Poisons have accompanied and continue to accompany humans since ancient times. Moreover: life itself on Earth arose as a result of the “poisoning” of its atmosphere with oxygen... It was precisely thanks to the fragility of the boundary between living and nonliving, chemistry and history that poisons aroused such burning interest at all times. Pharaohs and presidents, mighty warriors and secret agents, sophisticated philosophers and ordinary people - everyone can fall victim to these “silent killers”. Moreover, they do not always kill because of someone’s evil intent: for centuries, people have surrounded themselves with many things, unaware of the mortal danger that lurks in them. After all, the same substance can often turn out to be both poison and medicine - it’s all a matter of dosage and method of application. A well-known popularizer of science, Australian Peter MacInnis precisely measures the ingredients of a story - science, liveliness, rare facts and vivid details - and mixes them correctly in his book.