Recommended Books & DVDs on Chemical Sensitivity

Amputated Lives: Coping with Chemical Sensitivity
Alison Johnson
With a Foreword by L. Christine Oliver, M.D., Harvard Medical School

The condition of multiple chemical sensitivity has been rapidly growing with the proliferation of new, untested chemicals in our environment. In recent decades, people from many walks of life have developed a new intolerance for the chemicals found in perfume, air fresheners, cleaning products, fabric softeners, diesel and auto exhaust, new carpet, paint, and other products. Their ranks include large numbers of Exxon Valdez cleanup workers, Gulf War veterans, 9/11 First Responders, and FEMA trailer residents. Part I of Amputated Lives analyzes the development of chemical sensitivity in these various groups and its consequences. Part II illustrates with stories from various individuals how this condition can quickly wreck what was once a good life.

"Amputated Lives is a brilliant culmination of over a decade of work by Alison Johnson, author of landmark books, publications, and documentaries on multiple chemical sensitivity. Everyone should read Amputated Lives. It provides an unparalleled perspective on the causes and consequences of toxic exposures, which have devastated far too many lives." - Anne Steinemann, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington
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Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High Stakes
Nicholas A. Ashford, PhD, JD, and Claudia Miller, MD
John Wiley, 2nd edition, 1998

The definitive scholarly book on MCS. Reviews the literature on health effects of low-level chemical exposures, MCS, and related topics. Fairly technical. Loaded with references .Discusses the proposed origins of MCS, health effects associated with chemicals and food, physiological mechanisms, diagnostic approaches, developments in research and recognition of MCS, and chemical industry efforts to block this recognition.
"Clinicians and policymakers would do well to read and heed the advice of this book."–Journal of the American Medical Association
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Or download full text in PDF (free)

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Survival Guide, 2nd. ed.
Pamela Reed Gibson, PhD
Earthrive Publications, 2006

Provides step-by-step methods for coping with MCS, including suggestions for how to make one's home safe, choose treatments, get professional help, apply for disability benefits, and mobilize the support of family and friends.

“Professor Gibson has written a book of solid scholarship and compassionate understanding about an illness that desperately needs both. This is a highly readable work offering inspiration and a wealth of knowledgeable advice to those afflicted with this difficult and frequently misunderstood modern health problem. It is a remarkable thing: A book about MCS by a psychologist who knows that the illness is not psychological.” - Lynn Lawson, M.A., author of Staying Well in a Toxic World

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Prescriptions for a Healthy House: A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders, and Homeowners, 3rd. ed. (Only buy this edition.)
Paula Baker-Laporte, Erica Elliott, and John Banta
New Society Publishers; Third Edition edition (May 1, 2008)

From the back cover:

The authors - an architect, restoration consultant and medical doctor - bring a singular combination of expertise and perspectives to this book. The result - now in its third completely update edition - is a unique guide to creating healthy indoor and outdoor spaces, including many new resources as well as specialized knowledge from several nationally recognized experts in the field of building biology.

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Casualties of Progress: Personal Histories from the Chemically Sensitive
Alison Johnson, Editor
MCS Information Exchange, 2000

"Alison Johnson is a highly respected freelance journalist who has given us first-rate books and videos on the subject of chemical sensitivity and Gulf War syndrome. This volume, like her other works, advances our understanding of how chemical exposures from our air, food, and water can trigger serious illnesses in a growing proportion of our population."–Gerald Ross, MD, FRSM, Past President, American Academy of Environmental Medicine

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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Life-Altering Condition
A 69-minute DVD produced and directed by Alison Johnson
Johnson/Startzman Films, 2013

This new composite film contains the best and most effective sections of Alison Johnson’s six earlier films and in particular emphasizes the need for fragrance-free workplaces. The experts and patients from her earlier films have been carefully chosen so that this new film will be an effective way of helping people to understand multiple chemical sensitivity. The film contains footage of interviews with four members of Congress, with the former commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and with many important physicians.

For further information and to order,go to http://alisonjohnsonmcs.com/

Gulf War Syndrome: Aftermath of a Toxic Battlefield
A 60-minute DVD produced and directed by Alison Johnson
Johnson/Startzman Films, 2000

This DVD documents the exposures to oil well fires, nerve gas, and other toxic substances that our troops encountered in the Gulf War and shows the severe health problems that have resulted. A copy was given to each member of Congress with a letter of endorsement from Ross Perot.

"Producer Alison Johnson has successfully captured on film the plight and pain of these heroes."
–Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT), Chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations

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The Toxic Clouds of 9/11: A Looming Health Disaster
A 68-minute DVD produced and directed by Alison Johnson
Johnson-Startzman Films, 2006

“I wish every politician and policymaker could see this moving and powerful film. It is a wake-up call.”
–Congressman Jerrold Nadler, D-NY, Representative for the Ground Zero District

“This documentary provides an excellent overview of health problems among New Yorkers exposed to the WTC toxins, including the often neglected issue of the risk of developing a condition known as multiple chemical sensitivity.”
–Christine Oliver, M.D., Harvard Medical School

“Well produced and soundly researched, with highly knowledgeable experts offering commentary. Toxic Clouds . . . resonates so deeply in the public psyche; it belongs in every public library.”
–Library Journal, March 1, 2007

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Gulf War Syndrome: Legacy of a Perfect War
Alison Johnson
MCS Information Exchange, 2001

Part I contains chapters discussing the various toxic exposures our troops encountered in the Gulf War. Part II contains stories from 24 ill veterans in their own words.

“I was privileged to work with Alison Johnson as she did research on the role of chemical exposure to the unexplained illnesses of Gulf War veterans. . . . Alison Johnson is clearly a gifted researcher, writer, and film maker. “
–Ronald R. Blanck, DO, Lt. General, U.S. Army, Ret.
Former Commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Former U.S. Army Surgeon General

"Alison Johnson's knowledge of the field of chemical injury and chemical sensitivity has enabled her to present a careful analysis of the various toxic exposures that have contributed to Gulf War syndrome."–Gunnar Heuser, MD, PhD, FACP, NeuroMed and NeuroTox Associates, Agoura Hills, California, Assistant Clinical Professor, UCLA School of Medicine

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Staying Well in a Toxic World: Understanding Environmental Illness, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Chemical Injuries, and Sick Building Syndrome
Lynn Lawson
Lynnword Press, 1994

A comprehensive discussion of the health effects of chemicals commonly used in our modern world. This 488-page book is loaded with resources, references, and suggested reading. An 80-page supplement published in 2000 updates the resources and notes changes that have occurred in the world of exposure to toxic chemicals since the original volume was published.
"Lynn Lawson has documented, in a highly readable fashion, the devastating effects our surroundings are having on one particular endangered species–human beings."–John Bower, Healthy House Institute, author of Healthy House Building and The Healthy House

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Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Ann McCampbell, M.D.
Revised, 2011

A 24-page booklet providing a concise, clear overview of MCS.

To order, send a $5.00 check made out to "Ann McCampbell, MD" to the Environmental Health Connection, 11 Esquilla Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Discounts available for volume purchases.

An Alternative Approach to Allergies
Theron G. Randolph, MD, and Ralph W. Moss, Harper & Row, revised edition, 1989

Dr. Randolph is the "father" of the field of environmental medicine.
"The authors lucidly illustrate the scope and severity of ecologic illness now pervading our society and offer many practical aids to help everyone recognize this type of problem."–Doris J. Rapp, MD

For further information and to order, click here