BOOK REVIEW: A Brief History of Poisons by Peter Macinnis
As we trudge through modernity and globalization in the 20th century, something more sinister is seeping through our waterways, air, food and other elements that sustain the very lifeblood that pumps through our body. Wondering what this silent 'mafia' is? Well, it is poison and all its glory.
Poisons permeate our world. They are in the environment, the workplace, your own abode. Poisons have been used to cure disease as well as incapacitate and kill. In this amusing and fact-filled book, science writer Peter Macinnis considers poisons in all their aspects. He recounts stories of the celebrated poisoners in history and literature, from Nero to Thomas Wainewright, and from the death of Socrates to Hamlet and Peter Pan.
From cyanide to strychnine, from Botox to ricin and Satin gas - have you ever wondered about their sources? How do you detect something that can kill you in a matter of seconds? Macinnis methodically analyzes the science of these killing agents and their uses in medicine, war, cosmetics and terrorism.
For anyone who has ever wondered and been afraid to ask (for fear of being fed a lethal concoction of sorts), here is a rich miscellany for your secret questions about toxins. This enriching read uses history, science and compelling poison facts to make lively reading of all things lethal.
As I look at a bottle of soap labeled 'POISONOUS! DO NOT DRINK!', I will leave all dear readers to a killer (pun intended) read.....
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