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
“In the self-sacrificing spirit of Super Size Me creator Morgan Spurlock, environmental scientists Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie have subjected their bodies to some of the most harmful, yet common, chemicals found in everyday products...The results walk the strange line between hilarious and alarming...Slow Death by Rubber Duck isn't deiberately feer mongering, unlike so many other books of this genre - it's timely, disturbing and an unexpectedly entertaining gyide to what doesn't belong in our bodies.”
Cosmos magazine
“Benjamin Franklin's assertion that nothing is certain except death and taxes was probably perfectly applicable in his day, but the Industrial Revolution has now advanced to the stage where some sort of
formulation like "and having any number of toxins in your body" should be added. At least, this is the impression one is left with after putting down this account by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie…a useful book indeed”
Canberra Times
“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
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