horrors it recounts, but the approach reminded me of Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" since the focus is widened from medicine and includes medical and chemical history, biography, along with references to arts and literature. Dr. Blanc's knowledge is clearly wide-ranging.

Dr. Blanc frames economic and political problems in a long historical view that makes it obvious that the problems are not new and our society is not much more wise than it has been in the past. The same problems keep happening over and over (literally, the same problems with some of the same substances that have been known to be poisonous since antiquity). Adding to that, new, untested items, some very likely to cause harm, come on the market with little consideration. We should be asking ourselves how it feels to be human guinea pigs.

Any thoughtful reader of the book will be lead to the question: When do we demand something better from the incompetent leaders who say, "Trust us, we know what's best for you" while they give in to economic pressures? When do we tell the people more interested in the bottom line than the value of human life to shove it?

Dr. Blanc presents a detailed and complex story that is well researched and fascinating. He appreciates the details, the personalities, and the discoveries even when telling a story that is a train wreck in slow motion.

Despite the implications from the jacket blurb, this is NOT a book that catalogs all the dangers around the average person. Dr. Blanc mostly limits the number of specific toxins he presents and gives fairly in-depth and interesting discussion of them.

Kudos on a book that is well written, fun to read (!), and insightful.

I admit that I bought this book for its title while in the midst of a book buying frenzy, thinking that it would be a run-of-the-mill, toxins in the home primer of sorts. I spent the first 20 or 30 pages thinking, "This book is not at all what I thought it would be. Why does it have this misleading title? Why did it have that misleading product description?" Even the reviewer's quote on the book cover is misleading: "A superb tool for making our homes, finally, a safe place to raise children." As another Amazon reviewer pointed out, this is just colossally crappy marketing.

When I got past the slight disappointment of owning a very different book than I thought I had purchased, I realized, as other reviewers have, that this book is an incredibly well-researched and well-written history of modern chemical development and its consequences. I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not only interested in how chemicals in our environment can make us sick, but also in how some of those chemicals came about and how they ended up in our households despite the fact that they are well-known toxins. Read this book along with Not Just A Pretty Face, In Defense of Food, Exposed, The Secret History of the War on Cancer, The Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, etc., to usher in full-blown outrage at the fact that our government doesn't do more to regulate the poisons that corporations are happy to pump into us on a daily basis.

Excellent history of how products are made and their affect on the workers that made them. Provides insight into what motivates the production of a product and illustrates how we arrived at a world surrounded by an unhealthy enviroment. Definitely worth reading.

If you are looking for how everyday products make people sick (toxins at home and in the workplace) try a book like What's Toxic, What's Not by Ginsberg & Toal, which does a fine job of covering this topic in a style that makes it easy to find just the toxins or areas of exposure that concern you.

If you are interested in the fascinating history of toxins in the workplace, this is your book. In engaging and clever narrative, Blanc tells the stories of toxins that sicken people, the often slow process of uncovering the source of illness, the eventual phasing out of the product (often because another product rendered it obsolete, not due to health concern), and the frequent return of the underlying toxin in a new product.

Blanc brings history alive with stories of individuals exposed to invisible threats. His narrative is supported by scientific analysis, providing a reassuring direction and momentum to a disturbing, sometimes frustrating, topic.


I am the Director of Education for the Foresight Nanotech Institute and the author of Technology Challenged: Understanding Our Creations & Choosing Our Future.

I bought and read this book together with Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power and I recommend both of them. This one is written from an occupational health perspective, and provides superb history on "the industrial disease" while "Exposed" is more from a public policy perspective.

The author mentions, and I plan to sign up for if I can, the Center for Disease Control (CDC)"Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report."

The author who started out focusing on workplace toxicity, also covers household toxicity, most alarming of which was paint emitting toxic vapors.

The author laments the manner in which the government, think tanks, and corporations are all doing a slow roll on toxicity, ignoring it, covering it up, or delaying action on it. The The Precautionary Principle in the 20th Century: Late Lessons from Early Warnings is nowhere to be found, in part because of The Republican War on Science.

Among the threats covered:

· Acids
· Arsenic
· Asbestor
· Chlorine
· Dyes
· Fibers (Asthma)
· Fumes from Metal (Lung collapse)
· Glue
· Lead
· Manganese
· Oil
· Plastics (Liver Cancer)
· Solvents (Benzine)
· Toxic Gases

The author is authoritative and not at all over-bearing in laying out the case against an ignorances of toxicity that is assuredly not in the public interest. He addresses neurological impacts as the most subtle and most frightening and most cummulative in nature.

His bottom line is that the pharmaceutical, industrial materials, and household goods industries are not doing enough testing and not getting enogh oversight. From this book one can easily see the varied government agencies nominally responsible for public health being phased out as was the Office of Technology Assessment.

The author notes that emerging toxins are of real concern, but that dollars and attention are being consumed by SARS, West Nile, and other biological threats (diseases are coming together and mutating in animal hosts, then jumping to human hosts, and becoming drug resistant more quickly).

Microwave popcorn lung caught my attention. As convenient as it is to use, the microwave evidently enhances toxicity of some substances, and we literally have no menu to follow in avoiding this.

My one disappointment is the lack of a table of toxic products, a lack of dollar figures, mortality and disability figures. I believe that a second edition of this book could be much improved, and as one reviewer notes, the rich history in the book given a higher profile.

The notes and index are superb and the book overall is of sufficient value to the public to warrant five stars. This is an important work.

See also:
Pandora's Poison: Chlorine, Health, and a New Environmental Strategy
High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxics, and Human Health
Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health
Manufacture of Evil: Ethics, Evolution, and the Industrial System
Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin
An Enormous Crime: The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia
Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq

The federal government, at the political level in both Congress and the Executive, cannot be trusted to act in the public interest. Wall Street is beginning to realize that that the "true cost" of corrupting the government has been the hollowing out of America's population, and in my view, it will be the fund managers at Wall Street who must recognize the value of public health, just as the rich in NYC realized in the 1920's that disease is indiscriminate.

Excellent book.