Toxic Terror: The Truth Behind the Cancer Scares [Hardcover]

Elizabeth M. Whelan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1993

Whelan rigorously critiques widespread beliefs regarding our nation's health, food supply, and use of technology and chemicals. While bookstore shelves are falling over with alarmist books that claim America is being poisoned and that disease and death will be the price we pay for "the good life", the media has given little attention to the facts that Americans are healthier today than ever before and that advances in science are mostly responsible for this improvement."Toxic Terror" rejects "the bad news syndrome" and examines the alleged evidence of adverse effects associated with technology. Juxtaposing the popular claims with the facts, Whelan effectively dispels the often-frightening claims made by groups and individuals who have failed to do their homework. Potent political-environmental issues include the DDT debate and the birth of environmentalism, Love Canal, the true story about pesticides, diet and carcinogens, asbestos and PCBs, air and water pollution, nuclear power, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A breath of fresh air in the public debate on toxic substances." -- Reason

Product Details

• Hardcover: 476 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 2 Sub edition (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879757884
• ISBN-13: 978-0879757885
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,649,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book. Who wrote it?, July 19, 2005

By 

Nicolas S. Martin (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toxic Terror: The Truth Behind the Cancer Scares (Hardcover)

I used to work for Whelan's American Council on Science and Health, which has been inappropriately influenced by funders, despite her denials. This is quite a good book. So well written that I doubt that Mrs. Whelan had much to do with it. I edited some of her writing and Toxic Terror is much better than anything that I knew to come from her. I suspect that it was ghosted.

15 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Trust Big Business. We care about you...., March 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Toxic Terror: The Truth Behind the Cancer Scares (Hardcover)

Not the best book for an unbiased look on the subject. The important sounding "Council on Science and Health" is in truth a PR group that represents the food processing and chemical industries. For a different viewpoint, I would suggest "Toxic Sludge is Good For You" by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton. In their book, they take Ms. Whelan to task for (amongst other things) downplaying the link between a high-fat diet and heart disease, while receiving funding from Oscar Mayer, Frito Lay and Land O'Lakes. She also defends saccharin while receiving money from the soft drink industry.

10 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An EXPLOSIVE book, October 29, 2000

By 

Thomas J. Knight (East Amherst, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toxic Terror: The Truth Behind the Cancer Scares (Hardcover)

If you are tired of being lied to by the media, the anti-pesticide crusaders and the doomsayers...this is the book for you. Each chapter deals with an newsworthy item...and outlines the fallicies and frauds we are forced to endure. It's build on a solid foundation of "sound science" by a highly reknowned scientist with impeccable credientals. Go ahead...buy it, read it...it will shatter your illusions if you are willing to have an open mind. An OUTSTANDING book!!