John Timbrell

This is an exemplary science book for the general reader and is more absorbing than many and many a novel.

The first few chapters are background ones covering poisons, medicines, and the actions of chemicals upon the body. The last of these especially was exciting for me: heretofore I would have skimmed over any sentence containing 'induction of enzymes', but Trimball's presentation is so outstandingly good that I understood and learned rather than simply shoving necessary definitions into my short-term memory.

The bulk of Poison Paradox is devoted to different sorts of chemicals that might do us harm--hose occurring naturally, pesticides, industrial poisons,---and their effects on the body. From the action of a chemical and the body's reactions to and defenses against it and carrying on to overt symptoms of poisoning, these effects are explained thoroughly and intelligibly with the aid of very helpful illustrations, cross-references, and case histories.

Before coming across Poison Paradox I would have bet any amount of money that I'd never finish reading, never mind enjoy reading, a book on biochemistry. I would have lost a bundle.… (meer)