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A Taste for Poison
A Taste for Poison: Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them | Neil Bradbury, Ph.D.
21 posts | 17 read | 25 to read
A fascinating tale of poisons and poisonous deeds which both educates and entertains. --Kathy Reichs A brilliant blend of science and crime, A TASTE FOR POISON reveals how eleven notorious poisons affect the body--through the murders in which they were used. As any reader of murder mysteries can tell you, poison is one of the most enduringand popularweapons of choice for a scheming murderer. It can be slipped into a drink, smeared onto the tip of an arrow or the handle of a door, even filtered through the air we breathe. But how exactly do these poisons work to break our bodies down, and what can we learn from the damage they inflict? In a fascinating blend of popular science, medical history, and true crime, Dr. Neil Bradbury explores this most morbidly captivating method of murder from a cellular level. Alongside real-life accounts of murderers and their crimessome notorious, some forgotten, some still unsolvedare the equally compelling stories of the poisons involved: eleven molecules of death that work their way through the human body and, paradoxically, illuminate the way in which our bodies function. Drawn from historical records and current news headlines, A Taste for Poison weaves together the tales of spurned lovers, shady scientists, medical professionals and political assassins to show how the precise systems of the body can be impaired to lethal effect through the use of poison. From the deadly origins of the gin & tonic cocktail to the arsenic-laced wallpaper in Napoleons bedroom, A Taste for Poison leads readers on a riveting tour of the intricate, complex systems that keep us aliveor dont.
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CoffeeK8
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Pickpick

One down for my #readyourkindle books for Sept. this book was a fascinating look at the science of poisons and their historical uses (both medically beneficial and murderous)

kspenmoll This sounds fascinating! 2mo
CoffeeK8 @kspenmoll it was really interesting! 2mo
33 likes2 comments
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Lauranahe
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This was definitely my favorite book of August. Loved it so much! Suuuuuper fascinating.

CoffeeK8 I‘m reading this right now, so fascinating! 2mo
Lauranahe Isn‘t it?? I got through it so fast because I couldn‘t put it down. 2mo
16 likes2 comments
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Lauranahe
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Pickpick

I loved this! It‘s a perfect blend of sciency stuff with the poisons and true crime. Absolutely fascinating. And I appreciate how the author managed to make a lot of the science understandable to a non-science person like me.

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Kristy_K
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Pickpick

I think the blurb by Kathy Reich says it best: ”A fascinating tale of poison and poisonous deeds that both educated and entertains.” This had a great mix of science and true crime. I learned and I (surprisingly) laughed.

#science #truecrime

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Chrissyreadit
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Jessica this was a great box! I love that you have entered the Litsy Swap Fun! The magnets were amazing! I‘m in love with them- and the snacks and cocoa are headed to work where i will savor them in my office. I loved everything Thank you so much! #hhs #hauntedhollowswap
Thank you Lynn for hosting this very fun swap! 🖤🧡

TheBookHippie Are those pins?! How fun!!! 13mo
Chrissyreadit @JessieKB I just realized that you sent both boxes!!! i never even looked at my #allhallowsreadswap box until just now when I opened it!!! FYI- (as a swap organizer- feel free to to check in with the organizers if you ever get the same name in a swap season- it can be possible to switch people around sometimes- Also if you get the same person two seasons in a row - (your packages are perfect so a win for me- but if you want to “know more people” 13mo
Chrissyreadit @JessieKB it is also ok to put on form- under anything else i need to know (for example)- I had Chrissy for last two swaps and would love someone new…. 13mo
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Chrissyreadit @JessieKB that being said- you are a great swap partner! I loved your packages so much and feel very lucky that you were my sender🖤🧡🖤🧡- i hope you enjoyed swapping! Christmas is usually a busy season too! 13mo
Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie MAGNETS! they are gorgeous too! 13mo
TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit omg even better! 13mo
wanderinglynn Love it! 🎃🖤👻🧡 13mo
JessieKB I am so glad!!! I hope you enjoy🖤🎃🧡 I am still holding out for a vegan treat review🤣 have a wonderful next two days!!! 13mo
62 likes8 comments
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MicrobeMom
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Pickpick

This was a great mix of the history and science of poisons. Nice, fun, easy (if not a little disturbing) non-fiction read. Thanks @ElizaMarie for the suggestion. This was totally up my alley!

ElizaMarie I am thrilled you enjoyed it! @CattiewithaC recommended it to me! 2y
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ElizaMarie
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I have recommended this book to so many coworkers (who like both true crime and who have the health care love as well). This was my #November 2022 book.

@12BooksOf2022
@Andrew65

Andrew65 I‘m spotting a theme! 😂 2y
ElizaMarie @Andrew65 haha yea!!!! I am a succor for true crime :) 2y
13 likes2 comments
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ElizaMarie
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I couldn't stop listening to this one! And I re-listened to some f the chapters to absorb it a lot more! Wow! Also recommended it to several coworkers (nursing staff and pharmacy staff) who would love this! Thank you again @catiewithac , for the recommendation!

#CrimeADay
@Bookworm54 @AkashaVampie @AsYouWish @jb72 @DieAReader @Jessinikkip @AnansiGirl @Read4Life

#BookSpinBingo
@TheAromaOfBooks

catiewithac I‘m so glad you liked it! 2y
Bookworm54 This does sound super interesting! 2y
DieAReader Sounds intriguing! (Stacked!) ♥️Thanks for the tag📚#MountTBR updated🤫😂😏 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
25 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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ElizaMarie
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@catiewithac after hearing you talk about this book, I had to pick it up as my next #AudioCommute book. So far I am loving it! Thanks for the recommendation!

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catiewithac
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Pickpick

I loved this book about toxic elements and chemicals and the poisoners who used them! The writer mixes equal parts science and true crime to create a perfect blend of both. Most of the featured poisoners were doctors and nurses 😱 The adage that the dose makes the poison is so true! ☠️🧪

coffees oOoOO sounds interesting 😏 2y
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AvidReaderandGeekGirl
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Mehso-so

3 stars- The book was interesting, but because of the way it was set up, especially in audiobook format let your attention wander at the beginning of the chapter when he was talking about the history of the poison, and only begin to pay attention at the true crime and “how it kills“ parts at the end of each chapter. Which means you'd miss things. It was also a bit overall technical. But it was informative.

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AvidReaderandGeekGirl
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🌱 💀 So far pretty interesting 🙂

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DogMomIrene
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Pickpick

Really interesting collection of stories of various people using different poisons to kill. I liked how the author organized the sections by poison type. Made the book easy to pick up & down. Sometimes he seemed to go down a sciencey rabbit hole explaining details about how the poisons work. I‘d be skimming those parts thinking, “I don‘t need to know chemical interaction blah blah blah! Tell me more true crime details!”

Dragon Agatha Christie is to blame for my interest in poisons - stacking 💚🐉 2y
DogMomIrene @Dragon The author actually mentions Christie and her affinity for poisons! 2y
Dragon So cool - definitely a must read 👍💚🐉 2y
Libby1 Flavia de Luce would love this book! 2y
58 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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DogMomIrene
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Snuggles with my best guy + a beautiful day with refreshing breeze + an interesting book = Heaven💜

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DogMomIrene
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So far, this book nicely balances scientific facts about toxins and poisons with interesting narrative details about how different people have used those substances to kill. Informative and entertaining!

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StellaDz
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Pickpick

This book was definitely more than I thought it was going to be. While it can qualify as a true crime, it is also so detailed in how poisons work and how the body reacts, that it could be considered a biology book. It was interesting to learn about the non-traditional poisons (although they were included) and also learn about the killers (not all female) that used them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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StellaDz
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Yeah I stopped what I was doing and ran right to my bottle of B12 to see. 😳#currentlylistening

brittanybooks 😳😳 3y
StellaDz @brittanybooks even crazier! As I finished the chapter, B12 is an antidote to cyanide poisoning. So I‘m technically taking cyanide but should I get cyanide poisoning, I can take B12 to save me 🤯 3y
brittanybooks @StellaDz that‘s wild! Now I‘m even more excited to read it! 3y
StellaDz @brittanybooks let me know what you think! I am thoroughly enjoying it! It is very interesting and technical! 3y
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StellaDz
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The next audiobook! As a Type 1 Diabetic, I was both, not expecting this but also, glad it‘s being addressed!

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Hana321
Pickpick

So even if you think you know poisons, I think you will learn something new from this fascinating book. This is a deep dive into the history and uses of toxic substances. It isn‘t terribly long, but it is comprehensive, and I found it completely fascinating. No need for a chemistry degree to understand the topic, it‘s presented in an easy to understand format.

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rachelsbrittain
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Pickpick

A book about poisons and the killers who used them. This reminded me a bit of the The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum but with more emphasis on the chemical side of various poisons from the obvious (cyanide) and archaic (belladonna) to the surprising (insulin). We might not think of all of these as deadly compounds but after all the dose makes the poisons.

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sebrittainclark
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I love seasonal book bingos, so I'm going to give this #OctoberBookBingo a shot this month

@rachelsbrittain

rachelsbrittain 🎃🎃🎃 3y
31 likes1 comment