A review by kimberwolf
High Price: A Neuroscientist's Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know about Drugs and Society by Carl L. Hart

2.0

I saw Dr. Carl Hart speak in Grand Rapids, Mich., and was impressed by his thoughtfulness about how our drug policies impact the poorest and most under-served in our population, and completely agreed that the drug policy that leads to mass incarceration for non-violent offenders needs to change. Dr. Hart is a neuro-psychologist who pulled himself up out of a risk-laden environment and who is succeeding wonderfully as the first African-American tenured neuroscientist at Columbia University. I applaud that. I did feel that the science part of the discussion was missing from his talk, and then found that his book was shelved in the biography section of the library, when I was expecting to see it in the science area. After reading it, I agree, it belongs in the biography section. It's mostly memoir, with some discussion of Dr. Hart's studies and behavioral experiments thrown in. While I agree with his social premises, I was underwhelmed with the writing and the content of the book. I'm going to try some other books that address the topic of mass incarceration to try and figure out if it's just me, or if there are more clear and commanding arguments out there. 2 1/2 Stars.