Podcast: Deborah Blum, author of "The Poisoner's Handbook" (part 1 of 2)

This is part 1 of a 2-part podcast of Deborah Blum, author of the excellent and fascinating "The Poisoner's Handbook" talking with See Arr Oh and Chemjobber about her book and being a science writer. Part 2 is where Deborah talks about her life as a science writer and also the future of journalism -- it is hosted at Just Like Cooking.



(Please excuse the change in sound quality at 7:36; we were having some technical difficulties with the phone.)

1:00 What does Deborah's inbox look like after writing a book about poisons?
2:20: Asking Deborah to solve a murder
3:00 "The Poisoner's Handbook" on PBS!
4:40 Did she want to be a chemist?
6:18 How Deborah got to write the book
7:36 Deborah talks about the process of writing it
8:40 The chemist in "The Poisoner's Handbook", Alexander Gettler
11:30 Deborah talks about the research process for the book
13:05 Writing about chemistry for a general audience
13:50 How should chemists best help writers to write about chemistry?
16:50 End of Part 1
17:10 Deborah talks about her father, a chemical ecologist

Go over and listen to part 2 at Just Like Cooking, so that you can hear Deborah talk about her hilarious story about mealworm cookies. (really!)