Another Person's Poison: A History of Food Allergy

The study of food as a source of allergies had a rocky start; it was initially treated as a spurious field. It was with the relatively recent appearance of peanut allergies and the attendant complications, including a higher fatality rate, that food allergies took a serious turn in the public arena. Smith (Hyperactive) explains that there are two major schools of thought regarding food allergies: the conservative group aligns with immunology principles, then there are the doctors, patients, and parents who see the problem on a clinical level that affects them on a daily basis. Smith recounts with great detail and effective anecdotes the related political, commercial, and professional clashes that have taken place for more than a century and continue to this day. Thorough research is evidenced throughout the title with the inclusion of exhaustive footnotes and a comprehensive bibliography that fills one-third of the book. Smith covers the different arguments effectively and evenhandedly, giving the rationale for each faction's perspective.