Friday, April 6, 2018

Review: The Myths of Safe Pesticides by André Leu with Giveaway

Although this is a non-fiction book for adults, I thought the topic, and especially its companion book, (which I'll be reviewing on Monday, April 9th) might be of interest to parents or those who take care of children. 


The Myths of Safe Pesticides
 by André Leu
Acres USA
Non-Fiction Educational / Nature / Science
168 pages

Tour dates: March 12 to April 13, 2018
Content Rating: G





The chemical-based conventional agriculture industry claims that the synthesized concoctions they sell as pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides are safe when used as directed, but does the scientific evidence truly support their assertions? Organic agriculturist and lecturer André Leu delves into a wealth of respected scientific journals to present the peer-reviewed evidence that proves the claims of chemical companies and pesticide regulators are not all they seem.

Leu translates technical jargon into layman's terms to break down the five most repeated myths about pesticide use: independent scientific analysis shows that pesticides are not at all as safe as industry leaders and regulatory agencies claim. The pesticide industry argues that human agriculture, and thereby the global population itself, cannot survive without using pesticides and herbicides, but Leu warns that human health is at great risk unless we break free of their toxic hold and turn to more natural methods of pest and weed regulation.

Learn about:
The “Rigorously Tested” Myth
The “Very Small Amount” Myth
The “Breakdown” Myth
The “Reliable Regulatory Authority” Myth
The “Pesticides Are Essential to Farming” Myth



MY TIDBITS


Pesticides have been, are and will continue to be in usage in the area of agriculture, and this book takes a serious look at the truths behind how safe these chemicals really might be.

After a foreword as well as an introduction to help lay the background and explanations behind this book, five 'myths' are presented and discussed, each within one chapter. The book than ends with a conclusion, bibliography and index. In other words, it is a well laid out. 

The author has done his research and supports his arguments with quotes, graphs and other resources. Great care is taken in providing the exact sources where each supporting argument and piece of evidence was found. The evidence is laid out precisely, logically and in a clear manner, allowing the reader to understand how he came to his conclusions and where the evidence to support them came from. This is not a relaxing book nor is it meant for light reading, but rather, it reads like a true researched argument with a concentration on scientific arguments. 

The arguments made in this book are strong and might shock some readers. Although the author does attempt to keep the material at a logical level, he brings across the material in a way which does leave the reader questioning the use of pesticides. While the book fulfills its purpose splendidly, it offers little advice to the average reader on how to best handle the situation or what could be changed to avoid the problems in daily life outside of purchasing organic goods, which for many people isn't really a true alternative at this time or in the near future.

This is an interesting book with carefully laid out arguments, which points out the downside and real problems pesticides have and cause. It's not a book for everyone, but those who are interested in the subject will enjoy it.






And here he is. . .

André Leu is a longtime organic farmer in Australia and a director of Regeneration International. He served as president of IFOAM Organics International from 2011 to 2017. He speaks widely and regularly testifies to governments and NGOs worldwide on pesticide safety and policy. He is the author of the award-winning book, The Myths of Safe Pesticides.

Connect with the publisher: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Author's Twitter





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Ends April 21, 2018

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