Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition

Healthy Indoors | 23 Generational Wisdom The second edition, published during the pandemic and released last December, feels different. Physically, it's a larger, heavier book with glossy paper and plenty of color pictures. But's it feels like more than that. Connie told Healthy Indoors in a recent interview that the couple had no plans to revisit the book. It was too much work, she said, but Johns Hopkins Press convinced them that the time was right to introduce the book to a whole new generation. And dare I say, it exceeds the magic of the 2001 version. Yes, 20 years have gone by so there's plenty of new sci- ence to discuss. There's a lot to discuss about air conditioning, finished basements, and other advanced home features can affect indoor air quality. The Mays also dive right into the pool of helping people understand the connections between indoor conditions and their health. There's expanded coverage on the O ne of my favorite industry professionals owned a business here in Massachusetts for more than 25 years. Before he retired, he told me the worst part of his job was that people only called him when they had a problem with their house. I asked him what the best part was, and he said: "People have a lot of problems with their houses." I imagine this thinking resonates with Jeff and Connie May. They have both seen many people with problem houses and those people with health problems because of things that went wrong in their houses or apartments. It's been 20 years since the first edition of their book, My House is Killing Me!, an ode to families with allergies and asthma. Both teachers back in the late 1980s-early '90s, their son had these issues, so they went on a quest to find solutions for him and ended up with a new career that has spanned almost 30 years of inspecting and investigating the indoor environment. The way Jeff tells the story of the first book, he brain- dumped his stories into a tape recorder and Connie listened in order to make sense of it all. The sensationalistic title in 2001 came from a phone message of a woman who called for an inspection and really said the phrase, "My house is killing me!" Their first editor never really thought much of the title. Inside though, there was pages and pages of stories of problems Jeff had investigated in homes—in the bedrooms, bathrooms, laundries, kitchens and dining areas, living rooms and family rooms. The basements and attics, along with the heating and cooling systems, and garages. Renovating or building a new home? They had general information, a glossary and resource guide, and plenty of recommendation so a generation could take charge of their homes and their health. In the book's forward, medical doctor Jonathan Samit called Jeff a doctor for homes. "Much as physicians cure sick persons, Mr. May and other indoor air quality professionals "cure" sick homes and buildings," Samit wrote. "Unless the cause of illnesses arising from indoor allergens or other pollutants is effectively addressed, medical treatments may be extended unnecessarily or may even be ineffective." As a reward, consumers gave back with five-star reviews (or specifically stated that house problems were pretty gross) and other IAQ books followed. Jeff 's career got a boost as well with industry recognition, speaking engagements, and awards. It was a book that really spoke to consumers to help them learn all about indoor environments. Book Review: Second Coming of My House is Killing Me! By Susan Valenti

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