Poisons: From Hemlock to Botox to the Killer Bean of Calabar (Hardcover)

~ Peter Macinnis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Macinnis ranges widely and rather lightheartedly in investigating the uses and misuses of poisons (which have received media interest of late because of the poisoning of Ukrainian prime minister Yushchenko). The author, an Australian science writer (Bittersweet: the Story of Sugar), delivers his carefully researched material in a series of anecdotes crafted with dry humor and informed ruminations. Macinnis describes with zest the effects of all sorts of legal and illegal poisons on humans and animals. He highlights criminal cases through history, including that of Locusta, who sold fine poisons to the Roman nobility and was believed to have supplied the emperor Nero with arsenic to kill Britannicus. As recently as two centuries ago, physicians still inadvertently hastened the deaths of patients through ignorance. George Washington, for instance, may have been the victim of his doctor's prescription for bleeding and some doses of calomel. And Macinnis provides myriad examples of how poisons have permeated the workplace and the world of politics. Mussolini's henchmen forced opponents to consume lethal doses of castor oil mixed with petrol. This engrossing history is not one for the squeamish. B&w illus. Ad/promo and Web marketing. (May)
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Product Description

In the tradition of Salt and Stiff, a wide-ranging and provocative look-teeming with little-known facts and engaging stories-at a subject of the direst interest. Poisons permeate our world. They are in the environment, the workplace, the home. They are in food, our favorite whiskey, medicine, well water. They have been used to cure disease as well as to incapacitate and kill. They smooth wrinkles, block pain, stimulate, and enhance athletic ability. In this entertaining 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. He discusses the sources of various poisons-from cyanide to strychnine, from Botox to ricin and Sarin gas-as well as their detection. Then he analyzes the science of their action in the body and their uses in medicine, cosmetics, war, and terrorism. With wit and precision, he weighs such questions as: Was Lincoln's volatility caused by mercury poisoning? Was Jack the Ripper an arsenic eater? Can wallpaper kill? For anyone who has ever wondered and been afraid to ask, here is a rich miscellany for your secret questions about toxins.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (May 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559707615
• ISBN-13: 978-1559707619
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #474,425 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting for the layman and chemist alike!, April 28, 2005

By	Aimee Thor "Aimee Thor" (Xenia, Ohio) - See all my reviews

The author gives all sorts of anecdotes about poisons, toxins, and various other chemicals that are dangerous to humans and animals. Some of the stories he weaves throughout the text are utterly absorbing and even mildly shocking! I came away from this book even more convinced that if I definitely don't want to die from poison of any kind, any brand, or derived from any plant! The slow, agonizing death that occurs from poison has been largely overlooked by society, and this is a perplexing oversight. Poisonous substances are truly fascinating, but dreadful when ingested, inhaled, or injected into a man or woman. A very well-written, superbly documented, and engaging book. I highly recommend it!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's Your Poison?, March 23, 2006

By	Katherine Graham "Katherine Graham" (Sparta, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Life has its paradoxes, ironies, incomprehensible mysteries - and admittedly some are heartrending. We want to know - everything. But this book from its very precise and accurate description on the DJ makes it clear - we're not in for a tome about poison from the beginning of time to this moment. It is meant to be a delightful mix (as a great mystery novel can be) of information, science, history, and entertainment. And its such a compellingly wonderful read as well as a beautifully designed book. Just great!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And Yet Humans Still Exist, June 8, 2006

By	G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In this very entertaining and authoritative book, the author discusses various types of poisons, their effects and their uses throughout the ages. Some of these discussions are rather technical, but readers who are less interested in these details and, as a result, fly over them will not lose track of the book's main story lines. Since it appears that various poisons can be found in so many different places in nature, it's a wonder that the human race has managed to survive. Although this is a serious book about a serious subject, the author's choice of words renders the prose at times tongue-in-cheek and at times downright humorous. Complete with a glossary of poisons as well as a bibliography, this book should be enjoyed by anyone.