Includes bibliographical references and index.

The dose makes the poison -- Nature of a chemical -- The human animal -- Chemical journeys: absorption -- Bodily defense -- Wider journeys: pollution -- Traveling particles -- Toxins, poisons, and venoms -- Metals: gift and curse -- Combustion -- Drugs and the toxicology of addiction -- 70,000 years of pesticides -- Origins of regulation -- Low-dose chemical carcinogenesis -- POPs and Silent Spring -- Toxic toiletries -- Determining sex: chemicals and reproduction -- The earliest exposure: transgenerational toxicology -- Natural toxins revisited -- Chemical resistance -- Afterword: toxicology and beyond.

"This accessible book explains basic principles in plain language while illuminating the most important issues in contemporary toxicology. Kolok begins by exploring age-old precepts of the field such as the dose-response relationship and the concept, first introduced by Ambroise Paré in the sixteenth century, that a chemicals particular action depends on its inherent chemical nature. The author goes on to show exactly how chemicals enter the body and elicit their toxic effect, as well as the bodys methods of defense. With the fundamentals established, Kolok digs into advances in toxicology, tracing the fields development from World War II to the present day. The book examines both technical discoveries and their impacts on public policy. Highlights include studies of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in toiletries and prescriptions, the emerging science on prions, and our growing understanding of epigenetics. Readers learn not only how toxic exposure affects people and wildlife, but about the long-term social and environmental consequences of our chemicals. Whether studying toxicology itself, public health, or environmental science, readers will develop a core understanding ofand curiosity aboutthis fast-changing field."--Amazon.com.