A review by zephturner
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

adventurous dark informative mysterious fast-paced

5.0

While this is clearly more pop science than a deep dive into the mechanics of poisoning, it gave me a much deeper appreciation for the chemistry, science, and hard work that have made poisoning a detectable crime today, and for the work of the FDA, EPA, and other organizations at preventing Americans from being poisoned by everyday foods, cosmetics, and our workplaces. It's one of those books, much like The Devil In The White City, that highlights some of the taken-for-granted miracles of modern life, like not getting just straight up poisoned to death by hair removal cream or faulty gas lines.