One hundred years ago, the promise of "a better living through chemistry" was given to consumers, setting us on a slippery slope that introduced thousands of man-made chemicals into our food, water, medicine and environment.

In The Hundred-Year Lie, investigative journalist Randall Fitzgerald shatters dozens of myths being perpetuated by the chemical, pharmaceutical, and processed foods industries. He shows how early advances led to a build-up of industry, and how the profit motive then led companies and even our own government to ignore troubling signs of widespread illness and disease.

Are we paying too high a price in our rush for progress? What happens when we blindly rely on the government to keep us safe? What does the future hold if we continue down this path? With a firm grasp on the latest scientific findings, Fitzgerald offers a clear-eyed view of a building crisis in public health.

Like Silent Spring and Fast Food Nation, this is a book that demands change. Fitzgerald not only sheds light on the problems we face from this unprecedented chemical onslaught, he tells us how we can turn the tide.