Surviving Mold: Life in the Era of Dangerous Buildings

by Ritchie C. Shoemaker MD, Matthew C. Hudson (Editor), Patti Schmidt (Editor)

Microbes, especially molds and bacteria, growing in water-damaged buildings make people sick. Powerfully written, Surviving Mold follows Mold Warriors (published in 2005) as the definitive source of information on "mold" illness, its basis in inflammation, its physiology and its links to politics, lawsuits and science. Written by America's most widely published mold-treating physician, Surviving Mold has true stories, cutting edge science and a wide open expose of the shenanigans in medicine, governmental agencies and courtrooms regarding this increasingly common problem in the US and around the world. If you have an ill-defined chronic illness, or know someone who does, your first step to return to health might be to ask if there is the possibility of exposure to musty basements, wet bathrooms, leaking roofs, flat-roofed schools, offices buildings with recirculated air or buildings with construction defects. If you already know that you could be sickened by water-damaged buildings, Surviving Mold will guide you through diagnosis and treatment, through remediation and return to health. Complete with multiple chapters written by guest authors, Surviving Mold is based on Dr. Shoemaker's experience with over 6000 patients he has treated from all 50 states and 30 foreign countries. The science in Surviving Mold is all peer-reviewed and published.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

784 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2010

Reviews

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skip to the end for practical applications - useful info. There's a lot of well researched material in this book, but the format and multiple case files distract from it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a who dun it mystery interwoven with anecdotes. For someone diagnosed with CIRS myself it was very frustrating to read (cognitive issues of short term memory is a problem). Wish it included an index as it is a 799 page book. It could have been a great reference but instead it is more of a salute to Dr Shoemaker and how he solved The Who dun it mystery.. it leaves those still suffering wondering what to do know that he has retired besides getting on waitlist for the few trained in his protocol. I wish it was written more like a reference Manuel, I will have to read it again to understand the science to be able to talk with my doctors about all the bloodwork Shoemaker reccomended. This book leaves me hopeful and hopeless at the same time because the chapter on mold remediation leaves me clueless on how to even begin determining where the mold is. I still give it 4 stars for content but if you really want to learn what's going on stick to the information on the surviving mold website.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected. There are lots of stories about people suffering mold illness and how they were treated by employers, court system, medical system. There is not a lot of what you can do if you think you may be suffering from mold, or someone you know. Very interesting though.

[Jesus Salgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories in this book are profoundly sad yet crucial. The author adeptly addresses issues within the medical industry, particularly regarding mold, CIRS, and possibly other autoimmune conditions (although there may be some uncertainty about the latter). Despite this, the book falls short of fulfilling its title. A clear solution is elusive, offering only vague steps that might not be easily comprehensible to the average person. Improved structuring could transform it into a valuable reference book.

[Katie Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

So poorly edited that it was difficult to read. Comes off as more of a self-aggrandizing tome than a helpful reference for sufferers or enlightening educational resource.
Miserable read; disorganized, full of typos, meandering, lacking in focus, never really seems to make a clear point other than "they, bad; me, good".

[Mike Haslip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Personal stories too long. I just skip a lot part of them. Otherwise it is a good read and educational.