Book Review: Toxin

Written in the late nineties, the book covers the important issue of food related diseases. Cook describes, in great detail, the process of preparing patties for hamburgers. The description of preparing ground meat and the way animals are taken and treated in slaughter houses is quite gory. It is sure to make you rethink about what you eat. 

Some time earlier I used to classify Cook’s writing into thriller. Since the plot never has any mystery in it, we always know the ending, I have started wondering where it should be categorised. It is medical fiction and the writing is fairly fast paced. I don’t find it thrilling. In fact, I sometimes feel that although it is fictional, a good deal is inspired from contemporary issues that Cook has observed in hospitals and society at large, around him. In this book, there is extensive coverage of corruption in the food inspection authorities that seem to be running hand in glove with suppliers to the fast food industry. In addition, the pitiable conditions of the working class and the exploitation of migrants are also thought provoking. Cook has often written about the impact of commercialisation of the health care sector. In this book too, he describes how profit making attitudes lead hospital administration to take decisions and force doctors to work in particular ways. 


The criticism of capitalism and its impact on hospital management as well as the food industry was worth noting. But I was quite amazed to note that towards the end, Cook feels that the solution to corruption in authorities is also capitalism! I am wondering if he has changed his opinions about which sectors should be profit making since the publishing of this book.