Don鈥檛 Worry (It鈥檚 Safe to Eat) by Andrew Rowell, Earthscan, 拢16.99, ISBN 1853839329 Reviewed by Roy Herbert
THE title is ironic. Don鈥檛 Worry (It鈥檚 Safe to Eat) is a history of the BSE scandal, the foot-and-mouth catastrophe and a hard look at the claims and counterclaims about genetically modified foods, the so-called 鈥淔rankenstein鈥� foods. These are all subjects of high emotion and savage debate among politicians, scientists and the public press. There are plenty of suspect motives, sweeping accusations and sinister implications. This is sensational stuff but it is accompanied by so much detail that an ordinary reader is likely to find it too bewildering to persevere with. Andrew Rowell鈥檚 list of 79 acronyms used in the text is a warning sign.