Opium : how an ancient flower shaped and poisoned our world
(Book)
Author
Contributors
Blistein, David author.
Published
New York : Hachette Books, 2019.
Status
Franklin Ave. Library - Nonfiction - Adult
362.293 H
1 available
362.293 H
1 available
Description
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Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Franklin Ave. Library - Nonfiction - Adult | 362.293 H | On Shelf |
More Details
Published
New York : Hachette Books, 2019.
Format
Book
Physical Desc
xxiv, 328 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps, portraits (some color) ; 24 cm
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages [277]-315) and index.
Description
Opioid addiction is fast becoming the most deadly crisis in American history. In 2017, it claimed nearly fifty thousand lives -- more than gunshots and car crashes combined, and almost as many Americans as were killed in the entire Vietnam War. But even as the overdose crisis ravages our nation -- straining our prison system, dividing families, and defying virtually every legislative solution to treat it-- few understand how it came to be. Opium tells the extraordinary and at times harrowing tale of how we arrived at today's crisis, "mak[ing] timely and startling connections among painkillers, politics, finance, and society" (Laurence Bergreen). The story begins with the discovery of poppy artifacts in ancient Mesopotamia, and goes on to explore how Greek physicians and obscure chemists discovered opium's effects and refined its power, how colonial empires marketed it around the world, and eventually how international drug companies developed a range of powerful synthetic opioids that led to an epidemic of addiction. Throughout, Dr. John Halpern and David Blistein reveal the fascinating role that opium has played in building our modern world, from trade networks to medical protocols to drug enforcement policies. Most importantly, they disentangle how crucial misjudgments, patterns of greed, and racial stereotypes served to transform one of nature's most effective painkillers into a source of unspeakable pain-and how, using the insights of history, state-of-the-art science, and a compassionate approach to the illness of addiction, we can overcome today's overdose epidemic. This urgent and masterfully woven narrative tells an epic story of how one beautiful flower became the fascination of leaders, tycoons, and nations through the centuries and in their hands exposed the fragility of our civilization.
Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Halpern, J., & Blistein, D. (2019). Opium: how an ancient flower shaped and poisoned our world (First edition.). Hachette Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Halpern, John and David Blistein. 2019. Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World. Hachette Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Halpern, John and David Blistein. Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World Hachette Books, 2019.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Halpern, John, and David Blistein. Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World First edition., Hachette Books, 2019.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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