Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Explores the hazards of of everyday activites at home, work and elsewhere..."
Review
"An endlessly fascinating reference book, to be consulted occasionally in time of need and in time of curiosity."
Review
"Explores the hazards of of everyday activites at home, work and elsewhere..." The New York Daily News
"An endlessly fascinating reference book, to be consulted occasionally in time of need and in time of curiosity." The Denver Post
Synopsis
An indispensable and timely guide, Risk is the authority for assessing threats to your health and safety.
We continually face new risks in our world. This essential family reference will help you understand worrisome risks so you can decide how to stay safe and how to keeps risks in perspective. Expert authors David Ropeik and George Gray include information on:
- 50 top hazards - your likelihood of exposure - the consequences - ways to reduce your risk
They cover topics such as:
- cancer - biological weapons - indoor air pollution - pesticides - radiation
About the Author
David Ropeik is the director of risk communications at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. A regular commentator on NPR, he has written for the Boston Globe and worked as a television journalist for twenty-two years. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.George Gray, a toxicologist, serves as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Research and Development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He lives in McLean, Virginia.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS Introduction 1 PART I . HOME, TRANSPORTATION, WORK 1. Accidents 23 2. Air Bags 34 3. Alcohol 39 4. Arti?cial Sweeteners 48 5. Bad Backs, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Other Repetitive Task Injuries 53 6. Caffeine 64 7. Cellular Telephones and Driving 70 8. Cellular Telephones and Radiation 76 9. Electrical and Magnetic Fields 81 10. Firearms 87 11. Foodborne Illness 97 12. Food Irradiation 104 13. Genetically Modi?ed Food 109 14. Mad Cow Disease 117 15. Microwave Ovens 121 16. Motor Vehicles 125 17. School Buses 135 18. Tobacco 139 PART I I . THE ENVIRONMENT 19. Air Pollution (Indoor) 151 20. Air Pollution (Outdoor) 166 21. Asbestos 180 22. BiologicalWeapons 186 23. Carbon Monoxide 195 24. DDT 202 25. Diesel Emissions 207 26. Environmental Hormones 212 27. HazardousWaste 223 28. Incinerators 232 29. Lead 241 30. Mercury 247 31. Nuclear Power 254 32. Ozone Depletion 264 33. Pesticides 270 34. Radiation 283 35. Radon 294 36. Solar Radiation 299 37.Water Pollution 308 PART I I I . MEDICINE 38. Antibiotic Resistance 321 39. Breast Implants 329 40. Cancer 336 41. Heart Disease 348 42. Human Immunode?ciency Virus 363 43. Mammography 369 44. Medical Errors 376 45. Overweight and Obesity 384 46. Sexually Transmitted Disease 392 47. Vaccines 401 48. X Rays 410 Appendix 1: Various Annual and Lifetime Risks 421 Appendix 2: The Risk Meters 429 Acknowledgments 443 Notes 445 Index 459