Excerpted and adapted with permission from Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins—From Spices to Vices, by Noah Whiteman, published by Little, Brown Spark. Copyright © 2023 by Noah Whiteman. All rights reserved. My family moved to the rural township of Toivola, near the hamlet of Meadowlands, Minnesota, the summer before I entered sixth grade. The timing permitted a few months of unfettered exploration before school started. Conveniently, a 39‑mile abandoned railroad grade ran right in front of our house. I used it to enter the Sax‑Zim Bog. Studded…
