Provocative and groundbreaking, Slow Death by Rubber Duck reveals how the living of daily life creates a toxic soup inside each of us.
Studies have shown that significant levels of toxic substances can leach out of commonplace items in our homes and workplaces. How do these toxins make their way inside us and what impact do they have on our health? And more importantly, what can we do about them? Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, two of Canada's leading environmental activists, tackle these questions head on by experimenting upon themselves. Over a four-day period, our intrepid (and perhaps foolhardy) authors ingest and inhale a host of things that surround us all every day, all of which are suspected of being toxic and posing long term health risks to humans. By revealing the pollution load in their bodies before and after the experiment - and the results in most cases are downright frightening - they tell the inside story of seven common substances.
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Reviews
“The results [of Slow Death by Rubber Duck] were comparable to Supersize Me - only invisible and far more harmful. After reading this book you will want to eliminate most plastics, scented body products and Teflon from your home.”
Melbourne Sunday Age
“In the DIY tradition of Super Size Me, this duo used their bodies to test the effects of the household toxins we ingest through our skin, lungs and in our food. Shampoo, deodorants, air fresheners, toothpaste, flame retardants, the effects are compound and insidious. Only an ostrich could remain sanguine in the face of such a persuasive alarm.”
Qantas
“The wonderfully titled Slow Deathby Rubber Duck by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie is a sobering, enlightening and entertaining wake-up call by two Canadian authors and environmentalists who want to redefine the concept of pollution.”
Queensland Sunday Mail and Sunday Telegraph
“Easy-to-read but deeply disturbing.”
Subiaco Post
“Funny, thought-provoking and disturbing, Slow Death by Rubber Duck offers solutions for how we
might be healthier, safer and more aware.”
Adelaide Hills Weekender
“Fantastically important – an indispensable guide to surviving in an industrial age.”
Tim Flannery
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