Poisons: From Hemlock to Botox and the Killer Bean of Calabar

By Peter Macinnis

Poisons permeate our world. They are in the environment, the workplace, the home. They are in food, our favorite whiskey, medicine, and well water. They have been used to cure diseases as well as incapacitate and kill. They smooth wrinkles, block pain, stimulate and enhance athletic ability. In this entertaining and fact-filled book, science writer Peter Macinnis considers poisons in all their aspects. He recounts stories of the celebrated poisoners in history and literature, from Nero to Thomas Wainewright, and from the death of Socrates to Hamlet and Peter Pan.

From cyanide to strychnine, from Botox to ricin and Sarin gashave you ever wondered about their sources? Where do they come from? How do you detect something that can kill you in a matter of seconds? Macinnis methodically analyzes the science of these killing agents and their uses in medicine, cosmetics, war, and terrorism. With wit and precision, he weighs these questions and many more: Was Lincoln’s volatility caused by mercury poisoning? Was Jack the Ripper an arsenic eater? Can wallpaper kill? For anyone who has ever wondered and been afraid to ask, here is a rich miscellany for your secret questions about toxins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing
• Release date: May 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781628721188

Reviews for Poisons

[juva_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A charming collection of facts, anecdotes, and charming biographical sketches concerning poisons and poisoners. I would hesitate to call this a history, as it is in no way chronologically arranged but only bound in loose, topical arrays. A fascinating read, and a delightful indulgence for one's darker side.

[gavinbowtell_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I like this books very much. It is easy to read, but not simplistic. It has a very good bibliography for readers who want to build on the interest that Macinnis is bound to inspire inhis readers. A nice cover, but beware it is the same book as "Poisons from Hemlock to Botox To The Killer Bean of Calabar"

[mutantpudding · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting and entertaining read. I find this topic to be fascinating, although a bit morbid. included a bit more on chemical formulas and reactions than seemed necessary but I didn't particularly mind. I did mind the descriptions of animal testing which I found to be upsetting. Overall a decent book.