Book Review

摘要

Poisons have been used by humans to rid the world of unwanted spouses, enemies, and political opponents for at least 6500 years. Until the recent cases of Litvinenko (Po210) and Markov (ricin), one might have suspected that poisoning was going out of fashion. Certainly, the bullet or the bomb represent a clearer statement, but the stealthy poison surely does have a certain elan. John Emsley is best known for his series of popular science books that have been translated and reprinted many times. The toxicological aspects of his subjects are often to the fore, and this present book is no exception.