Risk Guide - Discerning the Truly Safe and Dangerous Things Around You

Author: David Ropeik
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: We live in a world full of risks, yet compared to the past, it is safer in many ways. Human life expectancy has been greatly extended, and infant mortality has declined dramatically. Diseases that once severely threatened human life have almost been eradicated. Major progress has been made in public health, healthcare, environmental regulations, food safety, and labor protection, reducing the risks people face. However, new risks continue to emerge, such as hazardous waste, nuclear energy, genetically modified foods, mad cow disease, ozone depletion, and artificial sweeteners, among others. Without a doubt, modern technology has benefited the world immensely. Yet while technological advancements have extended our lifespans and provided healthier lives, they have also exposed us to new dangers. Risk Guide: Identifying What's Truly Safe and Dangerous Around You provides authoritative assessments of factors that threaten your health and safety, making it a timely and indispensable guide for life. We live in a world full of risks, but compared to the past, this world is safer in many aspects. Human life expectancy has been greatly extended, and infant mortality has declined dramatically. Diseases that once severely threatened human life have almost been eradicated. Significant progress has been made in public health, healthcare, environmental regulations, food safety, and labor protection, reducing the risks people face. However, new risks continue to emerge, such as hazardous waste, nuclear energy, genetically modified foods, mad cow disease, ozone depletion, and artificial sweeteners, among others. Without a doubt, modern technology has benefited the world immensely. Yet while technological advancements have extended our lifespans and provided healthier lives, they have also exposed us to new dangers. Risk Guide: Identifying What's Truly Safe and Dangerous Around You provides authoritative assessments of factors that threaten your health and safety, making it a timely and indispensable guide for life. We live in a world full of risks, but how can we identify and effectively avoid these risks? This book offers practical advice. The authors, David Ropeik and George Gray, explore the following topics in the book: the top 50 risk sources, the likelihood of encountering these risks, the consequences of these risks, and strategies for risk avoidance. The risks covered in the book are diverse, including cancer, biological weapons, indoor air pollution, and radiation.