Status Updates From Pandora's Lab: Seven Storie...

Chapter 5 is about lobotomies and is, naturally, disturbing. As an environmental science nerd, I would argue that chapter 6 alone makes the entire book worth reading: The Rachel Carson chapter. Scientists aren’t to be deified, and science is always developing and evolving. It’s not dogmatic, but a process and a method. As Derek succinctly put it, “nature doesn’t give a f*** whether or not we understand it.”

Stories 2, 3, and 4 are: America’s dogmatic adoption of “low fat heart healthy diets” and the introduction of trans fats; Fritz Haber’s role in feeding the planet and his crimes against humanity (which I’m so surprised hasn’t been turned into an Oppenheimer-type movie yet); eugenics, which is the chapter I’ve learned the most in so far, as I couldn’t have told you a thing about Madison Grant before reading it.

The first chapter covers the discovery, development, and marketing of opium. Starting with the poppy to the Purdue Pharma court case. Hard to read, but packed with lots of little things to think about.

Ross’s (of Oh No Ross and Carrie) review of Pandora’s Lab inspired me to read this. So far his nonfiction recommendations have been both really informative and fun to read. Not at all surprised to find Fritz Haber is featured in this book, and really interested in reading more about why Rachel Carson is.