Book Review

Sample book review of a science-themed novel.

It's in our bodies; it's in our earth. Corporations turn a blind eye, or worse, they encourage denial. How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT examines how a seemingly harmless new chemical deemed a war hero, a medical marvel, and a false Polio eradicator left behind deadly remnants in wildlife, livestock, soil, buildings, and people. "Absent any medical diagnosis, people began to call it Virus X." In a time when anti-vaxxers and climate change deniers have a strong presence, this book is a warning of what happens when people go along with an established narrative and the triumph of those who fight for humanity and our planet. "Though many credit environmentalist Rachel Carson as having spearheaded anti-DDT efforts, Conis goes beyond that narrative to highlight the roles some less celebrated figures played ... Conis’s account is impressively researched, and her narrative carefully constructed. This is a worthy contribution to environmental history," says Publisher's Weekly.