cover image Poisoned: How a Crime-Busting Prosecutor Turned His Medical Mystery into a Crusade for Environmental Victims

Poisoned: How a Crime-Busting Prosecutor Turned His Medical Mystery into a Crusade for Environmental Victims

Alan Bell. Skyhorse, $25.99 (274p) ISBN 978-1-5107-0264-6

Bell’s account of his struggles with devastating health problems caused by his exposure to environmental toxins is by turns horrifying and inspirational. Bell was a highly successful Florida attorney, happily married, and the father of a young daughter when his world fell apart in 1989: out of the blue, he began experiencing dizziness, joint pain, and fever that made it increasingly difficult for him to function. The cause of his symptoms remained a mystery until 1991, when he was diagnosed with an environmental illness caused by the office building he’d been working in. That diagnosis didn’t end the story, as Bell spent years searching for a cure or even a palliative treatment. His ordeal took a serious toll on his family life. The story has a positive ending, as Bell was able to harness everything he’d learned about the scope of environmental illness to advocate for increased resources to research the problem. By framing the political issue in such personal terms, Bell strengthens his call to action. (Apr.)