Illing P. (Pp ix + 154; £21.99) 2001. London and New York: Taylor and Francis Books Ltd. ISBN 0 415 23371 2

• toxicity
• risk

“... round the rugged risks the wretched regulator ran ...” (with apologies to the old tongue twister!).

We live in an industrialised world, where many believe we enjoy chemical gain at the cost of societal pain. As a result, the prediction and evaluation of risk and the detection or exclusion of the harm caused, most often attributed to chemicals, but not excluding physical dangers, too, such as atomic energy and transport accidents, has become a major industry in its own right. “Risk assessment” is a vital set of procedures for safeguarding the individual, the community and the environment, while still, we hope, permitting us to enjoy the benefits of various sources of risk. There are many other ways …