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A review by anna3101
Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health by Rick Smith
5.0
Wow. WOW. That booked really changed my life.
I thought I knew my priorities and I considered myself to be quite well-educated when it comes to the dangers of the present-day world. I try to buy as much organic food and cosmetics (and local produce) as my purse would allow me, I recycle everything I can and opt for used things when I need to get something for the house, I dumped everything that could be tested on animals and/or manufactured by the "great evil" of the Monsanto/Nestle/P&G kind. I never pick up items in the supermarket without first checking what they are made of and where they come from. Ha, I thought I was safe and I knew all there is to know! And that just shows how little I knew...
But now I know more, and it's all thanks to this great, eye-opening book. Some of the things I suspected, some I heard of, while others were completely new to me. Those are the facts that most companies would rather we didn't know, and don't they do their best to pretend that everything is safe unless many, many people die - and even then they will argue it had nothing to do with the chemicals they produce. It reminded me of a very exciting book, "Thank You For Smoking" by Christopher Buckley, which I considered to be pure fiction - but that was until I read actual statements from real companies. They are not very far from "So you smoke and have lung cancer, but what does that have to do with smoking?". This is exactly the kind of logic chemical corporations still use. And that's just appalling...
What I really liked about this book was:
1. Factual information backed up by facts, investigations, scientific tests and interviews with the experts.
2. Personal touch - the authors subjected themselves to the chemical substances most of us encounter on a daily basis to see if it enters their body (yes, you guessed right - they did affect the blood in the most drastic ways!)
3. A chapter on each of the commonly used chemicals - PFOA, bisphenol A, phtalates, mercury, 2,4D, PCBs, triclosan - that get into our bodies via teflon pans, plastic baby bottles, heavily perfumed cosmetics, fish, anti pest treatments, food and even clothing....
4. Engaging style, excellent writing - easy to read (although less easy to digest and imagine the scale of the chemical sea we're all swimming in)
Now that I realize what really IS inside that plastic bottle, I will do my best to make better choices and avoid things that are harmful and toxic. And I'm going to buy several copies of the book to give as presents and raise awareness.
Thank you Rick and Bruce for that amazing book!
I thought I knew my priorities and I considered myself to be quite well-educated when it comes to the dangers of the present-day world. I try to buy as much organic food and cosmetics (and local produce) as my purse would allow me, I recycle everything I can and opt for used things when I need to get something for the house, I dumped everything that could be tested on animals and/or manufactured by the "great evil" of the Monsanto/Nestle/P&G kind. I never pick up items in the supermarket without first checking what they are made of and where they come from. Ha, I thought I was safe and I knew all there is to know! And that just shows how little I knew...
But now I know more, and it's all thanks to this great, eye-opening book. Some of the things I suspected, some I heard of, while others were completely new to me. Those are the facts that most companies would rather we didn't know, and don't they do their best to pretend that everything is safe unless many, many people die - and even then they will argue it had nothing to do with the chemicals they produce. It reminded me of a very exciting book, "Thank You For Smoking" by Christopher Buckley, which I considered to be pure fiction - but that was until I read actual statements from real companies. They are not very far from "So you smoke and have lung cancer, but what does that have to do with smoking?". This is exactly the kind of logic chemical corporations still use. And that's just appalling...
What I really liked about this book was:
1. Factual information backed up by facts, investigations, scientific tests and interviews with the experts.
2. Personal touch - the authors subjected themselves to the chemical substances most of us encounter on a daily basis to see if it enters their body (yes, you guessed right - they did affect the blood in the most drastic ways!)
3. A chapter on each of the commonly used chemicals - PFOA, bisphenol A, phtalates, mercury, 2,4D, PCBs, triclosan - that get into our bodies via teflon pans, plastic baby bottles, heavily perfumed cosmetics, fish, anti pest treatments, food and even clothing....
4. Engaging style, excellent writing - easy to read (although less easy to digest and imagine the scale of the chemical sea we're all swimming in)
Now that I realize what really IS inside that plastic bottle, I will do my best to make better choices and avoid things that are harmful and toxic. And I'm going to buy several copies of the book to give as presents and raise awareness.
Thank you Rick and Bruce for that amazing book!