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What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis,…
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What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City (original 2018; edition 2018)

by Mona Hanna-Attisha (Author)

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3013387,080 (4.28)23
"The dramatic story of the signature environmental disaster of our time and an inspiring tale of scientific resistance by a relentless physician who stood up to power. Flint was already a troubled city in 2014 when the state of Michigan--in the name of austerity--shifted the source of its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Soon after, citizens began complaining about the water that flowed from their taps--but officials rebuffed them, insisting that the water was fine. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at the city's public hospital, took state officials at their word and encouraged the parents and children in her care to continue drinking the water--after all, it was American tap water, blessed with the state's seal of approval. But a conversation at a cookout with an old friend, leaked documents from a rogue environmental inspector, and the activism of a concerned mother raised red flags about lead--a neurotoxin whose irreversible effects fall most heavily on children. Even as circumstantial evidence mounted and protests grew, Dr. Mona knew that the only thing that could stop the lead poisoning was undeniable proof--and that to get it, she'd have to enter the fight of her life. What the Eyes Don't See is the inspiring story of how Dr. Mona--accompanied by an idiosyncratic team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leaders--proved that Flint's kids were exposed to lead and then fought her own government and a brutal backlash to expose that truth to the world. Paced like a scientific thriller, this book shows how misguided austerity policies, the withdrawal of democratic government, and callous bureaucratic indifference placed an entire city at risk. And at the center of the story is Dr. Mona herself--an immigrant, doctor, scientist, and mother whose family's activist roots inspired her pursuit of justice. What the Eyes Don't See is a riveting, beautifully rendered account of a shameful disaster that became a tale of hope, the story of a city on the ropes that came together to fight for justice, self-determination, and the right to build a better world for their--and all of our--children."--Jacket.… (more)
Member:JABorn
Title:What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City
Authors:Mona Hanna-Attisha (Author)
Info:One World (2018), 384 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:****
Tags:upstairs hall 2

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What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City by Mona Hanna-Attisha (2018)

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Showing 1-5 of 33 (next | show all)
Play-by-play of the uncovering of the Flint water crisis by Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at Hurley hospital in Flint. Illustrates the role of government we've come to expect - ignore, deny, cover up. Only because of the persistence of crusaders was this disaster finally addressed. The story is interwoven by the author's experiences as an Iraqi-American. ( )
  elifra | Jun 1, 2022 |
What the Eyes Don't See , by Mona Hanna-Attisha, is the story of the Flint, Michigan drinking water crisis a few years ago. I initially thought I knew enough about the mishap, and initially passed on reading this book, but after hearing the author speak recently, I decided to give the book a try. And I'm very happy I did.

The author, Mona Hanna-Attisha, is a pediatrician in Flint, who noted a rise in lead levels in her patients shortly after the City of Flint, in an effort to save money, switched the water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River.

Dr. Mona and a small team began to research and then confirm the problem, but her efforts to have the city officials take action fell on deaf ears. She proved to be heroic in her determination to protect the children in Flint, and stood strong against State, County and Local Health and Water Department officials who rejected her findings and disparaged her at every turn. Despite being dismissed by those in power in Michigan, she found the strength to stay strong and push back, believing science is stronger than cover-your-@ss politics. Ultimately, she was proven to be right, and a number of those in power and responsible for covering up the problem lost their jobs or were criminally prosecuted. Really an impressive story.
( )
  rsutto22 | Jul 15, 2021 |
This is the inside story of the Flint water crisis from a pediatrician who saw it from the inside and fought to bring it to attention.

As a book, it's a little messy; it loops between scientific detection, politics, and a memoir of the author and her family (her parents are Chaldeans who left Iraq for the US). But her narrative voice is compelling. Dr. Hanna-Attisha is committed to justice for her patients, and she's passionate about the failures that allowed Flint's water to be poisoned.

The politics here are as sobering as the science. They led to the disenfranchisement and abandonment of a majority minority city; to the decay of its infrastructure; to the starvation of its finances; and finally, to the poisoning of its children. There's a larger story here, about our politics and our belief in governmental competence, and I hope other books will go further into the putrid details of it. ( )
  arosoff | Jul 11, 2021 |
Dr. Mona is my new hero. Great story of how she helped to uncover the Flint water crisis and her advocacy for children. Her arabic background is an added bonus for me. ( )
  kheders | Apr 25, 2021 |
Incredible story about an incredible person who remedied an incredible injustice. Environmental justice is so important, and this is a powerful book about it. I wanted it to do more to convince those who are still not totally on-board, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot. ( )
  askannakarenina | Sep 16, 2020 |
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"The dramatic story of the signature environmental disaster of our time and an inspiring tale of scientific resistance by a relentless physician who stood up to power. Flint was already a troubled city in 2014 when the state of Michigan--in the name of austerity--shifted the source of its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Soon after, citizens began complaining about the water that flowed from their taps--but officials rebuffed them, insisting that the water was fine. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at the city's public hospital, took state officials at their word and encouraged the parents and children in her care to continue drinking the water--after all, it was American tap water, blessed with the state's seal of approval. But a conversation at a cookout with an old friend, leaked documents from a rogue environmental inspector, and the activism of a concerned mother raised red flags about lead--a neurotoxin whose irreversible effects fall most heavily on children. Even as circumstantial evidence mounted and protests grew, Dr. Mona knew that the only thing that could stop the lead poisoning was undeniable proof--and that to get it, she'd have to enter the fight of her life. What the Eyes Don't See is the inspiring story of how Dr. Mona--accompanied by an idiosyncratic team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leaders--proved that Flint's kids were exposed to lead and then fought her own government and a brutal backlash to expose that truth to the world. Paced like a scientific thriller, this book shows how misguided austerity policies, the withdrawal of democratic government, and callous bureaucratic indifference placed an entire city at risk. And at the center of the story is Dr. Mona herself--an immigrant, doctor, scientist, and mother whose family's activist roots inspired her pursuit of justice. What the Eyes Don't See is a riveting, beautifully rendered account of a shameful disaster that became a tale of hope, the story of a city on the ropes that came together to fight for justice, self-determination, and the right to build a better world for their--and all of our--children."--Jacket.

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