Bill Statham’s other book, The Chemical Maze Shopping Companion, was the first book I ever bought on my toxin-free journey. I was very excited to have a read of this second edition of The Chemical Maze Bookshelf Companion. It’s like the bumper version of the shopping companion. Although this book is designed as a home reference guide, it is still reasonably compact and will fit into a handbag if you want to take it shopping.
Without being too gushy, I really do love this book! It is quite simply a must have for all families trying to avoid chemicals in their lives. It’s the reference book I use to help me decide if a product is suitable for my family, based on the safety of its ingredients.
Bill and Lindy have ten years of research invested in this book and it shows. It is extremely comprehensive with over 1200 chemicals listed. Best of all, the information is unbiased and not attached to any big multinational company!
In the book, you will find listed by name and number:
* Food additives
* Cosmetic ingredients and
* Household products
Also included are some safer alternatives and recipes for homemade cleaners.
Sample page.
I love the way it’s so easy to read and quick to find what you are looking for. You don’t have to dissect lots of scientific information, Bill and Lindy have done all the hard work.
In the directory, you will find:
* The name and number of the chemical
* It’s functions (eg preservative, skin conditioning )
* A code ( a clever use of sad and happy faces on a scale from safe to use to potentially hazardous)
* Potential effects (eg suspected neurotoxicity, hyperactivity, asthma)
Bill and Lindy
Some quick tips from Bill and Lindy:
– Check the label. Remember, ‘no added’ doesn’t mean none at all.
– By simply choosing products with the least amount of ingredients on the label, you are making a choice for better health.
– Asthmatics can have adverse reactions to genetically modified ingredients, especially preservative 220 which can be found in everyday health foods like dried apricots.
– ‘E numbers’ represent preservatives and additives on ingredient lists.
– The notorious food additive 621 MSG is most obviously found listed on a label as 620-622. But MSG is often disguised as other ingredients. Look out for anything ‘hydrolysed’.
I highly recommend this book to any family who want to have a safe and toxin free household. It’s a great reference book for everyone but especially those starting out on this journey and are confused about what is safe and what is not. Bill has changed our lives for the better and I am grateful that he has written this resource for us all of us to use. A firm Natural New Age Mum favourite!
You can get the book on the Chemical Maze website. Check out the blog while you are there for some interesting articles. Keep up to date with Bill and the team on the Chemical Maze Facebook Page.
Giveaway:
**This giveaway has now closed. The lucky winners were Melissa and Monique!**
Would you like to win a copy of The Chemical Maze Bookshelf Companion? I have two copies to share!
How to enter:
* Be a blog subscriber (add your email to the top right box)
* Like The Chemical Maze Facebook page. Go here.
* Leave a comment on this blog post telling us why you would like to win one
Terms and conditions:
This giveaway runs from now until Sunday the 17th of November at midnight. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator from those meeting the entry requirements. The winner will be emailed and announced on the blog post. Sorry, only open to Australian residents. Good luck!
Special Offer:
Bill is giving away a FREE copy of The Shopping Companion (rrp $16.95) with every Bookshelf Companion purchased through the website before the end of November 2013. Just put NNAM in the ‘note to merchant’ area. Go shopping here.
{sponsored post}
I still send photos of ingredients to my mum to double triple check…
I make most of my own cleaning products, and we’re “mostly” additive free. I’d like to see what else we can do to improve our household, our bodies and our skin. Thank you
What a great opportunity THANKU. I currently have the Chemical Maze app and would be lost without it. My son how even uses it when we go shopping to check if he is allow something we havent had before 🙂 Would be great to win a hardcopy book and the lastest information 🙂
I would like to win because I have small children who are exposed daily to chemicals and I don’t know which ones are bad or ok. I would love this book to be able to look up the chemicals and learn more about them. Thank you
I would love to win a copy of this book. I’ve become so conscious of the chemicals in everything now and would love to be able to understand it more. Thanks
I’d love to win a copy! It sounds like a great place to start with toxin-free living.
I run Eco Parents Australia website, blog and Facebook page. I’d like to disiminate some information as I learn more myself.
Oh, I can’t believe I don’t own this book already!
I’m pretty good with foods, but I always think to myself that I don’t know enough about cosmetics etc.
I have ones that I think are healthy, but I still don’t know what any of the ingredients are….. except aqua…. I know that one ha ha
I am trying very hard to work out what I can and can’t have due to allergies but the numbers are very tricky and I am in general trying to cut out things I know cause behaviour problems so my eldest son can live with me again instead of with my dad who can handle his “episodes” more physically then me. This would be extremely handy – but if I don’t win I think this will head straight to the top of my must buy list.
Thanks for having this comp Sonia 🙂
I think I am mostly on top of the ingredients in our food (although don’t always get it right) but really need some extra information when it comes to cosmetics and other household products. This book would be a brilliant and very welcome addition to our house.
It really is scary what is in our foods! I would like to know the coded nasties to stear clear off.
My 17 month old daughter has severe epilepsy & has seizures that last for over an hour. emergency medication does not work for her & she had been on life support 3 times. She is on a sugar & additive free diet but there is so much I have not yet learnt about labelling & ingredients so this book would be great. Thanks
I have 3 reasons. Their names are Justin, Blake and Wade.
I do my best to avoid additive and chemicals, but you can always do more, and I think this book will help me and my family to do just that! Therefore living a longer and healthier life 🙂
I am trying to do healthier shopping for my family and this would be a great help.
I’m just starting out on this journey and would find this very helpful
I have been wanting to buy this book!! I am trying to change over to a much healthier lifestyle for my family (me, husband, 3 little girls), and finding it really hard to know what’s good and what’s not. This book appears to answer all my questions, looks easy to follow and I know that if I win this book, it will mean a much healthier and satisfying journey into the future for us, and the generations to come!
The name of the book says it all to me! I find additives/ preservatives/ chemicals an absolute MAZE. Sounds like a great place to start to make some better choices. I would love a copy for my family. Thank you so much for continually sharing NNAM. x
The first book was really great. Would love this one to go with it
I would love a copy of this book, we are well on our way to a “clean living” way of life but there is still so much to learn. As a preschool teacher I love spreading the word and it would be great to have this book as a support as I share information with all of my families.
I would love to win this book. We are only just starting our journey of being chemical and toxin free. Just made my own toothpaste 2 weeks ago. And learning to buy less processed food. Also trying to live a permaculture lifestyle. This book would certainly help with our journey. Thanks for doing the giveaways!
Love the face symbols, makes it easy at a glance..good..bad..or otherwise 🙂
I would love to win this book to help me on my journey to a toxic free life, both in my food and cosmetics. I know it is such a maze and think this book would be a great helper.
I would love to win a copy of this book to further my journey with food, health and a better life.
After finding my sons had such huge reactions to additives we are now trying to do everything we can to clean our lifestyle
I have only recently been given the shopping companion as a gift but love how useful it is. With my second child only just arriving last week I think it’s more important than ever to be well informed on what is in food, cosmetics and cleaning products.
i’m in the process of changing my families meals to be organic sugar free and need all the help I can get with information
To remind me what I shouldn’t buy.
I’ve been meaning to buy this for years! Would love to win it
I would love to win a copy 🙂 i am in the process of bettering my familys health and this sounds like it would be a great help 🙂
I would like to get one because I get so freaking confused with all the scientific names with what is good e.g. tocopheril acetate, and what is bad like all the different names for MSG. Makes my head spin.
‘The Chemical Maze’, this is how I feel when I’m trying to make sense of all those numbers which refer to different additives, preservatives, thickeners and fillers. I feel like I’m constantly getting myself lost because it’s all too much for my brain to absorb and remember. I desperately need this book which I think would soon become my bible. I often feel dazed and confused when trying to understand labels. Please pick me, pick me! 🙂
I’m just starting out on the additive free journey and am very overwhelmed. I’ve just purchased additive free pantry but this would certainly help me along my path!
I would love to win the chemical maze book as I am just starting out making mine, my hubby and our beautiful girls home preservative and toxic free and the better informed I am, the easier the journey. Thank you and fingers crossed I win 🙂
I have allergies often hidden in numbers rather than names. It would be nice to double check ingredients while out shopping
I really need to further my knowledge because i know yhat we should not be using/eAting, but i dont know why!!!
I’m pretty good with many additives in foods and personal products but there are still so many I’m not sure about and it’s difficult to find reliable information. This is exactly the book I need to clear up those foggy areas
Would love to win this especially as I have just yesterday been diagonaised with Alopecia yesterday,
, am mortified.
This this book would help me greatly as healing comes from the inside xx
I’d love to win so I could finally find out the truth!
Hi I would love a copy of The Chemical Maze as our family of 6 is on the the way to becoming chemical free. We no longer buy processed foods and strive to eat whole and chemical free. We are currently working on getting rid of all other chemicals in the house, this book would be a huge help on quest to be a healthy chemical free family.
I would love to win this book to help my family change the few naughty eating habits we have. With an 18 month old daughter it is even more important that we know what is going into our bodies! Plus books like this are the tools that help me show my other half that I am not making things up!!
I would give this book to my daughter in law who has Hashimoto’s Disease and is in the process of radically changing her diet and trying to use organic products as much as she can to bring healing to her body and into life. As a result my son has changed his diet in support of her and lost 10 Kgs and the rest of my family are following in their footsteps towards a healthier life! This book would give her more information to help her on her journey.
I have been wanting to buy this book for a while now. My family & I have been trying to better our health & lifestyle for several months now & we are forever learning more & more. I would love this book as a resource at home!
The complex maze can be overwhelming, and when there are hundreds of products to choose from, sometimes I would just like that bit of guidance.
I would love this book, as although live a pretty additive free lifestyle it can still be so confusing when you read ingredient list after ingredient list while shopping. It would also be great to have on hand to show friends and family that I’m not just some crazy person and that there is a book about the dangers of chemicals found in these products!
because it is a confusing maze and it would be so great to have one, trusted source of reference.!
I would love to win for my sister, who is battling diabetes and successfully staying drug free by eating raw and living chemical free. This book would be a welcome addition to her library.
Am just starting out on the no toxin journey & am sure this book would help me completely
I would love to use this book to guide me on my journey of cautious eating :)))))
I would love a copy of this book!! It would save me from constantly looking up chemicals, additives ect online as I am trying to greatly reduce screen time. I keep meaning to buy the book!
I’d love a copy of this book to help me make better food choices for my children and myself.
When I’m shopping I’m trying to remember so many things I think some of it spills out!! I need help putting it back in again!
What a brilliant idea. I’d love to be able to decipher the codes on products. Live safer & healthier.
I’m just starting my journey towards a healthier life and something like this would be a big help in navigating my choices of what to use and what not to
I would love a copy, it would make my shopping trips so much easier. I do my best to stay away from ‘nasties’ but am not always sure what are the nasties, so this book would be a big help 🙂
Because I have been wanting to get one for years
My son has asthma. Our house is pretty much chemical free now, but I would love to help him to learn what food he really needs to avoid when he visits friends houses. He is only 4 and has a HUGE sweet tooth so stopping him from eating sweet snacks when I am not around is very tricky. I really think this book will help me to teach him what foods are less nasty than others. Thanks.
I am just starting the additive free journey, and really, it’s a bit (a LOT) mind blowing. This book would be great to check myself and the products in the pantry, as I slowly replace the old foods for better foods for me and my family.
Ive been picking it up everytime i go into a bookstore, but havent managed to purchase it yet….so i would be thrilled to win it!
i would love to have a copy of this book. i know there is so many additives in chemicals in alot of things we are exposed to. i do my best to aviod as much as i can, but having this book would help so much.
My two little ones have allergies/eczema which is currently under control with diet alterations. This book sounds like the perfect reference for the nasties we are trying to avoid 🙂
I always struggle to buy my sister a good and useful Xmas present. I know she would love this, as she is very conscious of what she eats, buys and introduces to her children. This would make life easier for her and solve what to get her as a present too!
I need to win one! I just can’t seem to find reliable information to make informed choices .. this would be great!
I would love to make my childrens diets more safer for them and less yukkies, it is at times hard, but i need to change some things for them, to be healthier happier kids
Thought we were relatively chemical free but after attending an additive free pantry talk there seems to be be and more to be aware of. Would love a copy of this book
After having my son I’ve really gotten into more natural foods & cleaning products (eucalyptus oil is a favourite).
My new interest was mainly due to my little ones sensitive skin, he gets insect bites DAILY, but the catch is I can’t get rid of some of these pests cos the chemicals affect my son.
When it comes to food (maybe it’s just a single mum’s cheat tip) my son sleeps better, concentrates better, focuses for longer, listens better plays more happily with other kids when he has less processed food & more of my FROM SCRATCH meals & snacks.
Basically I’m a single mum trying to better the quality of my son’s life with the knowledge of natural alternatives, I just can’t afford the book at the moment.
Are there certain chemicals that alter (in a bad way) a child’s breathing?
I’m another one just beginning the healthy eating etc journey and starting to look at chemicals. This looks like a fantastic reference book. Thanks NNAM!
I am quite good at reading labels & using low tox products, however I know there’s more I could do, and this book would make that much easier! 🙂
I’ve been avoiding chemicals for years but it doesn’t seem to get any easier, it certainly is a maze!
Would love to win because I find reading labels so confusing.
I need guidance re the hidden nasties awaiting to get me…..so I would love to win a copy.
I would love to won to help keep my family and home healthy with out all the chemicals in the world
I have one twin with anaphylaxis, lots of allergies and sensitivities, asthma and dry skin. This book would be wonderful as a resource to give us other avenues to try so that we might be able to get much needed answers to make life easier. Thank you!
Who wouldn’t want a copy? There’s always more to learn.
Thanks for another great competition 🙂 Would love to win this to help avoid all those nasties! It’s so hard – they’re everywhere!!!
I would love it to help with the food side of things but I really need more help with beauty products 🙂 🙂
I am trying to do everything in my power to create a healthy, nasty-chemical free household for my family & myself, however, acquiring the information to do this is both confusing & tiresome. This book will be the powerful tool I need to reach my goal!
with two boys on the spectrum every ingredient has to be checked out, and they are only the ones listed!
HELP! I’m well and truly lost in the MAZE!! Like a tiny mouse looking for the cheese… and if I’m lucky enough to find the cheese I won’t know if it’s safe to eat anyway… I need The Chemical Maze Bookshelf Companion!!! *Squeak Squeak*
This book would be a great tool for me as I am learning to read labels and strive for better health for my family,
I’d like to learn more as my family & I are just beginning our chemical free journey, this would be a great tool to have. I’d love to win one of these books
Our family increasingly suffers from allergies and intolerances. I can only conclude that we have some kind of chemical overload. I am trying to reduce this but do desperately need help to find my way through this maze
I’d love to see how we can improve our household using this books. Always thought to make our own cleaners, but never have!
I would like to back to basics by excluding all these hidden extras…I think we would feel a whole lot better and our skin would glow with health… I truly would love to win a copy…my family would benefit hugely…
So I can convince my partner that the chemical cleaners are bad!! He has come around on food and preservatives but still seems to think chemical cleaners do no harm :/ We have a toddler as well as me being super sensitive so I am always trying to tell him not to use or buy them.. I think this will drive it home! Also it will be super handy for shopping and the homemade cleaner recipes!
Hi, I’d love this as I find it so much easier to read a book than something online. Thanks.
What a great book to help everyday people decode what is being used/ added in our foods and daily products.
Would love to learn about making my own cleaning products and learn more about the numbers in food.
I’ve wanted a copy for awhile now, I’m trying to make our family and household as natural and organic as possible on a tight budget.