When Thomas Edison began wiring New York City with a direct current electricity distribution system in the 1880s, he gave humankind the magic of electric light, heat, and power; in the process, though, he inadvertently opened a Pandora's Box of unimaginable illness and death. "Dirty Electricity" tells the story of Dr. Samuel Milham, the scientist who first alerted the world about the frightening link between occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and human disease. Milham takes readers through his early years and education, following the twisting path that led to his discovery that most of the twentieth century diseases of civilization, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and suicide, are caused by electromagnetic field exposure.
Dr. Milham warns that because of the recent proliferation of radio frequency radiation from cell phones and towers, terrestrial antennas, Wi-Fi and Wi-max systems, broadband internet over power lines, and personal electronic equipment, we may be facing a looming epidemic of morbidity and mortality. In "Dirty Electricity," he reveals the steps we must take, personally and as a society, to coexist with this marvelous but dangerous technology.
"There is a high likelihood that most of the twentieth century "diseases of civilization," including cardiovascular disease, malignant neoplasms (cancer), diabetes, and suicide, are not caused by lifestyle alone, but by certain physical aspects of electricity itself."
This is a very important book by a very noble doctor and epidemiologist. As a health care provider for 20 years now, this book has put many of the pieces of the chronic disease puzzle together. After spending 10 years working about 50 meters from a cell phone mast, while living sandwiched between a cell tower 500 meters away and high voltage power lines 150 meters away, I have slowly felt the steady effects of this radiation. I have nearly eliminated my regular exposure to cell phone radiation and WiFi, but unfortunately, I am helpless at this stage against the biggest contributors to my over-exposure. However, this is set to change in the next two to three years, as I will be moving my home and office. With the help of his book, I am now also eager to take steps toward further reducing our possible exposure to dirty electricity, as well.
Dr. Milham has described many of his own studies which should be a warning to humanity, but unfortunately, most people are unwilling to believe that something that seems so inert and innocuous could be behind devastating diseases like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. Over the years, I have to come to realize that most if not all diseases require several ingredients to lead to pathology and eventually disease. Since I began questioning my patients this year about their electromagnetic field exposure, I have seen a link with many problems and believe that this is a major, yet underestimated health hazard.
Sadly, society has dived in head-first into the convenience of the wireless age, without testing its safety, and we are already seeing the consequences, as neurobehavioural symptoms become the norm. One example is the fact that clinical depression is now the main cause of disability around the world. Over 800,000 people also commit suicide every year. A large percentage of my patients are using anti-depressants. Most people I come across are also not sleeping well. Most people also feel fatigued. In the UK, brain tumors are now the main cancers found in children. In the U.S., the rate of testicular and thyroid cancers in teenagers is rising. Infertility rates are also increasing. In fact, now more than ever, many young people don't even feel the need to procreate, often deciding not to marry and not to have children. A study from about 20 years ago, alarmingly discovered that mice became infertile within 5 generations, after being chronically exposed to EMF's in an antenna farm.
The studies are mounting and the truly independent scientists are trying to warn us. Sadly, very few are listening. Everyone should read this book, as this doctor has dedicated his life to removing a major cause of ill-health and disease. The rest is up to us.
The “Silent Spring” of EMF's. In 2009 at the age of 39 I had become so ill that I was on prescription medications to keep me awake so that I could keep working and prescription sleep medications to enable me to sleep. I was working in the commercial and utility solar photovoltaic industry at the time. I was leading a life that resembled that of a zombie, I was not dead and I was not fully alive either. Sam Milham's book came out a year later and was an enlightenment. I have just read the second edition 2012 release and it is a revelation! I reported the electromagnetic field (EMF) problems that I discovered were affecting my health to OSHA and other government agencies, and it is very concerning that they appear to be engaging in a cover-up of the human health electromagnetic radiation (EMR) problems that have been known for decades! "Most people have no idea that OSHA is a ghost and has been so for years" Devra Davis. You are responsible for your own safety and health, and reading this book will go a long way to preventing you from becoming sick. I have recovered much of my health after years of what I now know was easily preventable sickness. No prescription medications needed. Thank you Dr. Milham!
Skip the first 5 chapters and the preface. They are mostly biographical and self-aggrandizing, with information that is of no use even elsewhere in the same chapter (e.g. 'we had two cars and a house', 'the landlady evicted us for setting fire to the cabinets', etc.).
Weak points aside, this may point to the culprit behind 'diseases of modern civilization' like cancers, depression, diabetes, etc. As can be expected, the author's experience trying to perform studies has been contested/stone-walled by industry and government.
A must read book for insight into our electrified world, how we got here, what electricity is doing to our sensitive bodies and brains and how to pull back the reins of power in your life, your home and your business. An eye-opening, heartfelt and truthful account with testimonies and stories of cell towers and the harm they caused in two California schools. Great book!
I picked this up open to the authors premise. I don't know much about the topic but know that the author spent 1/3 of the book writing an autobiography and then proceeded to spend the rest of a very short book referencing his past work (and almost no one else). He makes very tenuous connections to many different topics and situations and offers up little to no scientific evidence. I read this book with an open mind to the topic. I leave feeling LESS convinced.
the title of the book is very important subject to discuss but the author kept talking about himself untill the end of chapter 6 then he started talking about electricity... he didn't give enough information about it and I didn't like his way of writing (write so much and give very few information )
Reading is a way of educating yourself. This book is a quick, but fascinating look into environmental and technological causes of cancer. I highly recommend it. The more people read this book, and make changes to their environment, the less cancer would impact the world.
As a doctor_ researcher myself, I cant accept the concepts covered in the book.
cancer and congenital genetic abnormalities are multifactorial disorders and adapting inductive approach to make a big, wholesome conclusion is highly ridiculous and unacceptable in medicine.
The book is basically an appeal for more research into the effect of man-made energy on the human body. I absolutely agree with the authors plea. Being that we are energy beings, it makes sense to me that we should understand the effects of man-made energy on our body. I also enjoyed reading about the authors experiences as an MD/epidemiologist.
"The scientific basis of medical education could be boiled down to the study of pathology, which is the physical, pathologic, and cellular basis of all disease. There was no formal course in medical history, but reading about those who went before us and how they solved the medical mysteries of their time inspired me then, and it still does." It seems crazy to me that we can specialize in something and not know its history! The history of a discipline is so important because it helps us understand why we are where we are and question the validity of our current standing. I loved that they author had a desire to understand his careers history.
"I had to convince parents that this disease was not caused by the (polio) vaccine."
"the body mounts an immune response to EMF fields"
"Many are also unaware that the Russians and Eastern Europeans have been at the forefront of this (EMF) research for many years, and have enacted stricter EMF exposure standards than in the west."
"The cows (milk production) were responding to dirty electricity..."
"Wind farms create two serious health problems; low frequency sound waves (infrasound) caused by the turbine blades and dirty electricity caused by the inverters." Described in "Wind Turbine Syndrome" by Dr. Nina Peirpont
Conclusion: "I believe that man-made EMFs, especially dirty electricity, are stressors and are responsible for many of the disease patterns of electrified populations"
During the twentieth century there was a steady rise in death rates from the so-called diseases of civilization: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, suicide, etc. This book blames that excess mortality on residential electrification--widespread exposure to electrical fields. Why is the same excess mortality not seen among the Amish in the US and Canada, who live without electricity? The arguments here, while not entirely convincing, cannot be dismissed. The circumstantial evidence is there and its implications are enormous, because EMF exposure levels are rising at explosive rates. If this book is correct, we are on course for a public health catastrophe.
The first six chapters establish the author's credentials as an epidemiologist. Chapters 7 through 11 are the meat of this book; they present the evidence, advise where future research is needed, and suggest remedial measures. The author links "dirty electricity," cell phones and their towers, radar, computers, dimmer switches, fluorescent lamps, etc., to many diseases, including asthma, Alzheimer's, sleep disorders, depression, Lou Gehrig's disease, melanoma, and cancer. He cites experiments on rats that show "radiofrequency microwave exposure to be a potent animal carcinogen." The rats showed significantly elevated T and B cells, indicating an immune response to the microwaves. The author opines that "with chronic immune stimulation, the immune system fatigues and fails, allowing the cancers to occur."
An important book and a call to action. A must read for health-conscious people everywhere.
I was researching the toxicity of electrical energy systems after having a toxic electromagnetic exposure from a high powered solar photovoltaic system. I was not surprised to find that the toxicity of electromagnetic radiation was well understood in the 1950's. I have also researched the biological growth defects that occur in these fields and have come to the same conclusions as other researchers in the field of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). I find it very concerning that we are now in a wireless radiation epidemic and that radio wave and microwave sickness has been very well understood by the world governments since the 1930's. Dirty Electricity can do very weird things to both mental and physical health. I have seen the effects occur in people that I have worked with and didn't really understand it until recently. I highly recommended this book!
The first 30 pages are a biography of the author. The last 60 pages contains the interesting stuff and the author points to findings that really should be looked into but isn't due to mainly monetary reasons.
Gave it 4 stars, thought it was easy to read and important. Even though I found Dr Milham's personal history interesting, it wasn't completely necessary to the subject matter.
Wow I had no idea! I think this is a must read. Knowledge is power and this very articulate man has empowered us to improve the health of ourselves, loved ones and each other while educating us on several different levels!
I have long suspected that the EMF's that we are continually exposed to can't be good for us and this book confirms my suspicions. A must read for everyone who is serious about protecting their good health.
good picture of problematic electricity and understanding of how that is hidden
A great overview of Samuel milham research on dirty electricity. The problem s that are caused by dirty electricity and possiable solutions to the problems.
An interesting read - the book shows with statistics (epidemology) how heart discease and cancer followed the proliferation of electricity in the USA in the 1930 and 1940.
You can skip the first 60 pages or so. After that it meaty and it's very clear to me that we have a problem on our hands with electricity. I'm making strides to minimize my exposure.
My doctor recommended this book. It was an easy read, and I learned a bit about EMFs. However, I really wish the author had done a better job of refuting other possible arguments against EMF. Instead he immediately draws the conclusion in all his examples that they were caused by EMF. What other possible factors were looked at and disproven in each cluster case? I don't disbelieve in EMF; I just felt that he lacked credibility when he didn't consider all possible angles of an incidence of disease. Maybe that's just the researcher/journalism major in me. I also had hoped for more information about how to protect against EMF, but there was just a page or two in the back of the book. All in all, an interesting read.
Although informative, I found this book more of an autobiography than a fact-based text on EMF-related diseases. I gained the most from the last three chapters of the book, which were quite good and highlighted some useful and disturbing information. Unfortunately, I have found many other resources which proved to be far more useful in research and in practice.
I will say that I do agree with the points the author made at the end of the book and his message should be taken far more seriously - though perhaps with a different delivery method or writing style.
This is perhaps the fifth EMF book I've read recently, but the only one that focuses exclusively on dirty electricity, which is the component of EMF that I felt I understood least. I skipped over many of the chapters that describe detrimental health effects (I knew all that already and didn't need to be convinced), focusing on how you measure it, what causes it, and how you can tell if someone has a problem with it. Each book I read on the subject helps me get a broader picture. This was no exception.
Great overview regarding the dangers of EMFs and how they have affected communities. The author uses many studies and sources to tell stories and explain how and why EMFs (dirty electricity) is such a danger to society.
I do wish that the author had included more tangible ways to reduce our exposure, like things we can do in our home to make it healthier. Alas, it was still a great read if you want to know more about EMFs and their negative influence on our lives.
The core idea in this book is that electrification itself is not the cause of disease, but "dirty electricity" is. Electricity in the U.S. is supposed to be 60 Hz which means that it shifts polarity 60 times per second. But the truth (and he is correct on this point) is that electricity has to be conditioned in a variety of ways for our various devices to use them which introduces other frequencies onto the power lines. So instead of a clean 60 Hz sine wave, (for those who don't know what a sine wave looks like, think of a sort of S shape on it's side) you have a static ridden sine wave. To techies who worked with analog electronics in the past, this is known as noise. In general, Milham is right about this aspect of power delivery systems. Where I hold a lot of skepticism is in these two facts:
1. There is only one company in the entire world who has a device that can measure and change this condition 2. That this noise on the power lines has any effect on biological matter. The EM (electromagnetic) fields are just not strong enough to affect biological tissue unless you sleep with your head against an outlet or inside your computer.
Just last week, the CDC announced that cell phones do cause brain cancer. Milham's findings (he was an epidemiologist for over 20 years) do suggest some strong correlations between electrification and the rising incidences of various cancers and other illnesses. However, no causation is ever proven in the book. And since the company that makes the meters to measure this noise and filter it out is the only one in existence, they are either on the vanguard of a new approach to EM <-> biological interaction, or... they're just selling snake oil for the 21st century. For techies, what they speak of is simply a capacitor that will short high frequency (above 100 Hz) noise back to ground so it never enters your devices. The best this will do is prolong the life of your electrical equipment somewhat.
I know that high power EM fields have effects on biological matter at a pretty good distance. It's also apparent (based on what the CDC said last week) that very close and regular exposure to low power EM fields can have an effect on biological systems. So I won't say that Milham's work does not hold any value. But, I was disappointed that some of it seemed to be promotion for the company that makes the filtering and metering devices. If there is a threat from this noise, I would have expected to see open publication of the specs for such a filter so that more than one company could make it or even hobbyists like myself could build one to test with.
This is a very good book on the dangers of dirty electricity. The author discussed how this particular type of electricity can strongly contribute to cancer along with how to fix this problem. This would have to be done by electricians and the proper authorities, which so far are refusing to do so. I was very surprised when he said studies of this have shown that people who live in rural areas are often healthier because they are exposed to less dirty electricity and this effect is present even with other factors like bad diet and smoking. So a person who does not eat healthy food and smokes but lives in the country and breathes fresh air and does not have so much dirty electricity around might be much healthier and less prone to cancer than a health nut living in the city and working in a dirty electricity workplace. This was astonishing to me, but I believe it. The author also discusses the dangers of cell phone radiation. Overall this is a great book to add to your health library.
"At breakfast one morning during one of the trials, a utility expert I'd known for twenty years admitted that our side was right. But it did not stop him from pocketing a reported quarter of a million dollars a year as an expert witness for the utility companies, in addition to his full university professor's salary." page 45
An eye opening book in an area and environmental danger I would have never considered as being hazardous to health - “dirty electricity”.
I feel it could have been better at discussing solutions better and more in-depth for the end consumer/victims of dirty electricity vs an industry wide solution and instigators of dirty electricity - which is a shame as a lot of the book was biographical and case studies - but when it got into the meat and solutions it was short and not as in-depth as I would have liked ...
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A very interesting and informative book on the connection between household electricity supplies and various so-called "diseases of modern society", which shows that its not just diet or lifestyle which contributes to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. It's well-written and easy to follow, even though there are some technical terms used, but Sam gives a clear explanation for everything.
It's scary reading how there are so many sources of "dirty electricity" and EMF radiation that we are exposed to, without any warnings from the suppliers or manufacturers.
It's also disheartening to read how the authorities and regulators want to cover up or deny any connection between EMF radiation and ill-health, because admitting the truth of what Sam has uncovered would cost them lots of money.
While I didn't completely understand everything. I can tell you I did understand that our world is slowly hurting & damaging ourselves & it appears the top dogs know it! Saw differences w/the suggestion made to unplug the wifi @night. 1st night, everyone slept longer including the dogs & I awoke with a low blood sugar. Noticed my blood sugars were much lower than normal for a few days then read how Dirty Electricity does affect blood glucose levels. What! Im sold and my husband states he sleeps deeper now with it off. Read the book & enlighten yourself. So glad I did!
Very interesting book about the negative effects of "Dirty Electricity". Very thought provoking. I have begun examining the electrical circuits in our house and looking for transient voltages within the normal 60hz that should be there. The recent purchase by everyone of compact florescent bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs may have been a huge mistake. They are more efficient, but introduce massive amounts of transient voltages that can lead to a variety of very negative health effects. I would suggest that everyone replace them as soon as you can with LEDs. They also contain mercury, so don't just throw them away.