Carey Gillam

The Monsanto Papers is the inside story of Lee Johnson's landmark lawsuit against Monsanto, a David-and-Goliath showdown pitting a dying cancer victim and an eclectic team of young, ambitious lawyers against one of the world's most powerful corporate giants. For Lee, the case was a race against the clock, with doctors predicting he wouldn't survive long enough to take the witness stand. For the public, the legal challenge presented a question of corporate accountability. With enough money and influence, could a company endanger its customers, hide evidence, manipulate regulators, and get away with it all--for decades? Readers will be astounded by the depth of corruption uncovered, captivated by the shocking plot twists, and moved by Lee's quiet determination to see justice served. With gripping narrative force, The Monsanto Papers takes readers behind the scenes of a grueling legal battle, pulling back the curtain on the frailties of the American court system and the lengths to which lawyers will go to fight corporate wrongdoing.

Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man's Search for Justice

The Monsanto Papers

Rachel Carson Environment Book Award, First Place (2018) IPPY Outstanding Book of the Year: Most Likely to Save the Planet (2018) Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award (2018) "Reads like a mystery novel as Gillam skillfully uncovers Monsanto's secretive strategies." —Erin Brockovich "A damning picture...Gillam expertly covers a contentious front." —Publishers Weekly "A must-read." —Booklist "Hard-hitting, eye-opening narrative." —Kirkus It's the pesticide on our dinner plates, a chemical so pervasive it’s in the air we breathe, our water, our soil, and even found increasingly in our own bodies. Known as Monsanto's Roundup by consumers, and as glyphosate by scientists, the world's most popular weed killer is used everywhere from backyard gardens to golf courses to millions of acres of farmland. For decades it's been touted as safe enough to drink, but a growing body of evidence indicates just the opposite, with research tying the chemical to cancers and a host of other health threats. In Whitewash, veteran journalist Carey Gillam uncovers one of the most controversial stories in the history of food and agriculture, exposing new evidence of corporate influence. Gillam introduces readers to farm families devastated by cancers which they believe are caused by the chemical, and to scientists whose reputations have been smeared for publishing research that contradicted business interests. Readers learn about the arm twisting of regulators who signed off on the chemical, echoing company assurances of safety even as they permitted higher residues of the pesticide in food and skipped compliance tests. And, in startling detail, Gillam reveals secret industry communications that pull back the curtain on corporate efforts to manipulate public perception. Whitewash is more than an exposé about the hazards of one chemical or even the influence of one company. It's a story of power, politics, and the deadly consequences of putting corporate interests ahead of public safety.

Carey Gillam

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