Book Review: Peyote vs. The State: Religious Freedom on Trial

• Published date: 01 September 2011
• Date: 01 September 2011
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016811417174
• Author: Shyam K. Sriram
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

Book Review
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numerous and determined enemies now have unprecedented access to such agents of mass
destruction.
This book is clearly written for first-responders in emergency situations. Its layout and concise
way of presenting information, while rendering it a highly useful resource for clinical staff, emer-
gency personnel, and members of various other first response teams, also makes it less accessible
to the casual reader. Since the vast majority of professionals who work in medical care, triage, and
rescue teams have likely received little to no specialized training and have no hands-on experience in
high-tech terror attack situations, this title could prove to be an invaluable asset. The sections that
address the clinical manifestations of each terroristic agent are arguably the most critical sections of
the book in that they can assist professionals in their ability to quickly reference and confirm the
presence of a dangerous agent, to take the appropriate precautions to prevent any further contamina-
tions, to administer the most effective treatments to affected individuals, and to gather additional
information and assistance from agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
When they find themselves suddenly overwhelmed with sick and dying patients, physicians,
nurses, first-line responders, health care administrators, and emergency management personnel will
have little to no time to learn the essentials of an appropriate response to such catastrophic situations
created by the extremely dangerous warfare agents introduced in the book. In order for these
professionals to be prepared, it is essential that they gather an awareness of these weapons and a
working knowledge of the diseases and injuries they might produce, how to promptly and correctly
treat them, and how to prevent secondary spread. All of these professionals should be familiar with
the information contained...