ContamiNation: My Quest to Survive in a Toxic World Paperback – Illustrated, January 26, 2016

It was just the routine two year checkup with his internist for college professor, family man and author McKay Jenkins, but who had a few questions about certain sensitivities in his lower left leg. A referral to an orthopedist's office revealed something quite unexpected: A mass was growing inside Jenkins' left hip. An MRI was evaluated by an oncologist and a subsequent surgery resulted in the removal of an orange-sized tumor. It was benign, but what was the cause?And thus begins the journey into the murky world of contamination by McKay Jenkins.The Prologue manuscript is so filled with material and information that chapter discussions seem unnecessary and unproductive as to any review. The Prologue is twenty two pages of revelatory concerns and trends that surround and permeate the manufacturing and production procedures during the processing, transportation and distribution of commercial and consumer goods.Somewhere in all of this are an estimated 80,000 chemicals, not safety tested, countless tons of petrochemicals, plastics, pesticides, and herbacides, synthetic fertilizers, ammonias, asbestos, flame retardants ,benzene, mercury, lead, endocrine disruptors, ethylene, fungicides....Let us move on. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is "a toilet bowl that never flushes" and has 100 million tons of debris off the coasts of Asia and western U.S. estimated to contain 5.5 quadrillion plastic pellets. It is a behemoth the size of Africa. Fish consume these pellets and people consume the fish.Continuing...Construction materials found in every home contain synthetic chemicals; every stream in America contains pharmaceuticals and oral contraceptives; in 2007, a toxic synthetic (melamine) imported from China killed four thousand dogs and cats.Some final notes. Petrochemicals and breast cancers- have been found in beluga whales; PCBs (banned for thirty years) are found in snow high in the Andes; flame retardants are in the blubber of seals far above the Arctic Circle.Recently a small diversified group of rural Maine residents participated in a public health study regarding the magnitude of toxic chemical contamination in non-urban environs. One in the group, an organic farmer, had lost ten friends to cancer and three other friends have been similiary diagnosed.Flame retardants, phthalates, Teflon, mercury, arsenic, lead, Scotchgard, bisphenol, and insecticides were all toxins found in test results among the study participants. Former subdued childhood diseases, autism and asthma, are now epidemic.

There aren't many books that I give 5 stars to, but this book is one of them. Its scary and amazing at the same time.It's scary to think that the things we think are harmless can kill you.If you are thinking about getting this book. Do it, you won't regret it. It's going to make you have a range of emotions. Mostly it made me angry to think that products that we interact with daily have the potential to kill you.It shines a light on what's wrong with this world. Make a product with killer ingredients for a cheaper price. How can we let this happen?

I enjoyed listening to this. learned so many things.

A must read!!! This book is an eye opener.

Was received in excellent condition. Book is very informative for all.

Very interesting opens your eyes and some products

Great book

Very informative.Will read some parts again.