New Book on GMO’s Cuts Through the Hysteria and Answers Common Questions

TUCSON, Ariz. - March 3, 2014 - PRLog -- Are you puzzled by conflicting information and stories about genetically engineered foods?  A new book is about to be released that provides answers to nearly 100 questions about GMO’s.  GMO’s: A Quick and Dirty Guide presents credible answers to many of the most common questions about GMO plants, animals and technology.

“We get asked questions about GMO’s all the time,” said Leza Martin, founder of Tucson Village Farm, an urban farm near the University of Arizona.  “It would be nice to have something to refer to that has all the answers, without having to search all over the web.”

“You can’t fight a battle with a dull sword,” says author Mary Baker of Tucson, Arizona.  “Whether you are for or against genetic engineering, everyone should have access to credible information and be able to understand what is really in their food chain.”

Baker says that much of the information readily available online is inaccurate or biased.  “Websites use keyword phrases like ‘non-GMO’ and ‘GMO free’ to boost their web traffic,” she explains.  “So the first few pages of results will almost always be sites with some sort of agenda, or neutraceutical firms wanting to sell you something.”

Genetically modified organisms are an emotionally charged topic, and Baker says that’s as it should be.  “It’s good to be cautious.  No one wants to see a return of something like Agent Orange or DDT.  Ever since Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962, we have lived with a healthy fear of over-manipulating our resources and damaging our natural environment beyond repair.”

Baker says that her position on GMO’s is neutral.  “I’m just trying to provide credible, accurate information.  People can form their own opinions from there.  But there is one thing I do take a stand against, and that is hysteria and hyperbole.  I hate it when some people manipulate the facts just to get attention, whether it’s Monsanto’s corporate white-washing or a snake oil salesman preying on people’s fear of the unknown.”

Far from being a stuffy textbook on a complicated topic, Baker’s book breaks things down into focused  questions, and she answers them directly and often with a sense of humor.  She covers everything from how GMO’s are made to how they may affect world trade and third world countries.  “Trust me,” she says.  “If you read this book you will be able to survive any cocktail party conversation about GMO’s without frying your brain.”

Baker recently moved to Tucson from California wine country, where she spent twenty years working closely with vineyard and winery owners as a business manager, marketing consultant, and winery partner.

GMO’s:  A Quick and Dirty Guide is available for pre-order on Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1745856819/gmos-a-quick-and-dirty-guide.  Baker offers a choice of autographed paperbacks or electronic copies.  Visitors can ask questions of Baker in the comments area on her Kickstarter project and she will answer them.  She also plans to sell her book wholesale to organic farmstands and urban farms.

“I want this book to give everyone the tools they need to discuss GMO’s intelligently,” says Baker.  “We should all care about what is in our food chain.”