Toxic Talk of the Month – Your New Book Review!

       As a new component of this blog, I’d like to introduce “Toxic Talk of the Month.” A book review! Each month, Toxic Talk of the Month will feature a new book recommendation from me to you! I promise to ONLY recommend books I have personally read. No insincere recommendations! A perk to this book review is the “no junk” filter I will apply to all reads. As I'll discuss in my next blog, identifying a credible information source can be challenging, particularly relating to complex issues of science and health. So let me do the work! In this review, books full of pseudoscience and informational inaccuracies won’t make the cut.

       As you might imagine, featured books will resemble the topics we discuss in Toxic Talks Blog; namely, harmful chemicals, nutrition, and the environment. So if you like this blog, keep your eye out for the Toxic Talk of the Month. Each review will briefly discuss the focus of a book, pointing out any main highlights/shortcomings where needed. So drop by. See if a book suits you. Maybe you’ll discover your new favorite read!

       To kick off this very first Toxic Talk of the Month, I have selected Nena Baker’s 2009 Gold Nautilus Book Award winner, “The Body Toxic.” Nena Baker is a former staff writer for The Arizona Republic, The Oregonian, and United Press International. Her featured book reads like a personal exposé, chronicling the world of chemical exposure through the lens of a journalist. Mostly focused on BpA exposure from food containers, phthalates in plastics and cosmetics, and fire retardants in your furniture, this book does a good job discussing the toxicity of everyday products without frazzling the non-science reader. It also dives into some of the politics surrounding chemical exposures and regulations, which I think is important. 

       The Body Toxic is a fairly quick read. I would especially recommend it if you’re seeking to get your feet wet in the world of chemical exposure without getting lost in the complex science. My only criticism is that it is not dense with detail. However, that is my common criticism with many books. I’ve come to realize that most books don’t contain as much detail as I’d like. Perhaps that’s why I often enjoy textbooks! In any case, if you’re not looking for a rigorous scientific read then “The Body Toxic” could be right for you. For more detail on the book and author visit The Body Toxic. Let me know what you think of this book in the comments sections below. Happy read!! =)

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                                                                               Shahir Masri

                                                                               Doctor of Science

                                                                               Environmental Health Science