Allergic to the Twentieth Century

Allergic to the Twentieth Century, Peter Radetsky, Little, Brown and Co, 1997

Are you allergic to more than just dust, pollen or animal fur? Do perfumes or common cleaning solvents make you ill? Radetsky has compiled many case histories of people from all over the country who suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, or MCS. While the media tends to focus on the extreme cases, those who live in foil-lined trailers, Radetsky looks at those who are forced to make radical changes in their lives. He also explores the various theories as to the cause of MCS, and visits those few doctors willing to treat it, and not dismiss it as unimportant.

MCS sufferers are up against a lot of opposition, according to Radetsky. It ranges from a medical establishment less than convinced that it is real, to a chemical industry using its influence to muddy the waters in Washington, to a veterans Administration who doesn't want to spend the money necessary to actually treat the thousands of sufferers of Gulf War Syndrome.

To those who suffer from MCS, or know someone who does, this book is a Must Read (it also has many addresses in the back of the book). It is also a Must Read for those who are skeptical on the matter; it may just change some minds.