Cover of Poison spring
Read Time: ~4.7 hr

Poison spring

by E.G. Vallianatos with McKay Jenkins (2015)

About this book

"Imagine walking into a restaurant and finding chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, or neonicotinoid insecticides listed in the description of your entree. They may not be printed in the menu, but many are in your food. These are a few of the literally millions of pounds of approved synthetic substances dumped into the environment every day, not just in the US but around the world. They seep into our water supply, are carried thousands of miles by wind and rain from the site of application, remain potent long after they are deposited, and constitute, in the words of one scientist, "biologic death bombs with a delayed time fuse and which may prove to be, in the long run, as dangerous to the existence of mankind as the arsenal of atom bombs." All of these poisons are sanctioned--or in some cases, ignored--by the EPA. For twenty-five years E.G. Vallianatos saw the EPA from the inside, with rising dismay over how pressure from politicians and threats from huge corporations were turning it from the public's watchdog into a "polluter's protection agency." Based on his own experience, the testimony of colleagues, and hundreds of documents Vallianatos collected inside the EPA, Poison Spring reveals how the agency has continually reinforced the chemical-industrial complex. Writing with acclaimed environmental journalist McKay Jenkins, E.G. Vallianatos provides a devastating exposé of how the agency created to protect Americans and our environment has betrayed its mission. Half a century after Rachel Carson's Silent Spring awakened us to the dangers of pesticides, we are poisoning our lands and waters with more toxic chemicals than ever" --

Setting / LocationGlobal
Story EraModern Era
Protagonist / CorePoison spring Lead Character

Readers who enjoyed this also loved

Cover of The Asian American century

The Asian American century

Warren I. Cohen

"In a perceptive and engaging meditation on the relationship between East Asia and the United States, Warren I. Cohen examines how cultural influences have transformed - and benefited - both Asians and Americans.". "Cohen reviews the role of the United States in East Asia over the past century, making a convincing case for American influence in Asia as generally positive. He illustrates specific ways in which American culture has affected Asians, from forms of government to entertainment, and offers valuable insights into the nature of cultural exchange. Americanization was most successful when Asians freely adopted cultural elements, while efforts to impose values generally failed, notably in the Philippines. And in a fascinating and eye-opening assessment of the "Asianization" of America, Cohen observes that Asian influences in food, film, music, medicine, and religion are now woven deeply - and permanently - into the American fabric. Indeed, Asians are changing American identity itself: by mid-century, approximately one in ten Americans will boast Asian ancestry."--BOOK JACKET.

Cover of It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

Moira Hodgson

Hodgson has earned a reputation as a discerning critic and entertaining writer. It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time reflects Hodgson's talent for connecting her love of food with the people and places in her life--from Vietnam to Chiapas, Mexico, from Berlin to Lapland there was always a new dish to taste, a new people to share her travels with. Like Ruth Reichl's bestselling memoirs, it is a glorious celebration of good food and good company.

Cover of Everbest ever

Everbest ever

Virgil Thomson

Spanning two decades, from 1968 to 1989, these letters, written as jeux d'esprit and presented in the same spirit, touch upon Gertrude Stein and Marcel Duchamp; music criticism; travel, food, and wine; Thomson's life, compositions, and writings; the local musical scene; and plans (sometimes fulfilled, sometimes not) for concerts and recordings. The letters record Thomson's correspondence with composer and writer Charles Shere, soprano Margery Tede, and two of his San Francisco friends, Victor Rowley and Stanley Yarnell. Editorial annotations place the letters in context.

Cover of Everbest ever

Everbest ever

Virgil Thomson

Spanning two decades, from 1968 to 1989, these letters, written as jeux d'esprit and presented in the same spirit, touch upon Gertrude Stein and Marcel Duchamp; music criticism; travel, food, and wine; Thomson's life, compositions, and writings; the local musical scene; and plans (sometimes fulfilled, sometimes not) for concerts and recordings. The letters record Thomson's correspondence with composer and writer Charles Shere, soprano Margery Tede, and two of his San Francisco friends, Victor Rowley and Stanley Yarnell. Editorial annotations place the letters in context.

Poison spring by E.G. Vallianatos with McKay Jenkins | Literally Just Books