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A review by booknerd_therapist
High Price: A Neuroscientist's Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know about Drugs and Society by Carl L. Hart
5.0
High Price is a brilliantly written memoir that will challenge everything you think you know about race, drugs, crime, and even academia.
Dr. Carl Hart began life in inner-city Miami, one of eight siblings raised by his mother and grandmothers. He did not take school seriously and did the bare minimum in order to participate in football and basketball. Upon graduation, he joined the Air Force, and his life began a long journey of challenges that ultimately led him to become an accomplished neuroscientist.
Dr. Hart is not only a neuroscientist, but also an educator and activist. His book does justice to all three areas of focus. It is not merely a narrative of the changes in scientific understanding of substance use, but also a history lesson -- and current events lesson -- about the dynamics of race and criminal justice relating to substance use. Even in his experiences in academia, he recounts the obstacles he faced as a black man "with dreads and three gold teeth." For sure, you will learn plenty about pharmacology and neuroscience -- but also about social issues surrounding young black men.
This book affected me in a very positive way. I am pursuing my master's in social work and have been struggling to overcome my biases against people who use substances. Reading this book has helped me put substance use into perspective and respond in a compassionate, effective way when working with clients who use substances. I highly recommend this book!
Dr. Carl Hart began life in inner-city Miami, one of eight siblings raised by his mother and grandmothers. He did not take school seriously and did the bare minimum in order to participate in football and basketball. Upon graduation, he joined the Air Force, and his life began a long journey of challenges that ultimately led him to become an accomplished neuroscientist.
Dr. Hart is not only a neuroscientist, but also an educator and activist. His book does justice to all three areas of focus. It is not merely a narrative of the changes in scientific understanding of substance use, but also a history lesson -- and current events lesson -- about the dynamics of race and criminal justice relating to substance use. Even in his experiences in academia, he recounts the obstacles he faced as a black man "with dreads and three gold teeth." For sure, you will learn plenty about pharmacology and neuroscience -- but also about social issues surrounding young black men.
This book affected me in a very positive way. I am pursuing my master's in social work and have been struggling to overcome my biases against people who use substances. Reading this book has helped me put substance use into perspective and respond in a compassionate, effective way when working with clients who use substances. I highly recommend this book!