A TASTE FOR POISON

A TASTE FOR POISON is a unique combination of popular science and true crime, written by a scientist with over 30 years of experience as a researcher and master teacher.

As any reader of murder mysteries can tell you, poison is one of the most enduring - and popular - weapons of choice for a scheming murderer. It can be slipped into a drink, smeared onto the tip of an arrow or the handle of a door, even filtered through the air we breathe. But how exactly do these poisons work to break our bodies down, and what can we learn from the damage they inflict? In a fascinating blend of popular science, medical history, and true crime, Dr. Neil Bradbury explores this most morbidly captivating method of murder from a cellular level. Alongside real-life accounts of murderers and their crimes - some notorious, some forgotten, some still unsolved - are the equally compelling stories of the poisons involved: eleven molecules of death that work their way through the human body and, paradoxically, illuminate the way in which our bodies function. Drawn from historical records and current news headlines, A Taste for Poison weaves together the tales of spurned lovers, shady scientists, medical professionals and political assassins to show how the precise systems of the body can be impaired to lethal effect through the use of poison. From the deadly origins of the gin & tonic cocktail to the arsenic-laced wallpaper in Napoleon's bedroom, A Taste for Poison leads readers on a fascinating tour of the intricate, complex systems that keep us alive - or don't. Neil A. Bradbury, Ph.D. is Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the Chicago Medical School, where he teaches and conducts research on genetic diseases. He received his Ph.D. in medical biochemistry from the University of Wales College of Medicine in 1988 and graduated with honors in biochemistry from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland in 1984. A full-time scientist and educator, Neil has won numerous awards for his unique approach to teaching physiology. Dr. Bradbury's research has focused on the genetic disease of Cystic Fibrosis, where he has made several fundamental discoveries regarding the protein affected in this disorder. He has presented his research around the world and authored more than 80 scientific articles and book chapters.