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Title: The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics by Richard Davenport-Hines, R. P. T. Davenport-Hines ISBN: 0-393-32545-8 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: March, 2004 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Factual problems
Comment: Davenport-Hines may be one of England's most highly regarded historians, but he should have hired one of England's most highly regarded fact-checkers. The book is riddled with petty errors (singer Marc Almond becomes "Mark Almond", the German of "Knight of the Spirit" is translated to "Night of the Spirit") that make me doubt the overall quality of the author's scholarship.
The author has a strong point of view, namely that drugs and intoxication are a persistent part of the human experience, and abuse should be seen as a medical problem, not a criminal one. He undercuts this with descriptions of the horrific effects of both legal and illegal drugs - "anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations and psychotic behaviour" is the result of one common preparation.
I came to this book without any particular prejudices, and in fact live next door to a thriving and relatively peaceful open hashish market in Copenhagen, Denmark. But after reading several hundred pages about lives ruined by a rainbow of substances, I felt like banning the lot.
Rating: 5
Summary: Takes an historical approach to considering
Comment: Pursuit Of Oblivion takes an historical approach to considering the traditional and changing use of illicit drugs around the world, pursuing a survey of five centuries of drug trade and showing how narcotics changed from untested medicine to pleasure tools. Social, political and cultural history blend in a treatment suitable for high school on up.
Rating: 4
Summary: Academically excellent, a little dry
Comment: This book traces the fascination, profits and uses of various drugs and mind altering substances throughout history. It is especially good with quotations, use of the substances during various time periods, and the social views of useage during those periods.
It is well documented and gives us a real view of the politics and economics of government manipulation of drug use and trafficking, throughout history. I wondered if some of the large drug companies, who are presented as the chemical inventors of some of our most dreadful drugs, should have some responsibility for the state of drug useage today -- this author names names.
I found the early chapters to really be history and sometimes lacking in read-appeal. Later chapters reveal something of the author's personal views on solutions, the War on Drugs, which he calls a "war on drug users" and his disgust with the failed policies of this nation and Britain. Altogether a good book, but it took me a while to read.
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Title: A Brief History of Drugs: From the Stone Age to the Stoned Age by Antonio Escohotado, Kenneth A. Symington, Ken Syminton, Ken Symington ISBN: 0892818263 Publisher: Inner Traditions Intl Ltd Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Essential Substances: A Cultural History of Intoxicants in Society by Richard Rudgley, John Urda ISBN: 1568360754 Publisher: Kodansha International Pub. Date: August, 1995 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Opium : A History by Martin Booth ISBN: 0312206674 Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Pub. Date: 12 June, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Forces of Habit : Drugs and the Making of the Modern World by David T. Courtwright ISBN: 0674010035 Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr Pub. Date: 30 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use and Abuse by Paul M., MD Gahlinger ISBN: 0970313012 Publisher: Sagebrush Pr Pub. Date: October, 2001 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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