Contents -- Figures and Tables -- 1. Toxins are everywhere: how toxins have affected history -- 2. The germ of an idea: a gradual acceleration up to the mid-1850s -- 3. The golden age of microbiology: Pasteur, Koch, and the birth of the toxin concept -- 4. The anatomy of diphtheria: taming the deadly scourge of childhood -- 5. Understanding: all toxins fit into three basic mechanisms -- 6. Why are plague and typhoid so deadly?: A further layer of cunning -- 7. Deviant biology: weapons, espionage, and man's innate inhumanity -- 8. A more optimistic outcome: from poison to cure and the cell biologist's toolkit -- 9. Where is toxinology going now?: Is there anything new out there? -- Endnotes -- Bibliography -- Further reading -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y.