Slow Death By Rubber Duck: How The Toxic Chemistry Of Everyday Life Affects Our Health (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
Canadian authors.Sample reading > positive impression > recommend as useful book Dewey Catalog 615.9 CIP Subject Headings1. Environmental Toxicology-Popular Works2. Pollution-Health aspects3. Pollution-Environmental aspects4. Industries-Environmental aspects5. Business enterprises-Environmental aspectsReviewer caveat - I have been tested in an environmental illness clinic and experience has me taught to believe the validity of this book. Although not having read much environmental illness "literature" in recent years, I'm darkly impressed by the range of current uses of chemicals discussed in Rubber Duck. The chemical industry just keeps adding new poison uses to its repertoire. Very thought-provoking. As a reader, you do need to understand that the authors are active environmentalists (Canadian). They (rightfully, I thought) pointed out that over the last several decades, much progress has been made in reducing what could be termed "overt" pollution - what is easily seen in water (scummy or floating trash) or air (smog). But there are many chemicals to which we - and our children, whose bodies are smaller and less able to process and protect themselves - are exposed on a daily basis, often hidden and surprisingly, without much prior testing nor oversight. (The modus operandi thus far has been, unless it shows to be unsafe, it is fine.) And as ever, often the reasons for introducing a particular chemical for a particular use into the marketplace has not been because a researcher was looking for a great, safe product to fulfill a particular need - it has been that companies, in their need to expand a market (or find a market because the old market is obsolete) have a product and need to find some use for it, and voila! a researcher finds that their product can do X. I understand that companies exist to make money, but as a typical not-always-paying-attention-to-every-little-detail consumer (she raises her hand, guilty as charged)consumer, it's a little dismaying and also horrifying.The authors experiment on themselves, deliberately exposing themselves to various normal household foods and products, testing their levels of various chemicals both before and after exposure, and then reporting the results. They don't do anything that a normal consumer wouldn't do, eating and using personal care products, except maybe a bit more extreme than normal (eating fish every meal for 3 days, for example). But the book is very readable, and by their actions and their writing give many ideas on how you as a consumer can make choices and selections of products that minimize your and your loved ones' exposure to chemicals as much as you deem possible or prudent.You just might be inspired to become a little more pro-active in your environmental choices.
What do You think about Slow Death By Rubber Duck: How The Toxic Chemistry Of Everyday Life Affects Our Health (2010)?
Very readable and easy to understand. I also like the authors' humor and practical suggestions
—Vexx
The most useful section was at the back: Detox: What we can do about it.
—mei
Such an informative read. Definitely made me change my behavior!
—kathy
