Allergic to the Twentieth Century

Cases of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), the terribly odd and tragically debilitating syndrome in which sufferers react as if they are allergic to virtually every aspect of modern life, from fresh paint to gasoline, are indisputably on the rise. Whether the illness is ""real"" or psychosomatic, however, remains a mystery. Radetsky (The Invisible Invaders) comes down solidly in favor of declaring MCS an organic disease. His argument is less than fully convincing, however, and he presents with little criticism the assertions of those who lucratively treat the afflicted alongside the claims of the sufferers themselves. Although the stories of the latter are often poignant, such anecdotes provide very little scientific insight into the nature of the problem itself. Radetsky's apparent lack of skepticism is a major flaw, and little is gained when advocates revel in the fact that virtually all their explanations of how the syndrome works fly in the face of orthodox understandings of human immunology and physiology. Although more research is called for by those who believe in the organic nature of MCS, few are actually undertaking any, while traditional studies calling MCS into question are here generally dismissed as flawed. Although credibility is further strained with lines such as ""We know now that this problem is a big one, a bigger problem than AIDS, certainly,"" information useful to undiagnosed sufferers, including a list of treatment centers, is covered in the book. (July)