Evolution in a Toxic World

With BPA in baby bottles, mercury in fish, and lead in computer monitors, the world has become a toxic place. But as Emily Monosson demonstrates in her groundbreaking new book, it has always been toxic. When oxygen first developed in Earth#146;s atmosphere, it threatened the very existence of life: now we literally can#146;t live without it. According to Monosson, examining how life adapted to such early threats can teach us a great deal about today#146;s (and tomorrow#146;s) most dangerous contaminants. While the study of evolution has advanced many other fields of science, from biology to medicine, toxicology has yet to embrace this critical approach. In Evolution in a Toxic World,Monosson seeks to change that.