Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
I got to go hear this author talk . This book was excellent. It was very comprehensive . He talked about a town in my state Portsmouth Ohio. He also wrote about Big Pharma and how they pushed the drug Oxycontin . He also talked about the Mexican drug trade . This book is very important for everyone to read.
I debated between 3 & 4 stars - very informative book on an important topic, but it wasn’t edited well. It became repetitive and jumped around a lot. The end result was not a totally cohesive narrative, but the overall story was fascinating, and I enjoyed the descriptions of progress and notes of hope at the end.
If Simon”s The Corner drew attention to the drug problem in the inner city, than this book illustrates the opioid epidemic just as well. It also showcases the reasons for the increase in the sales of black tar heroin and how the whole supply chain worked. The writing is totally engrossing.
Very informative. I appreciated that there weren’t many stories about an addict and his/her family used purely for a wow factor. The author repeated himself, perhaps to help the reader follow along, but it slightly took away from the whole book for me
After this book was recommended by several people, including public health officials responsible for changing pain guidelines and the Nobel award winning Economist Angus Deaton, I was drawn to read it.
From the minute I started listening (on Audible), I was hooked. This is one of the best current events non-fiction book I have read in the past several years.
The research is meticulous. The writing simple, explanatory, powerful. The importance is timely and relevant. Quinones' ability to connect the dots between the black tar heroin trade and unnecessary and unscrupulous opiate prescription in the U.S. is truly fascinating.
Who needs to watch shows like the Walking Dead when we have our own Zombie Apocolypse happening in this country, right under our noses.
Appropriate audiences for this book include: Everyone interested in healthcare reform and anyone who has kids. I listened to this for a few hours on a long car ride with my 16 year old. During the course of our ensuing conversation, I was informed that a recent poll showed 70% of the kids in his high school have smoked pot in the past month, and that "everyone" has easy access to Xanax. What a conversation starter!
Is anyone else worried about our teens? I'm not one to say that marijuana is a "gateway drug", but social norms influence decisionmaking. This a book worth sharing with teens so they gain a greater understanding of how drugs can wreck lives, and how to develop discernment in decision making.
From the minute I started listening (on Audible), I was hooked. This is one of the best current events non-fiction book I have read in the past several years.
The research is meticulous. The writing simple, explanatory, powerful. The importance is timely and relevant. Quinones' ability to connect the dots between the black tar heroin trade and unnecessary and unscrupulous opiate prescription in the U.S. is truly fascinating.
Who needs to watch shows like the Walking Dead when we have our own Zombie Apocolypse happening in this country, right under our noses.
Appropriate audiences for this book include: Everyone interested in healthcare reform and anyone who has kids. I listened to this for a few hours on a long car ride with my 16 year old. During the course of our ensuing conversation, I was informed that a recent poll showed 70% of the kids in his high school have smoked pot in the past month, and that "everyone" has easy access to Xanax. What a conversation starter!
Is anyone else worried about our teens? I'm not one to say that marijuana is a "gateway drug", but social norms influence decisionmaking. This a book worth sharing with teens so they gain a greater understanding of how drugs can wreck lives, and how to develop discernment in decision making.
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
An absolutely fantastically well researched and timely book. This book, made me so angry and so aware of the origins of America's opiate epidemic. As a Hoosier I am quite familiar with heroin and pills. It's everywhere. Not only do I read the arrest records, but I deal with the public in my job, have been trained to use Narcan, and years ago dated someone who was an addict. Everything I knew about opiates fit neatly into this tome and helped explain the bigger picture. It's infuriating. This book made me so mad at the pharmaceutical companies, doctors, lawmakers, coaches, and parents. how did we all let this happen?! An eye opening book that helped me view our country in a new light.
This was a fascinating read. I never considered the reciprocal nature of the connections between the American pharmaceutical juggernaut and the heroin epidemic. I will definitely think differently about my own clients who use prescription opiates. I have worked with many people who became addicted to opiate pills after surgery, but the potential for a transition to black tar heroin is not something I have seen or considered. I will also be more aware of how these medications are used by those in my life.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Good, informative book on the rise of opiate use in America. Though at time quite repetitive, the books paints the full picture on the rise of opiate abuse and heroin use. The real life stories from all angles help bring the informative aspects to life and keep you turning the page.
It was good & I'm glad I read it, but a few things. (1) it felt like parts of this book were very disjointed-to the point I actually checked my audio to verify it hadn't downloaded out of order. (2) there aren't real answers here-not a criticism because I don't think the author intended there to be, but just a point. (3) It did feel like the author had a bias about opiates from the outset that guided the research he cited & individuals he interviewed. I don't necessarily disagree, but I don't think the research on things like impact of opiates on chronic pain for example are as clear as presented. (4) I still am having difficulty connecting the heroin to the opiates, but maybe it's because I've only ever had opiates in my body during surgery. (5) The author seemed to be making a point about politics & Vern Ridge, but honestly, I didn't get it. All in all, a must read.
Great book about Heroin and Oxycodone's almost "synergistic" relationship in several towns in Ohio... Written in 2015 and feels incredibly relevant even just 5 years later...