Exposed - by Becky McClain (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A powerful memoir of a molecular biologist's courageous fight against corporate retaliation after revealing dangerous biosafety failures in biotech labs.

When molecular biologist Becky McClain raised urgent alarms about biosafety lapses at her biotech lab at Pfizer, she expected concern--not retaliation. Instead, her warnings about dangerous, genetically engineered viruses that were handled without following standard safety protocols were met with hostility, intimidation, and ultimately, devastating illness after a workplace exposure changed her life forever.

Exposed is McClain's riveting memoir of her transformation from dedicated scientist to the nation's first successful biotech whistleblower. Chronicling her battle against a powerful industry and its culture of secrecy, McClain reveals the high personal cost of speaking out, the legal showdown that rocked Pfizer, and the alarming gaps in biosafety and regulatory oversight that put workers--and the public--at risk.

In a post-pandemic world, McClain's story is more urgent than ever: a wake-up call to the dangers lurking behind laboratory doors, a testament to the power of truth, and a courageous demand for accountability in science. Exposed is not just a personal journey--it's a public reckoning with the ethical failures and hidden hazards of 21st-century biotechnology.

Review Quotes

"Becky McClain delivers an exposé we can't ignore. Her effective writing and her credibility make her Pfizer's worst nightmare - and at the same time, one of our best truthtellers."-Gavin de Becker, bestselling author of The Gift of Fear

"A scientist gets infected with an unknown virus in her lab and her corporate employer tries to silence her. Sounds like a Hollywood script, except it's all too real. Exposed offers an insider's view of how America's biolabs operate and the risks they pose. It's a cautionary tale in an age of pandemics."-Jeremy Gruber, JD, former President of the Council for Responsible Genetics and author of Biotechnology in our Lives, Genetic Explanations: Sense and Nonsense, and The GMO Deception

"When Becky McClain refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement to settle her case with Pfizer, she provided the public an unmitigated heroic service. In the era of an advancing biotechnology that includes GE humans and techno-eugenics, McClain's clarion call for free speech and transparency in science should be heeded."-Tina Stevens, PhD, Director, Alliance for Humane Biotechnology, author of Bioethics in America: Origins and Cultural Politics, and co-author, Biotech Juggernaut: Hope, Hype, and Hidden Agendas of Entrepreneurial Bioscience

"Dangerous franken-germs. A reckless lab. A researcher who wouldn't stay silent. In this real-life Erin Brockovich meets Stephen King story, one woman battles a corporate giant, compromised regulators, and the chilling truth: the real contagion is greed."--Kris Newby, author of Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons

"Exposed is a must read for anyone who has thought about reporting unsafe workplace conditions. It shows how corporations and their HR departments prioritize profits over their own employee's welfare. It illuminates the need for unions everywhere, particularly in the biotech industry. No one in America should have to put their health, safety, and livelihood at risk for greedy corporate profiteers."--John Palmer, Teamsters International Vice President

"Exposed delivers shock and awe. McClain's account lays bare Pfizer's ruthless tactics to silence workers about lab leaks, exposures, and harm. Her stunning story, inside a lab that manufactures bioengineered viruses, reveals an alarming lack of biosafety, demanding urgent reform for everyone's protection." - Dana Parish, bestselling author of Chronic: The Hidden Cause of the Autoimmune Pandemic & How to Get Healthy Again

About the Author

Becky A. McClain, a retired 23-year career biotech worker and research scientist, is known as the first successful biotech whistleblower who spoke and reported on biolab safety issues of public concern. On April 1, 2010, McClain won a federal court whistleblower trial against Pfizer, Inc., which centered on free speech rights concerning biosafety and public health.