Most delicious poison The story of nature's toxins--from spices to vices

Review by Booklist Review

Evolutionary biologist Whiteman's thoroughly researched and absorbing debut considers a range of potentially lethal substances derived from plants and other natural sources with which humans have made friends over the millennia, sometimes with salubrious effects and sometimes more harmful ones. Humans co-opt drugs like caffeine, nicotine, and opium--which plants use to defend themselves from enemies--for "sustenance, medicine, transcendence, and fun," leaving the people who consume them to walk the "knife edge between healing and harm." Whiteman isn't afraid to take a deep dive into the chemical intricacies of his subjects, and if less scientifically inclined readers may occasionally be baffled by the microscopic level of detail, he always resurfaces to the everyday. He regularly relates the subjects he explores to his own personal experiences and those of his family, including his father who passed away because of his "need for copious amounts of some of nature's toxins." Whiteman's provocative volume will make the reader think differently about familiar substances like coffee, cayenne, and cocaine.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

This amusing debut from Whiteman, an evolutionary biology professor at UC Berkeley, explores the "ways that toxins from nature arose, have been used by us humans and other animals, and have consequently changed the world." Natural toxins including capsaicin (the chemical that "produces the heat we feel when we eat chilies") and morphine evolved to protect plants from herbivores, Whiteman explains, noting that coffee plants developed caffeine as a natural insecticide capable of killing predatory beetles, butterflies, and mosquitoes (humans' larger bodies are able to metabolize significantly larger doses, tempering the poisonous effects). Digging into the biochemistry of how toxins work, Whiteman observes that ethanol mimics the GABA neurotransmitter that the "brains of all animals use to dampen the activity of the nervous system," binding to GABA receptors and causing sleepiness. There's plenty of fascinating tidbits (mild toxins in saffron might be as effective at treating depression as Prozac), but Whiteman's personal stories can be hit-or-miss, with touching reflections on his father's battle with alcoholism appearing alongside superfluous anecdotes about his dog narrowly surviving after eating caffeine pills. Still, this is worth a look. (Oct.)

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

An evolutionary biologist explores natural toxins and their uses. Following his father's death in 2017 from complications related to substance use disorder, Whiteman, a professor of molecular and cell biology at Berkeley, became interested in learning more about how natural poisons have been used by humans and other animals. "My attempt to grasp why he died," he writes, "allowed me to identify and then draw together the many ways that nature's toxins affect the world." In 2020, the author received a Guggenheim Fellowship to write this book. He examines the origins and evolution of numerous toxins found in nature, including psychedelics, nicotine, and opioids, as well as the pros and cons of more "socially accepted" compounds such as those found in coffee, tea, and chocolate. Whiteman also shares the story of his father's addiction issues and the reasons some people have a higher risk of developing drug abuse disorders than others. As Whiteman points out, many of the toxins discussed in this book "can also be the cure in the right context." In fact, he notes, "Indigenous healers have yielded nearly 50 percent of all modern drugs we use today." Of course, these natural toxins did not evolve for our sake; "they were here long before us and in many cases keep enemies at bay." In most cases, natural toxins evolved as defense mechanisms--e.g., the consumption of milkweed by monarchs, the latex found under the bark of the rubber tree, and cyanogenic glucosides found in apple seeds. Whiteman also discusses how our taste for spices evolved to prevent some toxins from harming us. The information in this book is certainly well researched and compelling; however, readers should not expect a quick read, as Whiteman's writing is rich in detail and well suited for academic audiences and conscientious general readers. A fascinating discussion of how nature's toxins can affect us all. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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