Real Food Reads Book Club
The Monsanto Papers: Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man’s Search for Justice
Lee Johnson never imagined that he would become the face of a David-and-Goliath showdown against one of the world’s most powerful corporate giants.
When a workplace accident left Lee doused in a toxic chemical and facing a deadly cancer, his turned his life upside down. In 2018, the world watched as Lee was thrust to the forefront of one the most dramatic legal battles in recent history.
The Monsanto Papers is the inside story of Lee Johnson’s landmark lawsuit against Monsanto. For Lee, the case was a race against the clock, with doctors predicting he wouldn’t survive long enough to take the witness stand. For the lawyers representing him, it was a matter of professional pride and personal risk, with millions of dollars and hard-earned reputations on the line. For the public at large, the lawsuit presented a question of corporate accountability.
With enough money and influence, could a company endanger its customers, hide evidence, manipulate regulators, and get away with it all—for decades? Readers will be astounded by the depth of corruption uncovered and moved by Lee’s quiet determination to see justice served.
Use code GILLAM for 20 percent off the book at Island Press.
Praise for The Monsanto Papers
“A great read, a page turner. I was totally engrossed by the deception, distortions, and lack of decency of the company.”
—Linda S. Birnbaum, Former Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, and Scholar in Residence, Duke University
“A powerful book that sheds light on Monsanto and others who have been untouchable for so long!”
—John Boyd Jr., Founder and President, National Black Farmers Association
“A powerful story, well told, and a remarkable work of investigative journalism. Carey Gillam has written a compelling book from beginning to end, about one of the most important legal battles of our time.”
—Lukas Reiter, TV executive and writer for The Blacklist, The Practice, and Boston Legal
“Gillam narrates an of-the-moment reckoning with a major corporation whose products have been marketed as safe since the 1970s. As an examination of both corporate malfeasance and legal maneuvering in torts cases, Gillam’s book personifies the need for consumer protections and safety.”
— Booklist
About the Author
Investigative journalist Carey Gillam has spent more than 20 years reporting on the health and environmental impacts of the agrochemical industry, including 17 years working for Reuters news agency. Her 2017 book about pesticide dangers, Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science, won the 2018 Rachel Carson Book Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists and has become a part of the curriculum in several university environmental health programs.
Gillam’s reporting and writing have led her to become recognized as an international expert on corporate control of agriculture and the health and environmental impacts of a pesticide-dependent food system. She was asked to testify before the European Parliament in 2017 about her findings and was an invited speaker at the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg, France in 2019. She also has been a featured speaker at events throughout North America, Australia, The Netherlands, Brussels, and France.
Gillam left Reuters in late 2015 to become Research Director for the non-profit consumer group U.S. Right to Know, whose mission is to educate and inform consumers about the often-hidden practices and policies that shape the food system. She also writes occasionally for The Guardian news outlet.
