Allergic to the Twentieth Century

5 stars because I couldn't think of an improvement I'd want to make. It's well-written for the understanding of non-health-professionals (I'm one) and seemed like a very comprehensive (for the time, given that recognition of MCS is in its infancy) overview of what appears to be the tip of an iceberg. Rationally, I believe that multiple chemical sensitivity is real, but I don't personally know anyone who is involved, so I have no basis for bias. This book quoted several individuals who have symptoms of multiple chemical sensitivity, and their accounts of the desperate measures they must take to not feel rotten really opened my eyes to the possible future for the rest of us. The doctors who were interviewed and quoted don't all agree on every aspect of the syndrome, which makes their opinions seem more authentic. Some of them have outright antipathy, not just disagreement, over specific points regarding MCS; however, it seemed to me that they all agree that the specialty of allergies (and MCS) is inexact, almost as much art as science. Some of the avant-garde treatments I read about seem fairly dubious, but the results are apparently well-documented. Although relatively few scientific studies have been done, they seemed appropriate and meaningful to me. This book is neither anti-industry nor "chicken little" in tone, but it certainly added fuel to my back-to-basics, organic-gardening, anti-industry fire. The facts (some statistics) and opinions (from informed health professionals) presented herein constitute a firm, but rational, warning that we may have opened a chemical Pandora's box when we jumped on the industrial bandwagon. The rising incidence of many chronic diseases (cancer, asthma, ulcers, you name it) may be due only to the fact that those people didn't get felled first by typhoid, malaria, or saber-toothed tigers, but I'm still concerned, and I don't think the coincidence of higher cancer rates and widespread use of industrial chemicals is due to chance. This book doesn't spend many pages addressing solutions; it is aimed at illuminating the source of the problem. I'd recommend it, without reservation, to other laypersons who want to expand their understanding, especially to school kids doing research on industrial chemicals or allergies.

It's a shame this indispensable book has gone out of print because it is one of the best I have read on the subject. Environmental allergies, Sick Building Syndrome, Gulf War Syndrome, or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is the subject at hand, and I think it one of the most important subjects of our time. MCS, despite some doctor's insistence that it does not exist, affects every living thing on Earth. An estimated 40 million Americans already show clear and obvious signs of this illness. The rest of us are undoubtedly affected in less obvious ways. We cannot afford to ignore this problem.One of the most fascinating parts of this book, which has stuck in my memory for a number of years, is descriptions and interviews with the sickest people alive with MCS. The descriptions of their symptoms and the great lengths they must go to just to try to live their lives is tragic and fascinating and a warning to us all.Even though you may not know how chemical poisoning is affecting you, it almost certainly is. Sticking our collective heads in the sand will not help us, and will almost certainly allow things to get much worse before they get better. Inform yourself and read this book. Peter Radetsky has experience writing popular science books, and this one is very readable. He interviews a variety of sick people, scientists, doctors, and psychiatrists with a wide range of opinions on the subject. Though the role of infectious pathogens is fairly well understood these days, the role of toxicity has been almost completely ignored by modern science and allopathic medicine. This topic must blow open, sooner or later. In the meantime, we can inform ourselves and take a tip from the sickest among us. We do not need to wait for mainstream science and medicine to acknowledge or solve problems before we act to protect our own health. It is too bad this book has apparently not gone to paperback because the subject is so important, and this is such a well-done job on the topic. For little more than the price of postage, you can inform yourself on a topic of great importance that we have only begun to scratch the surface of.

I'm an allergy researcher and when I came on this excellent book, I sat down and read it cover to cover. Couldn't put it down. The writer is very good, the information new and interesting, and thought provoking. "Sick Building Syndrome" is quite real and affects many people on a daily basis. I am sad to see that this fine piece of work is out of print. If you can find a copy, I highly recommend it. Tom Ogren, author of Allergy-Free Gardening :::: from Ten Speed Press

As someone who has to deal with someone who insists that they have MCS, I found the information quite illuminating. It is truly an interesting book which will make you think of their lives have changed.It really gives a humanizing outlook of someone who has to live in a world where everyone thinks you are crazy.

The author presents well-documented material on a very current controversial subject which is affecting l5% of the population severely, and many more in lesser degrees; creating debillitating illness in productive members of society, causing them to become disabled and unemployed. The tragedy of the message is poignantly spelled out by the author, revealing the AMA's denial of the diagnosis of MCS, which contributes to the distress of patients who must suffer through contempt and lack of care by medical doctors who are influenced by economic dictates and refuse to treat the complex patient. This book is a blessing for MCS sufferers, since it offers hope that it will alert proper politicians and governmental officials to address this issue properly, offer medical care to the Veterans of the Gulf War Syndrome, and implement legislation to prevent further chemical poisoning in our public indoor environment. I highly recommend this book for everyone, to instill awareness of the dangers of chemicals in our environment. This is a very thorough documentation on the subject of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.