Use these questions to guide your reading of Toxin.  They will help you be prepared for class discussions, any short answer in-class writing quizzes, and the last out of class essay (OCE # 3).

PART ONE (p. 1- 62)

prologue

1. Why did Willy and Bart sell the sick cow to Higgins and Hancock instead of the rendering plant?

2. Notice how many people are involved in allowing the downer to be sold for hamburger meat.

chapter one

3. What do you know about AmeriCare's merger of Samaritan Hospital and University Medical Center?

4. What do you know about Tracy Reggis?

chapter two

5. What do you know about Dr. Kim Reggis?

6. What does Kim Reggis think about the state of the medical field?-- medicare reimbursement, managed care, respect from staff, appreciation from patient's family.

chapter three

7. What do you notice about Kim and Tracy's relationship?

8. What do you know about Becky?

9. What do you know about Kim and Ginger's relationship?

chapter four

10. What else do you learn about Kim's relationship with Ginger?

PART TWO (p. 63-181)

chapter five

11. What is Kim Reggis's experience dealing with patients' families?

12. Notice the stats on food poisoning.

chapter six

13. Notice Kim Reggis's daily routine. Connect it to what you read in "Doctor Takes Her Own Advice" BR

14. What do you notice about Kim and Tracy's relationship?

15. What are Kim Reggis's frustrations about the business side of medicine including the merger?

chapter seven

16. Do you notice any change in Kim Reggis?

17. Do you notice any change in Kim and Tracy's relationship?

18. How does AmeriCare reign in costs?

chapter eight

19. Pay attention to statistics on E. Coli and HUS.

20. Notice the business side of medicine in terms of the tests, consults.

21. What do you notice about Kim's coping skills?

chapter nine

22. How is Kim and Tracy's relationship changing, if at all?

chapter ten

23. Notice how Kim and Tracy interact.

24. What is Kim's way of coping?

chapter eleven

25. Notice Kim and Tracy's relationship.

26. Why does Kim go to the Onion Ring?

PART THREE (p. 183-250)

chapter twelve

27. What are some of the reasons that Kim is interested in Mercer Meats' meat production process?

chapter thirteen

28. How do Kim and Tracy deal with Becky's condition?

29. What do you learn about slaughterhouses?

PART FOUR (p. 251-335)

chapter fourteen

30. What is the prevention committee?

31. What do you learn about Kim and Tracy's personalities and states of mind?

chapter fifteen

32. How has Kim changed, if at all?

33. Has Kim and Tracy's relationship changed? If so, how?

34. What are Kim's three goals in working at Higgins and Hancock?

35. What is at stake for the meat industry if Kim goes public with the E. Coli scare?

PART FIVE (p.337-432)

chapter sixteen

36. What changes does he want made in the meat industry?

37. What are your impressions of the meat production process, especially hamburger?

chapter seventeen

38. What do they learn about what happened on January 9?

39. What do you notice about Kim and Tracy's relationship?

chapter eighteen

40. What do you notice about Kim and Tracy's relationship?

41. What do you know about the patty box?

42. What do you think of the media handling of the story? Is it realistic?

epilogue

43. What is your opinion of the ending? Is it realistic? Is it optimistic? Is it pessimistic? Give a reason for your opinion. Does the author think things will improve?

44. What do you think will happen to Kim and Tracy and to Kim's legal plight?

45. What do you think will happen to Kelly's daughter?