Count Down

November 30, 2020
Chemicals and lifestyle changes are “disrupting our hormonal balance,” warn journalist Colino (Emotional Inflamation) and epidemiologist Swan in this thought-provoking look at the state of human reproductive health. Swan, who published a study of sperm count decline in Western countries in 2017, writes that “the current state of reproductive affairs can’t continue much longer without threatening human survival,” and aims to position reproductive turmoil as a crisis as pressing as climate change. Data from Swan’s own research and a number of other studies, they write, points to lowering testosterone levels, increased miscarriage rates, earlier female puberty, and widespread ovulation disorders. Swan and Colino make a case that these changes are due to environmental pollutants (pesticides “can cause disruptions in thyroid hormone production”), lifestyle (such as sedentary habits), and sociological factors (notably, families trying to have children later in life). Their solutions for safeguarding personal reproductive health are often familiar (avoid cigarette smoke, manage stress), as are suggestions for averting disaster on a larger scale (holding manufacturers accountable for what they release into the environment), though a focus on creating “newer, smarter chemicals” through “green chemistry” is innovative. Still, this accessible and shocking account succeeds as an eye-opening wake-up call. Agent: Jane Von Mehren, Aevitas.

December 1, 2020
An urgent examination of a global problem that requires vastly more attention than it currently receives. Despite the pervasive idea that overpopulation is one of the most pressing concerns facing our planet, human fertility rates are dropping fast. Without a concerted global effort to reverse this trend, long-term human survival may be at risk, according to renowned epidemiologist and public health expert Swan. The author made headlines in 2017 when she published a "meta-analysis on sperm-count decline in Western countries." Her study became one of the most-cited in history, making it a hot topic among scientists as well as the public. Despite the attention, the demonstrated causes of fertility decline--including toxic chemicals that transfer from everyday products and foods into our bodies--remain a problem. In this impeccably researched, cogent book, the author convincingly argues that if society's trend toward a fertility rate below replacement level continues at the current pace, humans could become an endangered species. "Of five possible criteria for what makes a species endangered," she writes, "only one needs to be met; the current state of affairs for humans meets at least three." The author's passion for her work and access to reams of alarming data make for riveting reading, and her writing is crisp and unfettered by jargon. Writing about the lack of awareness regarding commonly used chemicals that are harming humans and the environment--not to mention policies to limit or eliminate them--she asks with justified anger, "Where is the outrage on this issue?!" Acknowledging the glacial pace of institutional change, Swan outlines how people can take concrete action to protect themselves now and how positive change has long-term ripple effects that benefit future generations. With an advocate's verve and a scientist's informed confidence, the author voices "a clarion call for all of us to do what we can to safeguard our fertility, the fate of mankind, and the planet." An eye-opening, disturbing, empowering, and essential text.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 15, 2021
Male testosterone levels and sperm counts have been falling over the past few decades in Western nations. Women are experiencing lowered ovarian reserves and escalating rates of miscarriage. The total fertility rate worldwide has plummeted by 49-percent from 1950 to 2017. Authors Swan (a reproductive health researcher) and Colino (a health and environmental writer) warn that environmental chemicals, pollutants, unhealthy lifestyles, and sociological shifts are ""causing varying degrees of reproductive havoc."" Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) including pesticides, bisphenol A, flame retardants, and phthalates contribute to impaired fecundity and reproductive disorders. ""The Spermageddon Scare,"" an especially clever chapter teeming with facts, forlornly concludes, ""By any criteria, sperm just aren't doing well these days."" Females aren't faring much better. In some regions, healthy women in their twenties are less fertile than their grandmothers were at age 35. Reliance on reproductive technologies (sperm banks and in vitro fertilization) grows. Accelerating problems with reproduction conjure frightful images of fertility-challenged future societies, such as the one depicted in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. A convincing plea for heightened awareness of rising reproductive jeopardy and the imperative of eliminating environmental toxins makes this book both alarming and crucial.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 9, 2021

Leading environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Swan (Icahn Sch. of Medicine at Mount Sinai) collaborates with health and environmental journalist Colino in this thought-provoking account. They posit that chemicals found throughout the modern world are increasingly threatening human fertility, sexual development, gender expression, and overall health. The authors refer to recent studies, in which they highlight alarming trends: decreases in quality sperm counts in men, primarily in Western countries; or decreasing levels of testosterone that are driving more people to seek reproductive assistance technologies. Swan and Colino note that some other species face similar threats and are increasingly born with anatomical abnormalities that jeopardize their likelihood of survival. Readers concerned about fertility, exposure to harmful chemicals, or pollution's impact on the environment will support Swan and Colino's call to regulate the toxic chemicals that are likely interrupting reproductive cycles. VERDICT Well-researched, with an extensive bibliography and a useful glossary of key concepts. A fast-paced account that offers myriad recommendations for lifestyle changes to reduce exposure to the chemicals that Swan and Colino identify as threats to the future of humankind.--Rich McIntyre Jr., UConn Health Sciences Lib., Farmington

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