Biographical note:

Dr. Martin Blank is an expert on the health-related effects of electromagnetic fields and has been studying the subject for over thirty years. He earned his first PhD from Columbia University in physical chemistry and his second from the University of Cambridge in colloid science. From 1968 to 2011, he taught as an Associate Professor at Columbia University, where he now acts as a special lecturer. He has served as chairman of the Organic and Biological Division of the Electrochemical Society, as president of the Bioelectrochemical Society, and as president of the Bioelectromagnetics Society. He has published over 200 papers and reviews, and has served on the editorial boards of several journals, including the Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics, and Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine.

Country of final manufacture:

US

Main description:

"This book is a must for anyone concerned with protecting their well-being, that of loved ones, and other species. From the personal, the political, and the planetary, you will never see things the same way again."–B. Blake Levitt, former New York Times contributor, Author, Electromagnetic Fields, A Consumer’s Guide to the Issues and How to Protect Ourselves

Keys, wallet, cell phone . . . ready to go! Cell phones have become ubiquitous fixtures of 21st century life--suctioned to our ears and stuck in our pockets. Yet, we've all heard whispers that these essential little devices give you brain cancer. Could it be true? In 2011, the World Health Organization shocked the international community by confirming that the radiation from cell phones is a possible carcinogen to humans. Many of us are left wondering, as Maureen Dowd asked in the New York Times, are cells the new cigarettes?

Dr. Martin Blank notes that while the presumption of innocence is invaluable to the system of justice, it does not make sense as a public health standard. Overpowered brings readers, in accessible and fascinating prose, through the science, indicating biological effects resulting from low, non-thermal levels of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (levels considered safe by regulatory agencies). Radiation that comes not only from cell phones, but many other devices we use in our homes and offices every day.

It is generally accepted that there should be a limit on exposure of the public to EMF. However, industry pushes the envelope. Dr. Blank advises applying the precautionary principle when it comes to demonstrably hazardous EMF--and teaches us how we can take steps in our daily lives to reduce exposures. In this incredibly timely book, he arms us with the information we need to keep ourselves and our families safe. 

Review quote:

"The extremely well documented Overpowered reads like an environmental thriller! Dr. Blank does a superb job of explaining the biological effects of cellphones and all things wireless on cell physiology and how to protect ourselves and, most importantly, our children. The sections on electricity, wildlife, and  the 'business' of science all demonstrate the dark side of technology–an inconvenient truth we must consider."
—Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D.

"Martin Blank deals with a difficult subject in a scientifically accurate but easily readable fashion. He covers everything from powerlines, to cell phones, to light bulbs, to conflicts of interest, with humor and passion. In this great scientist, we have an unlikely activist and truth teller."
—David O. Carpenter, M.D., Director, Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany

"This book is a must for anyone concerned with protecting their well-being, that of loved ones, and other species. From the personal, the political, and the planetary, you will never see things the same way again."
—B. Blake Levitt, former New York Times contributor, Author, Electromagnetic Fields, A Consumer’s Guide to the Issues and How to Protect Ourselves