In Praise of
Sound Truth & Corporate Myth$

"Important! Chilling! Courageous! Like David confronting Goliath, Riki Ott challenges the giant Exxon to account for its lies and evasions. Her six years of painstaking research expose the long-term damage caused by the Exxon Valdez oil spill to the environment, wildlife, and human health. Ott also uncovers the chemical poisoning epidemic of our time caused by the petrochemical industries and our use of fossil fuels.

"If you care about life on earth you must read this book. And, as Ott begs, do your bit to force Exxon to compensate its victims and revise its safety measures. We must join forces to safeguard our planet from the effects of chemical poisons and global climate change, for our children and those as yet unborn."

Jane Goodall PhD, DBE
UN Messenger of Peace
www.janegoodall.org

"Riki Ott brings on-the-water experience, scientific knowledge, eloquence, personal courage and great determination to the task of writing Sound Truth and Corporate Myth$. I first met her in the mid-nineties on her fishing boat in Cordova, Alaska. On paper and in person, she is the same dedicated professional, sounding the bell for justice when others would rather not go to the trouble. As an Exxon shareholder, I sincerely hope this book hits home."

David Rockefeller, Jr., businessman and philanthropist.

"This book doesn't just change our view of the Exxon Valdez spill; it forces us to dramatically reassess the risks from petroleum and the enormous costs that industry is imposing on our health and planet."

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
President, Waterkeeper Alliance

"In riveting prose, Ott unpacks t he consequences of the Exxon Valdez. Her six years of relentless investigation shines a clear light on the lies, the pseudo-science, the sickness, and the death that have spread as thickly as the oil itself in the wake of this monumental tragedy. Her practical and visionary recommendations challenge us all with the really big question: are we ready to close the curtain on the Age of Oil? Ott's rigorous research suggest that a positive future may depend on our willingness to say 'yes'. "

Fran Korten
Executive Director, Positive Futures Network

"Through compelling first-hand accounts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Riki Ott reminds us that the dire environmental consequences of this disaster live on—in the form of increased rates of asthma, allergies, and cancer. Hers is an eloquent warning that we must not look at Exxon Valdez as an isolated incident, but as a signal of our over-dependence on oil and a premonition of what can and will happen again.‘Sound Truth’ movingly cautions us that we can no longer ignore the public health threat of fossil fuels."

Robert K.Musil, PhD, MPH
Executive Director and CEO, Physicians for Social Responsibility

"Throughout the turbulent waters of this complex story, Riki Ott keeps a steady hand on the tiller and a steady eye on her navigation.Where many authors would be dismasted and shipwrecked by their own fury, she stays clear-eyed and communicative, keeping this story proceeding firmly on course. "

Carl Safina
Author of Song for the Blue Ocean and Eye of the Albatross

"Riki Ott takes you to the womb of Alaska and meticulously documents the insidious devastation of unleashed crude oil on one of the world’s most prolific wildlife birthing grounds. She paints a panorama of bedlam, frustration, and corruption on a canvas of blatant corporate disregard for the long term impacts of its actions. Like the crude oil still invading wildlife in Alaska’s PrinceWilliam Sound, I could not help but reflect on the vast numbers of synthetic chemicals derived from the cracking of crude oil that are invading human and wildlife wombs all over the world, undermining the potential health, behavior, and intelligence of future generations. In closing, Riki Ott poses a series of practical actions that convincingly could turn around society’s course of self destruction and in the meantime prevent further catastrophes."

Theo Colborn, PhD
Professor, University of Florida
Adjunct Graduate Faculty, Texas A&M
Senior Fellow, World Wildlife Fund