This is a deeply disturbing true story of a somewhat naive rural housewife who meets the rough & tumble of environmental politics head-on. It changes her life in unforseen ways, as well as those around her -- including the author, a seasoned investigative reporter who lets us inside his head. Readers should not demand absolute proof of health effects from toxic waste in fertilizers. The evidence marshalled by this book is convincing enough that real policy changes should result. In any event, it's obvious that we ought not to be taking toxic waste collected from smokestacks and dumping it on the food supply. The real scandal that Duff Wilson uncovers is the industry amorality and government complicity in this outrageously stupid practice of using toxic waste as plant food. Beware those who say there's not enough proof of harm -- that's what the cigarette companies argued for decades.

Don Delillo could not have imagined this. I was more blown away by 'Fateful Harvest' than by 'A Civil Action' or 'Erin Brockovich'. Those earlier works also had sympathetic protagonists, but were isolated cases of industry abuse, while this book exposes a real-life toxic waste scandal focused ultimately on the food eaten by us all. What's most scary to me is that the scandal is still going on! -- toxic waste is called "fertilizer," then dumped on farm land; but the politicians shrug while lives are destroyed. Wilson, an experienced investigative reporter, does a great job of distilling the science (and the politics) behind the news story. He effectively weaves the crucial discoveries of an unlikely rural heroine into the larger perspective. Believe it or not, there's even humor in the absurdity. It's definitely a compelling and accessible read. I did it in a day and a half. I expect a lot of people will be talking about this one.

A thoughtfully written book which documents the plight of small-town citizens turned activists who struggle to expose the horrifying industry practice of dumping toxic waste in our nation's fertilizers. You will admire the courage of Mayor Patty Martin and farmer Dennis DeYoung in their insurmountable battle to protect a farming community and our food supply.

Investigative reporter Duff Wilson reveals not only is this toxic waste polluting some of the nation's richest farmland, it may be contaminating our food. Consider this: Wilson notes Washington's J.R. Simplot Company is one of the nation's biggest exporter of french fries. "The northwestern United States supplied 80 percent of the world's fries."

Wilson's book captures the spirit of this human struggle against the forces of corporate greed and inept government regulators. This reporter expertly documents this unthinkable practice and lays it out there very simply, in provocative, tightly written prose. I read it in six hours. I can only hope this book inspires legislators to re-examine this issue in the name of public safety. It brings new meaning to the "happy meal."