Mad Cows and Mother's Milk: The Perils of Poor Risk Communication [Paperback]

Douglas Powell (Author), William Leiss (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0773516190 | ISBN-13: 978-0773516199 | Publication Date: November 1997

Communicating the nature and consequences of environmental health risks is a problematic area of public policy in western democracies. Given the perceived risks associated with the food we eat, chemicals in the environment, and modern technologies - this text argues that consumers need explanations of the nature of those risks, but rarely get them. This text provides an evaluation of the role of risk communication in dealing with public controversies - it analyzes risk communication practice and malpractice to provide a set of lessons for risk managers and communicators. It presents a number of case studies of risk including the "mad cow crises" in 1996, one of the most expensive and tragic examples of poor risk management in the last 25 years. In addition it looks at what is commonly known as hamburger disease, caused by a virulent form of the E.coli bacterium, which has struck thousands and killed over 30 people in the last few years. Despite its effects, it is unclear to what extent scientific knowledge on preventing the disease is reaching the public. Other case studies include the use of a genetically engineered hormone to increase milk production in cows, health risks associated with silicone breast implants, public controversies surrounding dioxins and PCBs and the introduction to agricultural biotechnology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There is no other book like this one, drawing so extensively and insightfully from case studies. This is the best book I have seen on risk communication." Paul Slovic, Decision Research

About the Author

Douglas Powell Science and Society Project, Universities of Guelph and Waterloo, Canada & William Leiss, Queen's University, Canada

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Mcgill Queens Univ Pr (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773516190
• ISBN-13: 978-0773516199
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,790,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for the Professional PR Library, July 1, 2000

By 

Suzanne Cornforth (Saskatoon, SK Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad Cows and Mother's Milk: The Perils of Poor Risk Communication (Paperback)

Canadian authors Powell and Leiss provide a structured and interesting look at significant case studies, both Canadian and American, of issues and crisis management communications, or as they call it, "risk communications". The book provides an excellent background into risk communications. From dioxins among Canadian natives to silicone breast implants and cow's milk,excellent and recent case studies are deconstructed to identify the key successes and failures of the risk communications process. Finally, the book ends with 10 "lessons" for risk communicators--providing not so much the "how" answers, as the "why" and "what" answers. Easy to read, but scholarly in nature, an excellent addition to any public relations practitioners' library, and particularly Canadian practitioners, who have little to choose from in the way of good and recent Canadian case study analysis.

3.0 out of 5 stars Review of Mad Cows and Mother's milk, August 1, 2008

By 

Spero P. Tsindos "Kilgore Elder" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mad Cows and Mother's Milk: The Perils of Poor Risk Communication (Paperback)

This is an excellent book on the issue of risk communication and communication vacuum. For anyone in the fields of public health and health promotion, this is worth the read.