Avoiding hyperbole while writing about a possible medical catastrophe is no easy task, but David Kirby has created a fine balance of investigative and personal detail in Evidence of Harm. Combining stories from the parents of autistic children with reports, speeches and studies from researchers, pediatricians and government officials, he creates a picture that is as terrifying as anything dreamed up by Hitchcock.

The topic at hand is determining whether high levels of organic mercury present in an inexpensive preservative used in vaccinations can cause either autism or autism-like symptoms. Kirby's in a delicate position, searching for the truth between frantic parents (he focuses on the founders of political action group Safe Mind) and the self-protective pharmaceutical industry (the author thanks the nameless person who placed a pro-Eli Lilly litigation rider into the Homeland Security Act of 2002). He's also honest enough of a reporter to admit to the temptation of deciding mercury is the culprit behind a range of disorders, even in light of some inconclusive test results. The ultimate truth isn't clear, and Kirby is direct about each of the reasons his sources have for their biased opinions.

The consequences are too great for Kirby not to be silenced

I just finished reading this book over a 2 day period this weekend, and reviewed all the reviews here at Amazon before posting my review. The reviews fall into 2 catagories: parents of autistic children appreciative for Kirby's efforts in exposing the thimerosal controversy, and those, who for various reasons, are opposed to the suggestion that this mercury-based derivitive could have caused or contributed to the autism epidemic. For those who left Kirby with a single star, were you criticizing the book itself or the message conveyed therein? Beause, it is clear that the message in this book is extremely disturbing, and a damning indictment for those in charge of assuring the safety of our children.

While it is true that Kirby paints a very sympathetic picture of those affected by autism, it is also clear from my reading of the book that those in a position to respond to many of the allegations raised were not interested in participating in an open evaluation of this issue. And then, why should they, when the CDC, IOM and FDA have already discounted the evidence that would suggest a link between mercury and autism.

Contrary to what some of this book's detractors would have you believe, Kirby does not suggest that any of the opponents of mercury are opposed to vaccines in general. The book makes it clear that the critics just want their vaccines to be safe, which means removing what can only be considered a neurotoxin from the vaccines. It should be remembered that mercury does not contribute to the efficacy of any vaccine, but only helps the manufacturer extend the shelf life of its product.

Kirby lays out some damning evidence, including the fact that only one repudiated study by Lilly was done in 1930 on the safety of thimerosal, and all the people in the study died of the disease being treated so that researchers could not point to any proof of safety. From that point forward, the question should have been where is the proof that thimerosal is safe, not where is the proof that it is not? Also unanswered by the critics of the autism-mercury connection is the question of what is causing the autism epidemic if not mercury?

Kirby's book raised this and many other critical questions, and is a must read for anyone affected by autism. Unfortunately, the main stream media has to date demonstrated very little interest in this book, so that the only people likely to hear about it or read it are those who have been affected or know someone who has been affected.

Kirby does an excellent job of outlining the issues in this controversy, and also proposed treatment methods for those who believe that their child has been poisoned and could benefit from removing mercury from his/her system. I strongly recommend it.

Suspense, corruption, death -- and it's a true story!

An amazing book. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, Evidence of Harm weaves together all the threads of this complicated story: families and children whose lives have been horribly damaged, well-meaning but clueless pediatricians, evil drug company executives who ignore warnings and allow thousands of children to get sick so that they can squeeze a bit more profit out of their products, tireless and brilliant parents who figure out for themselves why their children became sick and manage somehow to bring that truth to the rest of us.

Anyone with an autistic/ADHD/SID/dyslexia/etc child MUST read this book. Anyone who is interested in how our government agencies really work must read this book. Anyone who imagines that the FDA and CDC are providing them with decent oversight and protection must read this book. It's beyond brilliant.

Details your doctor does not know about....

Parents of autistic children are often reffered to as "hysterical" or "looking to blame something" when they suggest their child was harmed by vaccines. In fact, most of these parents are the most reasonable and thoughtful people I have ever encountered. We KNOW our children were harmed. The facts confirm this. This book highlights what a disaster our vaccine program has become.