American Poison

A Deadly Invention and the Woman Who Battled for Environmental Justice

By: Daniel Stone

Narrated by: Daniel Stone

From the national bestselling author of The Food Explorer comes the untold story of Alice Hamilton, a trailblazing doctor and public health activist who took on the booming auto industry—and the deadly invention of leaded gasoline, which would poison millions of people across America.

At noon on October 27, 1924, a factory worker was admitted to a hospital in New York City, suffering from hallucinations and convulsions. Before breakfast the next day, he was dead. Alice Hamilton was determined to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

By the time of the accident, Hamilton had pioneered the field of industrial medicine in the United States. She specialized in workplace safety years before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created. She was the first female professor at Harvard. She spent decades inspecting factories and mines. But this time, she was up against a formidable new foe: America’s relentless push for progress, regardless of the cost.

The 1920s were an exciting decade. Industry was booming. Labor was flourishing. Automobiles were changing roads, cities, and nearly all parts of American life. And one day, an ambitious scientist named Thomas Midgley Jr. triumphantly found just the right chemical to ensure that this boom would continue. His discovery—tetraethyl leaded gasoline—set him up for great wealth and the sort of fame that would land his name in history books.

Soon, Hamilton would be on a collision course with Midgley, fighting full force against his invention, which poisoned the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the basic structure of our brains.

American Poison is the gripping story of Hamilton’s unsung battle for a healthy planet—and the ramifications that continue to echo today.

What an eye-opening book

How it’s possible to have avoided the saga of leaded gas and its impact on public health and our planet I find it hard to fathom. The story is one that is essential to know and this book tells it, and celebrates its unsung heroine, beautifully.

Great storytelling

Interesting to hear about a public health issue in such an engaging story form. Really enjoyed it!

Fascinating and exceptionally written

A friend recommended this book, and I’m so glad they did. My understanding of key facts shaping current American life feels broader now, with a journalistic storytelling that kept me hooked. I highly recommend

Entertaining and empowering

I was nervous to start American Poison because I was worried it would be very depressing. However (and thankfully), I found myself feeling empowered, informed, and entertained. Daniel Stone crafts a compelling story that primarily follows the lives of two seemingly opposite characters, Alice Hamilton and Thomas Midgley. Their lives and careers become entangled and juxtaposed, and their legacies impact every person’s life today. Highly recommend!