Toxic America

Christian Warren begins Brush with Death with a plain statement:
“The United States is lead poisoned.” He ends with it, too. In between is a
frightening picture of the myriad ways in which lead can enter your blood, and
the damage it can do, especially to children. Sporadic efforts are made to deal
with the situation, but sustained attention seems impossible. It is a chilling
story, with morals for other countries too. Published by Johns Hopkins
University Press, £35, ISBN 0801862892.