Your Father, Your Self: How Sons and Daughters Can Understand and Heal Relationships with Their Fathers

Environmental journalists Lavelle and Fagin focus this shocking report on four chemicals in widespread use: the herbicides atrazine and alachlor; the most common chemical used in dry cleaning, perchloroethylene; and formaldehyde, used as a glue and binder in all sorts of wood products, most notably plywood, particleboard and fiberboard. All have been shown to be dangerous and all have been the center of enormous legislative and regulatory attention. The authors present a very frightening and, unfortunately, a mostly credible account of the ways in which the chemical industry and its lobbying arm have been able to shape and subvert federal legislation ostensibly designed to protect consumers as well as the environment. Delay, scientific abuses, media manipulation and political strong-arm techniques are all documented. The only shortcomings to this well-paced investigative report are organizational: the text jumps abruptly from one subject to another and is repetitive. Even so, it should spark debate, and deservedly so. (Jan.)