The Sensitives: The Rise of Environmental Illness and the Search for America's Last Pure Place
Language: English
Published by Simon & Schuster, 2020
- Hardcover
- New

Seller: Equipment for Living, Aliquippa, PA, U.S.A.Equipment for Living
AbeBooks seller since October 26, 2025
Condition: New
US$ 7.52
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketSeller Inventory # 29HO00000PDY
- Title
- The Sensitives: The Rise of Environmental Illness and the Search for America's Last Pure Place
- Author
- Broudy, Oliver
- Publisher
- Simon & Schuster
- Publication year
- 2020
- Condition
- new
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 198212850X
- ISBN 13
- 9781982128500
They call themselves “sensitives.” Over fifty million Americans endure a mysterious environmental illness that renders them allergic to chemicals. Innocuous staples from deodorant to garbage bags wreak havoc on sensitives. For them, the enemy is modernity itself.
No one is born with EI. It often starts with a single toxic exposure. Then the symptoms hit: extreme fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, inability to tolerate certain foods. With over 85,000 chemicals in the environment, danger lurks around every corner. Largely ignored by the medical establishment and dismissed by family and friends, sensitives often resort to odd ersatz remedies, like lining their walls with aluminum foil or hanging mail on a clothesline for days so it can “off-gas” before they open it.
Broudy encounters Brian Welsh, a prominent figure in the EI community, and quickly becomes fascinated by his plight. When Brian goes missing, Broudy travels with James, an eager, trusting sensitive to find Brian, investigate this disease, and delve into the intricate, ardent subculture that surrounds it. Their destination: Snowflake, the capital of the EI world. Located in eastern Arizona, it is a haven where sensitives can live openly without fear of toxins or the judgment of insensitive “normals.”
While Broudy’s book is wry, pacey, and down-to-earth, it also dives deeply into compelling corners of medical and American history. He finds telling parallels between sensitives and their cultural forebears, from the Puritans to those refugees and dreamers who settled the West. Ousted from mainstream society, these latter-day exiles nonetheless shed bright light on the anxious, noxious world we all inhabit now.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Equipment for Living
Aliquippa, PA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since October 26, 2025
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 2 to 5 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | US$ 3.99 | US$ 7.49 |
Payment methods
Store description
Equipment for Living is a socially conscious bookstore located in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. More than just a retail business, we define ourselves as "a business with a conscience" - committed to fostering community development, meaningful employment, and urban revitalization in Western Pennsylvania. OUR MISSION: Equipment for Living operates on the belief that responsible entrepreneurship can be a powerful force for positive change. We provide valuable retail services while creating meaningful work opportunities that serve as sites of training and mentoring. Our Youth Employment Initiative specifically targets local residents aged 16-25, offering employment, skill development, and guidance during the critical transition from youth to adulthood. We measure success not just in profits, but in empowering our employees to pursue their career aspirations and life goals - even when that means moving on to other opportunities. OUR STORY: Founded in 2008 and opening our physical storefront in 2012 after extensive community-led renovations, Equipment for Living has grown from an online book venture into a cornerstone of Aliquippa's revitalization efforts. We've deliberately chosen to establish our business in this former steel town, recognizing that true community poverty isn't just about lacking economic resources - it's about lacking opportunities, connections, education, and hope. OUR INVENTORY: Equipment for Living offers a refreshingly different retail experience from typical chain bookstores. While big-box stores stock only high-demand, profitable bestsellers in predictable arrangements, we curate a wide and constantly evolving selection that reflects the unique character of our community. Our diverse inventory includes books across all genres and eras, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, vinyl records, and video games. We embrace the philosophy that "if you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking." While we may not always have the latest bestseller in stock, we guarantee a carefully selected range of high-quality products you won't easily find elsewhere - true equipment for living a rich, thoughtful life.…
Specialty
Various new, used, and antiquarianSeller's business information
eQuip Books LLC
1001 Franklin Ave
Aliquippa, PA U.S.A. 15001