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rubyslippers96's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Murder
cmbohn's review against another edition
dark
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Medical content
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
angelfireeast24's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Medical content, Gore, and Vomit
Excellent book. The science balance perfectly with history and true crime. Entertaining and lively voice throughout the book. Highly recommendedalbernikolauras's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.5
This is a nonfiction book describing 11 different compounds that are commonly used for poisonings, how the compounds worked, and some cases where people were poisoned with them - and it was amazing. While there was nothing fancy about his writing, I felt he did an excellent job bringing the science to life.
Bradbury does an excellent job explaining how each chemical works, what part of the body it attacks, and why it brings on the symptoms it does. He discusses the difference a dosage can make between being a treatment and death. The focus of the book is primarily that, but he uses true crime cases of poisonings to bring the details to life. All of this was written so clearly and neatly, and it was just an enjoyable experience to read. I really enjoyed his summary in a 'Garden of Death' at the end of how no chemical is evil and how they just can be used for evil.
That being said, it does give me an uneasy feeling about getting long term treatment at a hospital. Some of the poisoning cases were absolutely abhorrant, and - due to the access doctors and nurses have to some of these chemicals - a lot of medical personnel were featured in the true crime element of this.
Bradbury does an excellent job explaining how each chemical works, what part of the body it attacks, and why it brings on the symptoms it does. He discusses the difference a dosage can make between being a treatment and death. The focus of the book is primarily that, but he uses true crime cases of poisonings to bring the details to life. All of this was written so clearly and neatly, and it was just an enjoyable experience to read. I really enjoyed his summary in a 'Garden of Death' at the end of how no chemical is evil and how they just can be used for evil.
That being said, it does give me an uneasy feeling about getting long term treatment at a hospital. Some of the poisoning cases were absolutely abhorrant, and - due to the access doctors and nurses have to some of these chemicals - a lot of medical personnel were featured in the true crime element of this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Medical trauma, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
In the case of child abuse/death -
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