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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | 616.97 MAY | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
It's a world we barely see, but it is teeming with life. In the dust of a typical house, carpet beetles, mites, silverfish, and other creatures live and die, producing new generations every few months. Mold, bacteria, and yeast lurk undetected in heating and cooling systems. Debris dispersed into the air from these organisms can cause runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing, headaches, and breathing difficulties. Some people, especially those made highly sensitive by allergies, suffer from devastating health problems and the worry that, as one such sufferer lamented, "My house is killing me!"
Scrutinizing house dust and air samples with a microscope, indoor air quality expert Jeffrey C. May has spent his career helping people identify what's causing their chronic health problems. In My House Is Killing Me! he draws on the dramatic personal stories of his clients' suffering and relief to help readers understand the links between environmental factors and problems like allergies and asthma. Explaining how air conditioning, finished basements, and other home features affect air quality, he offers a step-by-step approach to identifying, controlling, and often eliminating the sources of indoor pollutants and allergens. If we could see this contamination, May observes, the air would look as murky as stagnant water, and we would know not to breathe it.
Reading My House Is Killing Me! lets you see your house the way an expert would. Just as he looks at spaces and systems during an indoor air quality investigation, May focuses first on the areas of daily life (bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen), then looks into attics and basements (including heating and air conditioning), and finally moves outside to the garage and the exterior of a home. Along with offering a wealth of practical advice and proven solutions for various problems, he includes a glossary of terms and a list of valuable resources.
Author Notes
Jeffrey C. May Jeffrey C. May's is principal scientist at May Indoor Air Investigations LLC, in Cambridge, Massachusetts and specializes in identifying the causes of mold, odor, and moisture problems in homes, schools, and offices. He lectures nationally on indoor air quality and is the author of two other books published by the Johns Hopkins University Press.
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
A friend of May's read a rough draft of his book on what is actually in a "clean" house, hoping it would put her to sleep. Instead, the pictures and text kept her awake all night. Chemical consultant May describes where and how the various parts of a residence can cause temporary or chronic illness for those with allergies or other sensitivities. Dust mites and other bugs, their fecal pellets and body parts, the skin scales of human inhabitants, and volatile chemicals are the major contaminants, and some elements of a house usually considered beneficial--finished basements, wall-to-wall carpeting, central air conditioning--can cause difficulties. One of the best single chapters is on cleaning processes and equipment; it reveals that "dry" steam, carefully used, is excellent. The "Recommendations" that conclude each chapter serve as review and highlighting of an information-packed text. A first-rate reference that is enjoyable to read. --William Beatty
Library Journal Review
Asthma and allergy sufferers, this book is essential reading: it will answer all your questions about why you suffer in your own home and what you can do to prevent it. May, an air quality investigator and president of a home investigation company, takes you on a tour of your home, both interior and exterior, with a detailed description of the organic and inorganic substances that are making you ill. He covers every room, including the basement, attic, laundry room, garage, heating and air-conditioning system(s), and nooks and crannies that you probably forgot about. He explains how insects, molds, bacteria, yeast, dust, moisture, larvae, pet dander, fabric fibers, smoke, and many other agents can trigger an episode and how to eliminate them permanently. May provides actual stories from his many years of experience with the solutions he has recommended to his clients. Todd Schultze's A Safe Haven? (LJ 4/01/01) complements May's work with practical advice on ridding your home of toxic hazards like radon, asbestos, and lead. Both will serve for years to come as the definitive guides to establishing disease-free living environments. [See also John Bower's The Healthy House, LJ 9/1/00. Ed.] Irving Weintraub, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
| ForewordJonathan M. Samet and M.D |
| Acknowledgments |
| Introduction: Managing the Unseen |
| Part I Setting the Scene |
| 1 Cast of Characters |
| 2 The Stage, Set, and Crew |
| Part II Daily Life |
| 3 Bedrooms |
| 4 Bathrooms |
| 5 Living Rooms |
| 6 Kitchens and Dining Areas |
| 7 Laundries |
| 8 Unfinished Basements |
| 9 Finished Basements |
| 10 Heating and Cooling with Air |
| 11 More on Heat and Fuel |
| 12 Attics |
| Part IV Clean It Up - Inside and Out |
| 13 Renovation and New Construction |
| 14 Cleaning |
| 15 Exterior and Garage |
| 16 Away from Home Closing Remarks: Take Charge |
| Glossary |
| Resource Guide |
| Index |
