This text shows that we have the scientific tools to reveal the connection between environment and disease in a way never before possible, and even to predict which chemicals pose the greatest risk. We no longer need to wait for actual human harm as the only proof of harmfulness. Davis describes how the science of environmental epidemiology arose and how environmental toxins affect a broad spectrum of human health, including breast cancer, the health and development of the lungs and even male reproductive capacity. The book shows readers the full picture of how the environment is affecting their health, what they can do about it and why standard approaches to public health need to change.

From the National Book Award finalist and author of "When Smoke Ran Like Water" comes this searing, haunting, and deeply personal account of how a major public health effort was diverted and distorted for private gain.

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice A Telegraph Editor’s Choice An Evening Standard “Best Books about London” Selection In popular imagination, London is a city of fog. The classic London fogs, the thick yellow “pea-soupers,” were born in the industrial age of the early nineteenth century. Christine L. Corton tells the story of these epic London fogs, their dangers and beauty, and their lasting effects on our culture and imagination. “Engrossing and magnificently researched...Corton’s book combines meticulous social history with a wealth of eccentric detail. Thus we learn that London’s ubiquitous plane trees were chosen for their shiny, fog-resistant foliage. And since Jack the Ripper actually went out to stalk his victims on fog-free nights, filmmakers had to fake the sort of dank, smoke-wreathed London scenes audiences craved. It’s discoveries like these that make reading London Fog such an unusual, enthralling and enlightening experience.” —Miranda Seymour, New York Times Book Review “Corton, clad in an overcoat, with a linklighter before her, takes us into the gloomier, long 19th century, where she revels in its Gothic grasp. Beautifully illustrated, London Fog delves fascinatingly into that swirling miasma.” —Philip Hoare, New Statesman

"As [Disconnect] shows, cell phones may actually be doing damage to far more than our attention spans-and could, in fact, be killing us." -Salon.com. Since the invention of radar, cell phone radiation was assumed to be harmless because it wasn't like X-rays. But a sea change is now occurring in the way scientists think about it. The latest research ties this kind of radiation to lowered sperm counts, an increased risk of Alzheimer's, and even cancer. In Disconnect, National Book Award finalist Devra Davis tells the story of the dangers that the cell phone industry is knowingly exposing us-and our children-to in the pursuit of profit. More than five billion cell phones are currently in use, and that number increases every day. Synthesizing the findings and cautionary advice of leading experts in bioelectricalmagnetics and neuroscience, Davis explains simple safety measures that no one can afford to ignore.

They didn't start out as environmental warriors. Clair Patterson was a geochemist focused on determining the age of the Earth. Herbert Needleman was a pediatrician treating inner-city children. But in the chemistry lab and the hospital ward, they met a common enemy: lead. It was literally everywhere-in gasoline and paint, of course, but also in water pipes and food cans, toothpaste tubes and toys, ceramics and cosmetics, jewelry and batteries. Though few people worried about it at the time, lead was also toxic. In Toxic Truth, journalist Lydia Denworth tells the little-known stories of these two men who were among the first to question the wisdom of filling the world with such a harmful metal. Denworth follows them from the ice and snow of Antarctica to the schoolyards of Philadelphia and Boston as they uncovered the enormity of the problem and demonstrated the irreparable harm lead was doing to children. In heated conferences and courtrooms, the halls of Congress and at the Environmental Protection Agency, the scientist and doctor were forced to defend their careers and reputations in the face of incredible industry opposition. It took courage, passion, and determination to prevail against entrenched corporate interests and politicized government bureaucracies. But Patterson, Needleman, and their allies did finally get the lead out - since it was removed from gasoline, paint, and food cans in the 1970s, the level of lead in Americans' bodies has dropped 90 percent. Their success offers a lesson in the dangers of putting economic priorities over public health, and a reminder of the way science-and individuals-can change the world. The fundamental questions raised by this battle-what constitutes disease, how to measure scientific independence, and how to quantify acceptable risk-echo in every environmental issue of today: from the plastic used to make water bottles to greenhouse gas emissions. And the most basic question-how much do we need to know about what we put in our environment-is perhaps more relevant today than it has ever been.

Volatile Places: A Sociology of Communities and Environmental Controversies is a thoughtful guide to the spirited public controversies that inevitably occur when environments and human communities collide. The movie "An Inconvenient Truth" based on the environmental activism of Al Gore and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina are specifically highlighted. Authors Valerie Gunter and Steve Kroll-Smith begin with a simple observation and offer a provocative case study approach to the investigation of community and environmental controversies. Key Features: Compels students with personal narrative: Co-author Valerie Gunter, who was teaching at the University of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck, gives her personal standpoint of this tragedy. Creates a dramatic story around the controversy: Each case study illustrates a local environmental conflict and is written to capture students′ attention. Provides a unique way to view environmental conflicts: The book illustrates the importance of each perspective and local knowledge when making decisions about the environment. Makes connections with previous chapters: The chapters are integrated to create a strong sense for the multifaceted approach to the study of community and environmental controversies. Includes portfolios in each chapter as well as concept and theory boxes: Students are inspired to engage in spirited thinking, original research, and action. Intended Audience: This text is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Environmental Sociology. It is also an ideal text for Social Problems courses focusing on environmental issues.

With the keen eyes of a scientist and the sensibilities of a seasoned writer, Dr. Robert Morris chronicles the fascinating and at times frightening story of our drinking water. His gripping narrative vividly recounts the epidemics that have shaken cities and nations, the scientists who reached into the invisible and emerged with controversial truths that would save millions of lives, and the economic and political forces that opposed these researchers in a ferocious war of ideas. In the gritty world of nineteenth-century England, amid the ravages of cholera, Morris introduces John Snow, the physician who proved that the deadly disease could be hidden in a drop of water. Decades later in the deserts of Africa, the story follows Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch as they raced to find the cause of cholera and a means to prevent its spread. In the twentieth century, burgeoning cities would subdue cholera and typhoid by bending rivers to their will, building massive filtration plants, and bubbling poisonous gas through their drinking water. However, with the arrival of the new millennium, the demon of waterborne disease is threatening to reemerge, and a growing body of research has linked the chlorine relied on for water treatment with cancer and stillbirths. In The Blue Death, Morris dispels notions of fail-safe water systems. Along the way he reveals some shocking truths: the millions of miles of leaking water mains, constantly evolving microorganisms, and the looming threat of bioterrorism, which may lead to catastrophe. Across time and around the world, this riveting account offers alarming information about the natural and man-made hazards present in the very water we drink.