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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
An important, dare I say "essential?", work on how we found ourselves in the midst of the opiate epidemic. It hits close to home, with major sections of the book focusing on Columbus and cities only an hour or two away from here. I'm wondering how this work will serve practically as a primary source for people 50 or 100 years from now researching this dire and depressing portion of our history.
Really interesting and creative way to write about the history of the overdose epidemic and black tar heroin drug supply in the US. At times it was a bit repetitive but would highly recommend to people who are interested in learning more about the topic
A fascinating book. It looks into all the forces that coincided to allow black tar heroine use to spread rampantly across the US. The author is a good storyteller.
Lost a star because it gets somewhat repetitive, the second half wasn't well edited, and the afterword took too many liberties.
Lost a star because it gets somewhat repetitive, the second half wasn't well edited, and the afterword took too many liberties.
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
I desperately need a follow up post Covid
3.5 Stars
I was recommended this book last summer by a coworker and when I started it, I immediately knew why he has suggested it. It immediately hooked me and intrigued me, especially growing up in, and currently living in, Columbus, Ohio.
Quinones did an excellent job of interviewing and recording the tale of how the Opiate epidemic spread across America; who was involved and how it came to be as widespread as it is. He covered many different areas of the epidemic, both in terms of medicine and geography, and a pretty good theory on how it got to be just as bad as it is.
My only complaint with the book is that, like others have said, it is extremely repetitive. This could be due to the nature of the epidemic or just the writing style, but if I had to read the words "delivered like pizza" one more time, I might have shut the book for good. I felt it could have been a solid 50 pages shorter based solely on phrases that were repeated.
Overall a good look at a topic that is finally coming to light and conversation. Even though I had my qualms with it, I would recommend it to everyone to understand this epidemic more and to have a better understanding of the addicted individual and how they came to be that way.
I was recommended this book last summer by a coworker and when I started it, I immediately knew why he has suggested it. It immediately hooked me and intrigued me, especially growing up in, and currently living in, Columbus, Ohio.
Quinones did an excellent job of interviewing and recording the tale of how the Opiate epidemic spread across America; who was involved and how it came to be as widespread as it is. He covered many different areas of the epidemic, both in terms of medicine and geography, and a pretty good theory on how it got to be just as bad as it is.
My only complaint with the book is that, like others have said, it is extremely repetitive. This could be due to the nature of the epidemic or just the writing style, but if I had to read the words "delivered like pizza" one more time, I might have shut the book for good. I felt it could have been a solid 50 pages shorter based solely on phrases that were repeated.
Overall a good look at a topic that is finally coming to light and conversation. Even though I had my qualms with it, I would recommend it to everyone to understand this epidemic more and to have a better understanding of the addicted individual and how they came to be that way.
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
4 stars for the 1st 2/3rds of the book then it just repeats 'til the end...
dark
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use
The best of the three books on the opioid crisis that I've read. A bit lengthy (could have cut one or two of the "characters") but illuminating.