When I first got this book from the library, I thought, "Finally, I have been wanting someone to write this book for years!" This book discusses whether the "natural" approach to many lifestyle choices is any better than choices that have been made possible by technology and scientific advances. I am drawn to things that are natural, but am also extremely skeptical, especially when "natural" means that scientific progress is categorically dismissed. I don't know what kind of answers I was hoping for from the book, but the only answer I found is that there may be no answers. Natural is good, and it is from our natural human intelligence that we have made such amazing technological progress. It is just a matter of using that technology responsibly while recognizing its limits. ( )

From the cover, I somehow didn't expect this book to be as substantial as it turned out to be. It's full of fascinating, clearly presented information - I especially enjoyed the chapter on plant toxins - presented in a gently humorous tone. Striking the correct balance between shrilly smug skepticism (peruse any atheism forum online for an example of the tone) and wide-eyed hippified tree-hugging compassion is tricky, and I believe Johnson has pulled it off flawlessly.

If you can hear a 'but' coming, it's true. I am tired of finding so many typos in finished books. I know the publishers are broke, and it seems like they're trying to replace live editors with spell check - but, as any college student would tell you, spell check is no substitute for actual human attention. It's especially jarring and intrusive in a book which emphasizes the human touch. ( )