Poison Paradox: How and When Chemicals Are Toxic

Timbrell J.A.

Not everything manmade is dangerous, and not everything natural is safe. Timbrell’s exploration of the dark side of chemistry, written for a lay audience, is both creepy and educational, laying out how, when, and why chemicals of all kinds are poisonous. His goal, he writes, is to help readers sort through the conflicting and unsettling information that surrounds us all so they can better make up their own minds and balance risks against benefits. He looks at industrially based cases, such as Bhopal and Minimata, as well as toxins in the natural world, including that poisonous delicacy the puffer fish and the plant fungus that led to the Salem witch trials. Timbrell teaches biochemical toxicology at King’s College, London.