nonfiction; tech history and health concerns. We want to be able to dismiss people who say cell phones (and cordless phones, and other types of wireless radiation) are unsafe, but Davis presents a lot of suspicious coverups and research that scratches the surface of what harm it might actually do. It would be unthinkable to eliminate such conveniences entirely, but please consider:
* the "safety" studies conducted by the industry and influenced by the industry are not realistic or current with today's heightened exposure rates
* several, more independent studies seem to link cell phone exposure to damaged DNA and mutations
* A child's brain triples in size during the first year and doubles in the second year (lots of opportunities for a critical mutation to form, and be duplicated over and over again), AND infant/toddler skulls are still soft and allow twice as much radiation to get through. Meaning: DON'T let your baby play with your phone, and it probably wouldn't hurt to limit your 12-year-old's exposure while you're at it.

If the texty science is not really something you think you can muddle through (I'll admit I would have liked to have seen more pictures--i.e., graphical data from the research and maybe some good shots of what damaged DNA might look like, or some other kind of pictorial evidence), just read the foreword (in which the author berates a fellow scientist about not using a headset, for goodness' sake, and gives him 2 good reasons to think over) and especially the appendix (how to protect yourself and your family), which provides some fairly practical tips. ( )

April 1, 2010 "Library Journal" review (pg 60) says: "Cell phone use causes DNA damage and adversely affects the brain, besides precipitating memory loss, Alzheimer's, and cancer. So argues Davis, founding director of the toxicology and environmental studies board at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a National Book Award finalist for "When Smoke Ran Like Water." It sounds as if she has good evidence. Scary." ......I've read about similar studies in Scandinavian countries that on the health damage from cell phones and RFID. ( )

Both the print and the audio versions could benefit from better editing. The reader mispronounced multiple common science terms. Come on, do you want to be taken seriously?
It seemed as if the book was patched together from lots of repetitive smaller pieces, as you hear the same anecdotes several times repeated in random parts of the book. Lots of other padding that was completely off-topic.
Yes, I'm persuaded there is danger in microwave radiation. I'm just grumpy at the presentation. ( )

I really looked forward to reading this book after reading an interview with the author @ Salon.com. As an occasional cell phone user, obviously I was greatly concerned about not only my safety, but that of other members of my family. However, I was gravely disappointed with her writing style, which included: random anecdotes, multiple story lines that never came together, occasional forays into hearsay, unnecessary repetition, et cetera.

I believe that cell phone use can indeed present dangers, but Dr. Davis did not do a good job of persuading me. After reading this book, I was very surprised to learn that she was a National Book Award Finalist for her book "When Smoke Ran Like Water". Perhaps she did a better job on that one? (DISCLAIMER: I do not work for a cell phone manufacturer, nor do I advocate overuse of cell phones!) ( )