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Pesticides: A Toxic Time Bomb in Our Midst
By Marvin J. Levine
264 pp, $49.95
Wesport, CT, Praeger Press, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0-2759-9127-2
JAMA. 2008;299(13):1613-1614.
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This is a well-written and informative book about a relatively little known area of expertise for most physicians—chemicals in the environment and their impact on health.
The book is devoted to pesticides, which includes herbicides, insecticides, weed killers, rodenticides, bacteriocides, fungicides, and other chemicals frequently called "pesticides." It is reasonably well-referenced text. However, some statements regarding health damage could benefit from more textual references to justify the statements presented.
Levine has written a pragmatic book for physicians, health workers, and the general public. It is relatively easy reading for physicians but demands a bit more attention than a vacation book intended for beach reading. His own perspective as a health professional with a concern for the public health and a fondness for the "precautionary principle," which assumes that a chemical is harmful unless there is good evidence to the contrary, is not hidden. Frequently and throughout this volume, the author . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Arnold Schecter, MD, MPH, Reviewer
University of Texas School of Public Health
Dallas
arnold.schecter@utsouthwestern.edu
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