Jane's Dust

A Tale of Talc, Deceit and Death

The authors of this story are Ronald Gordon, Ph.D., Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai and a Pathologist the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, who is one of the world's leading experts in mesothelioma caused by talcum powder; and Joel Brokaw, a New York Times-bestselling collaborator. Their work draws on more than 300 court cases (where Dr. Gordon has served as an expert witness) that have pitted cancer victims against a few of America's most powerful corporations. The authors have taken poetic license to fictionalize the characters in this book based on true-life composites drawn from many of these cases. But it is not exaggerated, embellished or varnished-it is the reality faced by many thousands of people, some of whom may be our family members, or neighbors or friends in our communities. Every horror story leaves us with a cautionary tale. This one is no different.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Prepare yourself for a horror story of a different kind. This monster doesn’t have claws or carry a chainsaw. Instead, it lurks hidden and disguised in a dusty white powder that we keep in our medicine cabinets at home. This monster is ubiquitous, trusted, and engrained as part of our daily routine for over a century—and it is killing us.

Talcum powder has been sprinkled on baby’s bottoms for generations and used in deodorants and a host of personal hygiene products and cosmetic for decades. This monster has been kept alive by lies, deceit, greed, and a thirst for power. Jane’s Dust is a fictionalized account of one woman’s struggle based on over three hundred court cases that have pitted cancer victims against America’s most powerful corporations.

Jane is shocked when she ends up with ovarian cancer. But that is only the start. She endures doctor visits, surgeries, chemotherapy, recovered only to develop a life ending mesothelioma. and eventually a lawsuit against the makers of talcum powder. Jane learns the hard way about big business and the lies they use to cover up what they know. Nothing is exaggerated or embellished; this it is the reality faced by thousands of people, some of whom may be family, friends, or neighbors. Every horror story leaves us with a cautionary tale, and this one is no different.

TITLE: JANE’S DUST

GENRE: FEATURE DRAMA

SYNOPSIS:

Jane Reynolds, a 63-year-old advertising executive, has spent decades promoting MC Cosmetics. ​ After surviving ovarian cancer and two years after being deemed cancer-free, Jane is devastated to learn she has developed terminal mesothelioma, linked to asbestos exposure.

​After speaking with Jane’s doctor, her husband Phil secretly has Jane’s makeup tested – the very products she promoted and used daily for over 25 years.

“It came back positive for asbestos! Your makeup is killing you!”

The betrayal hits Jane hard. She had been assured by her client, good friend and company CEO, Neil Sabatini, that MC’s products were safe. Jane confronts Neil in a harrowing encounter that ends with gunfire and Jane being arrested.

Neil was forced into his family business, which he often ignores in favor of his guitar and his true passion—music. He denies the accusation, stating that he created a new makeup formula thirty years prior, when he started in the firm’s R and D division—a formula which his father Arturo approved.

After Jane is released on bail, her fight for justice becomes a race against time as her condition worsens. Phil and daughter Alyssa hire Emily Alvarez, a young corporate attorney, who takes on the monumental task of suing MC Cosmetics. Emily uncovers decades of corporate deception and negligence, including ignored warnings of asbestos contamination, ​despite Neal’s insistent denials.

Initial court proceedings lead to a tense deposition. Despite her weakened state, Jane provides compelling testimony followed by a shocking revelation when Neil discovers that his father never implemented his formula and falsified testing, choosing profits over safety.

It soon becomes clear that Neal must make a life-altering choice. Either fight the case or settle out of court, forcing a company liquidation and destroying his family’s one-hundred-year-old legacy. Can Jane survive to see a settlement through, or will her death push the case back years on the Federal court’s docket?

Jane’s Dust, written in the vein of Erin Brockovich and Dark Waters, is a poignant tale of betrayal, resilience and the pursuit of justice that shines a light on the hidden dangers of everyday products and the power of one woman’s fight to leave her own legacy. ​

Screenplay by A.J. Ferrara and Angela Page.

Producer: Dr. Ronald E. Gordon - E mail: rgordon289@aol.com

ONE WAY OUT

A MEDICAL SCIENTIST’S ESCAPE FROM MAFIA CONTROL

BY: DR. RONALD E GORDON

Customer Reviews

See what others are saying about Dr. Gordon's books.

Patrice Missner

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing!

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2021

Format: Kindle

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed the book, it is a fascinating read about a horrible story. The book was so well written and thoroughly researched, I highly recommend it!

★★★★★

Diane B.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wake-up call for all women who trust & rely on brand named products.

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2022

Verified Purchase

Excellent read. Easy, comprehensive, interesting and a true wake-up call, Will influence your decisions and be a check and balance on your trust of long term and though to be reliable consumer product manufacturers.

★★★★★

by Ronald E. Gordon Ph.D. (Author) |

4.8 StarS