Carpet Monsters and Killer Spores A Natural History of Toxic Mold

by Money, Nicholas P.

• ISBN13: 9780195172270
• ISBN10: 0195172272
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-04-08
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Molds are everywhere: we inhale their microscopic spores from birth to death. But when an investigation in Ohio revealed that babies suffering from a serious lung illness had been exposed to a toxic black mold in their homes, millions of Americans became nervous about patches of mold intheir own basements and bathrooms. Before long, lawsuits were filed by the residents of mold-contaminated homes in every state. By failing to address water damage, building contractors, plumbers, and insurance agents were held liable for exposing families to an unprecedented microbiologicalhazard. The mold crisis soon developed into a fully-fledged media circus. In Carpet Monsters and Killer Spores, Nicholas Money explores the science behind the headlines and courtroom dramas, and profiles the toxin-producing mold that is a common inhabitant of water-damaged buildings. NicholasMoney tells the most important mycological story since potato blight, with his inimitable style of scientific clarity and dark humor.

Author Biography

Nicholas Money teaches in the Department of Botany at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Table of Contents

Stachybotrys versus Superpower	3	(23)
Uninvited Guests	23	(18)
Carpet Monsters	41	(17)
Mycological Warfare	58	(19)
Cleveland Revisited	77	(17)
Your Verdict, Please	94	(18)
Everlasting Strife	112	(15)
A Plague upon Your House	127	(16)
Notes	143	(24)
Appendix: Mold Resources on the Internet	167	(2)
Glossary	169	(4)
Index	173