Brush with Death

Thorough and convincing... Brush with Death should become a starting point for those interested in the postwar history of lead, environmental health, and pediatrics.

A deft intertwining of discussion of industry's promotion of lead products as essential components of the modern lifestyle with consideration of the halting progress of medicine in clarifying the toxicology of lead and recognizing signs of lead poisoning in patients... It is a well-organized and readable account of the evolution of a major twentieth-century health threat and a valuable addition to environmental history.

The strength of this book is the historical policy analysis and the impact this could have on current policy debate over environmental pollution.

Not only is Brush with Death an excellent knowledge source for anyone interested in lead poisoning, it is also an informative historical account of a national industry gone bad. Want to get the lead out?—Here's documentation of all the motivation you need!

This fascinating book held me in its clutches from the Introduction and all the way through until the end.

This is outstanding scholarship and a wonderful narrative. The story of lead—in our paint, gasoline, air, and soil—demands to be understood by someone who has both passion and a sense of outrage, and Warren, in his own measured and subtle way, makes it clear that such outrage is deserved.