The Monsanto Papers

Lee Johnson was a man with simple dreams. All he wanted was a steady job and a nice home for his wife and children, something better than the hard life he knew growing up. He never imagined that he would become the face of a David-and-Goliath showdown against one of the world’s most powerful corporate giants. But a workplace accident left Lee doused in a toxic chemical and facing a deadly cancer that 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 eclectic band of young, ambitious 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, captivated by the shocking twists, and moved by Lee’s quiet determination to see justice served. With gripping narrative force that reads like fiction, The Monsanto Papers takes readers behind the scenes of a grueling legal battle, pulling back the curtain on the frailties of the American court system and the lengths to which lawyers will go to fight corporate wrongdoing.

Copyright 2021, hardcover, 352 pages. 

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.

Advance praise for The Monsanto Papers:

"A blockbuster, right up there with page-turning thrillers by John Grisham....[I] cannot recommend it highly enough...fabulously written—an important book."
-Marion Nestle, Food Politics

"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

"The Monsanto Papers blends science and human tragedy with courtroom drama in the style of John Grisham. It is a story of corporate malfeasance on a grand scale – a chilling revelation of the chemical industry’s greed, arrogance, and reckless disregard for human life and the health of our planet. It is a must read."
-Philip J. Landrigan, MD, Director, Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good, Boston College