Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call [Paperback]

Doris Rapp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

This book was written to increase your awareness about the potentially tragic, harmful effects of the numerous chemicals to which we are all exposed on a daily basis.

This book will help you figure out when and where you were exposed and discuss the many different ways chemicals can affect you and your loved ones.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Doris Rapp is a New York Times Best-selling author of Is This Your Child. She is Board certified in Environmental Medicine, Pediatrics and Allergies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 511 pages
• Publisher: Environmental Research Foundation (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880509083
• ISBN-13: 978-1880509081
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprise! A true wake up call for everyone, April 21, 2004

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call (Paperback)

Author Doris J. Rapp, M.D. is Board Certified in Environmental Medicine, Pediatrics and Allergies. In her book "Our Toxic World" she shares her knowledge of how everyday toxins in our environment affect us. The reality is that chemicals are everywhere in our lives and it is nearly impossible to completely escape them. It would surprise most people to find that these chemicals not only affect our physical health but also our actions, behavior (aggression, fatigue, hyperactivity, etc.), fertility, and even our memory. Through this book Doris Rapp rings the alarm about how pesticides and chemicals have become major factors in chronic illnesses of all kinds.

Of course the book is not just about all the problems of toxins but also includes sound advice on how to choose safer products and protect yourself. She also dedicates several chapters to discussing wildlife research data and lab data. While this is interesting information to a point, she includes so much detail and so many examples that it starts to read like a research paper instead of a book for the general public.

I did like her summarizing statement that we are creating stronger more chemically-resistant pests and weeds and weaker, more unhealthy humans. In addition to the toxins she also discusses genetic engineering and the potential health problems it may cause. If you are concerned about the toxic environment and how it may be affecting your health you will be hard pressed to find a more informative, better-documented book than "Our Toxic World".

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An alarmist approach - It is indeed a loud wake up call, April 25, 2005

By 

S V SWAMY "swamy-reviews" (Hyderabad, India) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call (Paperback)

"Our Toxic World - A Wake Up Call" by Dr.Doris J.Rapp, M.D., is a detailed account of the serious health challenges posed by increasing pollution of our air, water and thus the food chain. In a little more than 510 pages, Dr.Rapp, a Board Certified Doctor of Environmental Medicine, Pediatrics and Allergies, deals in detail with the various effects of many chemical pollutants that are now common in most of the developed countries, especially, the USA.

Chapter 1 titled, "Chemicals and Pesticides Can Hurt You and Those You Love" lays the groundwork for the whole book. The next Chapter, "How Can You Tell If Chemicals Hurt You?" describes the symptoms of illnesses set off by chemicals. The next chapter deals with methods of prevention to exposure and other actions to be taken after exposure. Chapter 4 explores in detail, whether the chemicals can affect the behavior, activity and learning etc. of children. Chapter 5 deals with a very important aspect of pollution, namely the effect on sex, including feminisation, masculinisation, infertility etc., in animals and humans.

Chapters 6 to 10 study the extent of the contamination, what one can do to minimise the effects, the ineffectiveness of the present governmental efforts in USA etc. Then follows a summary of the entire book and some useful Appendices.

One may or may not agree with the alarmist approach of Dr.Rapp, but there is no doubt that environmental health has become a major area for further research. If you or your loved ones, friends etc. are suffering from severe allergies and other vague illnesses, it may be useful to check out whether any of the common pollutants could be the reason.

The 'homeopathic' remedies described by Dr.Rapp are mixtures and thus will not be classified as truly homeopathic by purists. But if she found them useful, the average man on the road can probably try them out. A classical homeopath will of course, try to correct the excess sensitivity at the constitutional level and will also antidote the negative symptoms of physiological doses.

The book is not easy to read in the sense that it is too detailed. But one will get a lot of information and a number of references about the points covered. In that aspect, the book is certainly useful.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Empowering "Must Read" for Parents and Pediatricians, June 14, 2005

By 

Kaayla T. Daniel "The Naughty Nutritionist" (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call (Paperback)

In this comprehensive book Dr. Doris Rapp brings the full spectrum of multiple chemical sensitivities into public awareness, warning us that chemicals and pesticides adversely affect children's behavior, learning and development and are contributing to -- or causing -- the epidemic of allergies, infertility, birth defects, thyroid disorders, cancer and autoimmune disease. In addition, she warns of the growing threat of genetically modified foods, growth hormones and food irradiation. What's most remarkable though is that she employs a common-sense style that leaves readers feeling empowered and not just overwhelmed. With the gift of a wise pediatrician who has counseled clients for years, Dr. Doris offers practical advice, including how to know when toxic chemicals have harmed us, what to do about them, when to try healing protocols, how to find a non-toxic home, school or workplace, why to buy organic foods, even why parents should NEVER choose soy formula for their infants. This book is more than a wakeup call; its a fount of lifesaving information.