2 out of 4 stars
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Cadmium (Cd), an extremely toxic metal, is commonly associated with industrial workplaces and products such as batteries and plastics. Unknown to most people, cigarettes and certain types of food also contain a small volume of this deadly element. Ingestion of large quantities can immediately cause liver and kidney failure, and continued exposure to trace amounts of it may eventually lead to diseases that impact the cardiovascular, reproductive and nervous systems. This is the silent assassin that Arturo Riojas, Ph.D., P.E., is dedicated to expose.
Heaven and Earth was written by Arturo Riojas for two specific purposes. The first and main reason is to raise awareness regarding Cadmium Poisoning. The author, a firm believer in cause and effect, added Cadmium Poisoning facts at the end of each chapter that many people would find eye-opening. These tidbits of information can potentially help the reader identify food that contain high levels of Cadmium in their daily diet, devise ways to prevent continuous ingestion of it, and break down the amount that may already exist within the body.
Riojas' second goal for this book is to entertain anyone who loves a good Science Fiction story. We follow Olga Ramos, a scientist employed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), as she gets invited to attend an important conference in Houston. Expecting this to be about her research, little does Olga know she's about to experience an encounter that will forever change her life. The plot is built around the Ancient Astronaut theory, a popular belief that extraterrestrial beings visited our planet during prehistoric times. Various UFO related events are also referenced throughout the story.
Personally, I believe the greatest strength and selling point of Heaven and Earth is its extensive information about Cadmium and its adverse effects on the human body. The facts stated about it were expertly compiled by the author at the end of each chapter through bullet point lists. Certain excerpts of the story are discussed in relation to Cadmium Poisoning in some instances. Cadmium-related information is also heavily interwoven into the story and it becomes more evident as the plot unfolds. This book gave me the impression that it is more textbook than novel.
On the other hand, I was actually very disappointed by the novel part of this book. The characters were nondescript and forgettable. Some of them, particularly the extraterrestrials, felt like copies of one another. The lack of distinction between Point of View (POV) characters is frustrating to read, especially when multiple inner monologues overlap. Irrelevant and occasionally confusing flashbacks are thrown in without warning. Whole sentences and paragraphs are sometimes written entirely in either Spanish or Alien, and then the author adds its English translation next to it. Despite its narrative flaws, a tiny sliver of a silver lining can be found in a handful of witty dialogue, but those are pretty much the only things I enjoyed.
The book is edited pretty well save for a couple of typos I noticed, but I did take note of very long sentences that can be simplified by breaking them down into shorter ones. All things considered, Heaven and Earth is very useful specifically as reference material for Cadmium related studies. I found it hard, however, to maintain my focus and interest on the story, which is mainly why I choose to rate it 2 out of 4 stars. If by any chance you pick this up and expect it to be a sci-fi novel about ancient aliens then this is not the book for you. It’s really just a lengthy article about Cadmium Poisoning.
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Heaven and Earth
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