Poison: Sinister Species with Deadly Consequences

Written by: Mark Siddall

First line: We tend to think that our world is, on the whole, a safe place.

Why you should read this book: A lot of great things come out of the American Museum of Natural History, and this light-hearted and somewhat tongue-in-cheek catalog of poisonous creatures, comprising many anecdotes the author researched for, but was not able to include in a museum exhibit on the Power of Poison, is one. Although there is a great deal of chemistry and biology laid out here, by and large it's a wholly accessible work for those without scientific backgrounds, divvied up amusingly into 4 parts: "Things One Shouldn't Touch," "Things One Shouldn't Eat," "Things That Bite," and "Things That Sting," with jokes and commentary enlivening the death and agony that runs through the narrative. Includes a glossary of scientific terms and dozens of sketches of various creatures to avoid eating, touching, and being bitten or stung by.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Many deadly poisonous creatures.