What's Toxic, What's Not: Everything You Need to Know About: Mold, Lead, Radon, Asbestos, Food Additives, Power Lines, Cancer Clusters, and More

Great Book. Has lots of helpful information. An excellent reference for anyone concerned about their living environment.

This is a must-have book. I've never written an on-line book review but I feel so strongly about this book's message that I'm taking the time to write this one in the hopes that you'll act on it. As a public health professional specializing in environmental health, I am always getting questions from friends, family, and the public about environmental threats to their health. Recent examples: My water smells funny when I take showers, is this a problem for my child or me? Should I worry about living near the highway - my windowsills have black soot on them. My neighbor's wood stove smells up our house at night and I fear my father's emphysema is worsening. My employer just moved me into a new office building that stinks of chemicals and now at night my chest hurts - it's never hurt before. I love to eat fish but the media is telling me to stop - should I? I must admit I don't have all the answers - not even close. The diversity of threats, the complexity of each threat, and the proliferation of new scientific research makes it impossible for one person to have all the most informed answers. But Ginsberg and Toal's new book comes closer to covering all the bases--and covering them exceptionally well--than anything I've ever read. These experts have dedicated their careers to public health. They've worked on the front lines for decades. Their vast real-world experience and far-reaching understanding of the science--coupled with a knack for translating complexity into easily digestible and practical answers--is a winning combination. Section 5 (Tying it All Together) alone is worth the full cost of the book (which is considerably less than how much I typically spend each day commuting). Actually, the section is worth a lot more than the book cost. It's hard to believe this much useful and important knowledge comes so cheaply. I just bought 10 copies of this book. I'm sending these new copies to some of my friends and relatives raising families, to others with health problems, and to my parents and siblings. Of course I know many more people who likely would benefit from the book. I'll send them this review and urge them to make the investment. Everyone I know will be covered. I have no doubt they'll find this book one of the most useful purchases they've made in awhile. The added bonus is I'll no longer need to spend hours trying to find answers to all of their questions. Ginsberg and Toal's book now gets the job done for me.

I came across this book while browsing in the health section. Once I got past the somewhat alarming cover, I found a really useful guide to sorting out the risks from chemicals in our environment. The authors have a commonsense approach, explain the science in everyday language that I can follow, and helped me to understand which toxic substances to worry about and which are ok. I thought it would scare me, but I actually found this book to be empowering, because each chapter ends with a checklist of things I can do to keep myself and my family safe. I recommend it: along with diet, exercise, and stress reduction guides, it will help you stay healthy, by enabling you to change your lifestyle for the better.

Rachel Carson's seminal 1950s expose, "Silent Spring" began educating us about the dangerous chemicals industry spewed onto the land and sea. After decades of media coverage of toxic events (Love Canal, Three Mile Island,Taco Bell ecoli breakout) we're either completely paranoid about what we eat and breath or completely blaise because we don't know who or what to believe anymore. Along comes Dr. Gary Ginsberg and his sidekick Brian Toal, the toxic-busters from Connecticut's department of health to give us some prospective. True, there are a lot of harmful pesticides and toxins especially lead, carbon monoxide and pressure treated wood the authors write, but there are many other air and waterborn invaders that are not as problematic. The authors adroitly dispel these myths and perhaps the most important page in the book comes early, page 10, where they list the Top 10 Toxic Risks and the Top Ten Toxic Myths. Written in laymen's terms without placing blame, the authors stay focused on their mission---helping consumers sort throught our toxic wasteland. Using real life episodes to illustrate their points, they give us specific ways to protect ourselves and remediate pollution in our homes and neighborhoods. Children are the most vulnerable to many of the biggest problems such as ozone air pollution and parents would be wise to read this book. Prospective homebuyers will also protect themselves and save some heartache and equity if they take the authors advise on mold, radon, powerlines and hazardous waste sites.

This book is an invaluable resource that should be in every home. The authors are health professionals with no ax to grind, just sound information on nearly every environmental hazard you might encounter. You'll learn about common hazards you never knew existed. You'll also learn about what is truly toxic and what is just hype. Parents will find this book especially useful, with information about hazards in schools, neighborhoods and homes. It would make an excellent holiday gift for just about anyone on your list. It could just save a loved one's life, or at least protect their health.