{"product_id":"the-elements-of-murder-a-history-of-poison","title":"The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison","description":"\u003cp\u003eWas Napoleon killed by the arsenic in his wallpaper? How did Rasputin survive cyanide poisoning? Which chemicals in our environment pose the biggest threat to our health today? In The Elements of Murder  John Emsley offers a fascinating account of five of the most toxic elements--arsenic  antimony  lead  mercury  and thallium--describing their lethal chemical properties and highlighting their use in some of the most famous murder cases in history. Indeed  we meet in this book a whos who of heartless murderers. Mary Ann Cotton  who used arsenic to murder her mother  three husbands  a lover  eight of her own children  and seven step children  a grand total of 20 people. Michael Swango  who may have killed as many as 60 of his patients and several of his colleagues during the 20 years he practiced as a doctor and paramedic. And even Saddam Hussein  who used thallium sulfate to poison his political rivals. Emsley also shows which toxic elements may have been behind the madness of King George III (almost certainly a case of acute lead poisoning)  the delusions of Isaac Newton  and the strange death of King Charles II. In addition  the book examines many modern day environmental catastrophes  including accidental mass poisoning from lead and arsenic  and the Minamata Bay disaster in Japan. Written by a leading science writer  famous for his knowledge of the elements and their curious and colorful histories  The Elements of Murder offers an enticing combination of true crime tales and curious science that adds up to an addictive read.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44946077777973,"sku":"ByrdShop_0192805991","price":23.88,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780192805997.jpg?v=1769922437","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-elements-of-murder-a-history-of-poison","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}