This was the first book written by the author, herself a multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) patient. First published in 1992 it has now been reprinted for 2008 with a new cover and other updates.

Like her later book Defining Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (1998) this title is packed full of both well researched technical and medical information and practical tips for fellow patients. The two books are complementary so those who have read the author's later and better known offering will still find much of interest here.

Bonnye L. Matthews does a fantastic job of translating highly technical information into language that is easy to understand; even for those of us struggling with brain fog!

The book begins by describing what is meant by chemical sensitivity and describing what is going on in the body to cause the illnesses and the symptoms. Information here includes research on abnormalities in both the immune and neurological systems including T-cell and neurotransmitter imbalances.

Proceeding chapters discuss the causes of chemical sensitivity in terms of toxicology and the similarities between multiple chemical sensitivity and other conditions which result from a toxic insult to the brain. This can be heavy going but if you can manage to persevere there is much to be learned that might help you to understand your condition and provide ammunition for dealing with medical and social security issues.

Another chapter provides an excellent set of resources for MCS patients. One of these is Manufacturers Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). These list the chemical ingredients of chemical products such as perfumes along with safety information about them. MSDS can be a real eye opener as most people have no idea just what goes into perfume and other such products.

The book also has excellent sections on how to record important information about your illness and how it developed so you have the best chance of getting the medical and financial help you may need. Of course the author also discusses how to avoid exposures by removing potential sources of chemicals from your environment.

A highly recommended book for and MCS sufferer with a wealth of well researched information along with excellent practical advice. The author deserves a great deal of respect for her courage and determination in writing this and her subsequent book.

I was at the lowest point in my life when I discovered this fantastic book. I felt totally alone trying to live with chemical sensitivities. Family and friends try to understand but they can't really, how could they?

Reading the stories of others with MCS in this book gave me renewed hope that I could again find some sort of fulfullment in life (however small) rather than just trying to get through each day without breaking down.

For those feeling alone and lost in despair as a result of the nightmare that is MCS there is no better book. Please read it if you can.

This book is written by a Seattle counselor living with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). She presents her interviews with 32 people coping with this life- impacting syndrome in different regions of the US and Canada.

Each interview is accompanied by pictures which adds to the impact of the individual's personal story. In one interview a sufferer's spouse adds his perspective which offers important incite into how multiple chemical sensitivity affects the people close to the sufferer.

This is a great book for people thinking they are alone in the nightmare of MCS. The book demonstrates that there are so many others out there in a similar situation and shows how they are coping with life as an MCS sufferer. Appendices include an overview of MCS, a sociologist's viewpoint, resources for support, and recommended reading.

This is undoubtedly the most personal look at MCS I have read and as such I found it very enlightening. This book is sure to give hope and comfort to MCS sufferers.

Dr Rogers has been treating MCS patients and writing on the subject for many years. She is a leading expert voice for the MCS community.

This 42 page book manages to pack a great deal into such a small space and is fully referenced so is perfect for introducing your doctor or other professionals to the reality of chemical sensitivities.

Dr Rogers discusses, amongst other things, how nutritional deficiencies and genetic susceptibilities can result in MCS, and a proposed mechanism behind the spreading phenomenon, (when patients become rapidly sensitized to more and more chemicals). There is also a discussion of the role that oxidative stress plays in the development and perpetuation of chemical sensitivity. Dr. Rogers also lists the various chemicals that are most likely to be triggers for the condition and for producing symptoms once someone becomes sensitized.

A large portion of the book is dedicated to the diagnosis and treament of MCS, which of course, is exactly the information that most of those afflicted will be looking for in such a book.

This title is a fantastic introduction to MCS that provides a good overview of the condition, is well written with good references, but doesn't overwhelm the reader. If you suspect that chemicals might be causing your ill health or you simply want a good introduction to chemical sensitivity, this is the book for you. For more in depth information regarding chemicals and health, Dr. Rogers' other books are well worth a look.

When I first became ill with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) this is one of the first books I came across. Although it was first published a number of years ago now and could be considered a little dated, I still feel it is one of a handful of MCS books that sufferers MUST read.

Bonnye L. Matthews, herself an MCS sufferer, must have struggled greatly to get this project completed and we as fellow sufferers should be extremely grateful to her for her efforts.

The book is a collection of articles by a number of experts in various fields and Bonnye's own contributions. The expert contributor's include a clinical psychologist, medical doctors, and legal experts. This format gives the book a well rounded feel and ensures that each subject is tackled by a writer who specializes in that area and is extremely knowledgeable.

The book is split into four sections. The first deals with the medical side of the illness and looks at the psychology of MCS as well as the wealth of research demonstrating biochemical abnormalities in MCS patients. This evidence comes in the form of SPECT scans, porphyria, cytochrome P-450 enzyme dysfunction, and more. The second section of the book casts a critical eye over legal issues surrounding MCS and why the worker's compensation system fails patients. Section three looks at the state of research into MCS and questions the quality of the science in many studies and the motives of so-called experts who denounce the reality of the condition or label it as psychogenic. In the final section of the book Bonnye L. Matthews relates the story of her own harrowing ordeal to gain recognition of her illness and get the financial and medical help that she was entitled to.

This book is certainly not the easiest read as the contributors cover their specific areas of expertise in detail. For this reason however it is a very valuable source of information on this complex and confusing subject. Bonnye L. Matthews writes with compassion and determination throughout, as you would expect from someone personally affected by MCS. Her story in section four of the book will surely sadden fellow MCS sufferers but may well serve to wake up doctors, lawyers, legislators, and others in positions of power, to the realities of struggling with multiple chemical sensitivities.

This book is considered one of the most authoritative on multiple chemical sensitivities and associated syndromes. Originally published in the early 1990's it is now in its second edition.

The authors are both highly qualified, Nicholas Ashford holds both a PhD in chemistry and a law degree. He is Professor of Technology and Policy at MIT where he teaches courses in Evironmental and Occupational Health Law. Claudia Miller is a medical doctor and is Assistant Professor in Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Both have held important positions on national and international advisory commitees.

With the authors' impressive academic backgrounds you would expect this book to be a very well researched and in depth investigation of the subject, and that is exactly what it is. Some sections may prove a little technical and hard to understand for some readers, particularly when not feeling their best, but the book covers so many important issues relating to multiple chemical sensitivity that there will certainly be something here that every patient will find useful.

The first section of the book deals with the groups mostly likely to be affected by MCS due to chemical exposures, an overview of the chemical industry and its history, and the magnitude of the problem. The authors then provide an introduction to key concepts and terminology that they use throughout the book. This is an essential inclusion in a book dealing with such complex subject matter. The first section concludes with a comprehensive description of multiple chemical sensitivity, including the various substances that may trigger it (air pollutants, foods and additives, water and contaminants, drugs and consumer products), the symptoms that are experienced, and the implications for health in general.

The second section of the book deals with the mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of MCS. The major proposed mechanisms for explaining MCS are covered in detail with extensive scientific and medical refernces. These mechanisms are grouped under limbic hypersensitivity, immunological, biochemical, and vascular. The book does also cover possible psychogenic mechanisms. The various methods of diagnosis and leading treatment approaches are covered in as much detail as previous subjects and this section concludes with a look at the areas of agreement and disagreement on MCS between allergists and clinical ecologists. This provides a balanced feel to the book and may be useful to readers when dealing with various health professionals.

The third part of the book looks at how society and the individual need to respond to the problem of chemical sensitivity. The authors recommend targets for future research before providing patients with detailed advice on coping with MCS that includes how to get appropriate healthcare, housing and employment issues, medical insurance claims and compensation, and access to social and legal services. This information will be of great help to new sufferers who are struggling to find help and feel their lives are spiraling out of control. The final part of this section discusses the role of medical practitioners in these issues.

The final, and very extensive, section of this tome is devoted to updates on all issues since the original publication. This section includes information on how government recognition (in numerous countries) of MCS has increased and the resulting improvements in help offered to those affected. It also includes a vast collection of new research findings relating to multiple chemical sensitivity that have appeared in the decade since the first edition.

As I'm sure you can now appreciate, this book is certainly not light reading and is a very demanding read. If you or someone you know suffer from chemical sensitivities however I would recommended it wholeheartedly as it goes into all the issues in great detail and provides valuable advice and understanding in all areas. It provides the reader with an understanding of the biological basis for their symptoms as well as providing practical advice for living with the condition and getting help.

For me, this book really helped me to understand the likely mechanisms that had resulted in me becoming sensitive to such minute amounts of everyday chemicals.

A must have text for anyone suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Survival Guide has been a must read for all MCS sufferers since it was first published in 2000. Now a new version of the book has been released with substantially updated content.

Pamela Reed Gibson, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is the author of numerous journal articles and regularly presents papers on MCS and environmental health topics.

Since 1992 Professor Gibson has sought to better understand environmental illnesses, and multiple chemical sensitivity in particular. Her work has focused on understanding the impact MCS has on a sufferer's life as well as contextualizing MCS within the modern industrial culture in which we in the developed world live.

Professor Gibson has written a number of journal articles and delivered a number of conference papers on the impact of MCS on a person's life. MCS and issues of environmental health in general are discussed in all of her classes and she also talks about related illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia. In addition, when time allows, she consults with MCS patients and their helpers and attempts to provide resources to improve their quality of life.

For the second edition of the book Professor Gibson draws up on new insights discovered through her continuing work since the first edition was published.

The original Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Survival Guide was an essential addition to any MCS sufferer's library and the new edition can only be considered even more so. As the title suggests, it focuses on how MCS affects a sufferers life and offers practical information for improving the situation, rather than getting caught up in what causes the condition and related issues. Of course there is a chapter that outlines various theories about MCS but the remainder of the book is squarely aimed at helping people cope with the condition and improve their quality of life.

After briefly outlining the proposed physiological and psychological causes of MCS early on, the book moves on to the more practical information. The following chapters include advice on how to make your home environment safe, how to eat a healthy diet whilst avoiding triggers, how to find suitable medical help, and how to successfully apply for state benefits.

The book also contains extensive appendices which include contact information for support organizations and manufacturers of MCS safe products, as well as listing sources for further reading.

What really sets this book apart however is the final appendix which comes from one of Professor Gibson's research papers published in 2003 (new for the 2nd edition). Professor Gibson and colleagues surveyed 917 MCS sufferers who had tried a total of 101 different treatments. They then presented data showing the effectiveness of each treatment based on reports given by the sufferers.

Given the current lack of medical understanding of MCS and the associated lack of any officially recognized treatment, this appendix is akin to the holy grail for many of those suffering from this devastating illness. The reader can see at a glance the relative effectiveness of 101 different treatment options as rated by other MCS patients who have already tried them. Treating MCS is still very much a case of trying things to see what works but at least with the information in this appendix sufferers can see what has worked most often for others and therefore narrow the odds of seeing improvements.

Treatments examined included environmental medicine techniques, holistic therapies, individual nutritional supplements, detoxification techniques, body therapies, Eastern-origin techniques, newer therapies, prescription items, and others.

This fantastic addition caps off an already invaluable source of information. This book cannot be recommended highly enough for all those struggling with multiple chemical sensitivity.