A record of my efforts to live a more sustainable life.

Book Review: Slow Death by Rubber Duck

Recently, I read Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie. I knew going into this that the book would freak me out, and I was right.

The book describes the history, uses, and effects of a myriad of toxic chemicals that are in everything from hand soap to frying pans. It claims to be an optimistic book, but I gotta say, I don't feel too optimistic having read it.

The thing that does make me feel good is that now I'm more educated. I won't be using antibacterial hand soap anymore, now that I look at the ingredients and basically see a list of carcinogens, with some suspected reproductive toxins thrown in.

I couldn't really pick out pieces of information from this mass of statistics and stories that were good for a review, so I will simply recommend the book. Also, check out the Slow Death by Rubber Duck website for loads of useful information.

One tidbit I did enjoy was this helpful reminder of which plastics are the most harmful (good to know even if you are trying to avoid all plastics): 4, 5, 1, and 2; all the rest are bad for you!

This book has had quite an effect on me, leading me to finally purge the huge quantities of lotion and body wash I've accumulated over the years, so stay tuned to see my closet go through a major overhaul!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha! I had much the same reaction to this book. Here's my review if you're curious: http://open.salon.com/blog/the_almighty_beckster/2010/07/05/book_review_slow_death_by_rubber_duck_by_rick_smith_bruce_lourie

It really does make you look at the "everyday" objects that surround is in a very different light!

Lianne said...

Great review, Rebecca! That BPA stuff is pretty freaky. I'll never look at receipts the same way again.

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