Drugs in American Society [Paperback]

Erich Goode (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072874988 | ISBN-13: 978-0072874983 | Publication Date: June 23, 2004 | Edition: 6

This well-respected text provides the most balanced and up-to-date investigation of drug use in all of its social, cultural, and legal complexity. It covers the full range of psychoactive drug use, from legal medical and prescription use to criminal recreational use, from casual use to addiction. The text maintains its distinctive emphasis on the sociological perspective, explaining the drug phenomenon using sociological concepts supported by recent data from a wide range of sources.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Erich Goode received his undergraduate education at Oberlin College and his Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia University. He has taught at Columbia, New York University, Florida Atlantic University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is currently Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland. His areas of specialization are drug use, deviant behavior, criminology, and collective behavior. Professor Goode is the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 6 edition (June 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072874988
• ISBN-13: 978-0072874983
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It informs as well as shares the drug user point of view., October 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Drugs in American Society (Paperback)

Unlike most books on drugs and drug usage that bogs you down with facts and statiscal data. Goode shows the reader practical examples from the lives of drug users. Goode also let you know that this could happen to you. Most of the drug users were college educated, busdrivers and businessmen. Certainly not what most of us think of when we think of addict. Goode dispels the images we have of addicts and replace it with the truth. This is something that can happen to anyone regardless of success, status or your social backgound be it in the suburbs or living in the city with good parents. Goode also makes you aware that addiction can stem from an addicted personality or a void in your soul that need to be filled as result of lost of self or grief over a love one. While still informing the reader that not all drug use is bad. Some people's use of drugs is cultural. Thus stripping you of all judgements prior to reading this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars very detailed, very well done, February 9, 2009

By 

Loverofsunflowers "Sunflower" (florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drugs in American Society (Paperback)

i had to order this book for a class, it is very informative and goes into depth about everything.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Subjective, ill-informed views on people's rights to take drugs, February 20, 2011

By 

J. Clemons "clotblaster" (Surfdom California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drugs in American Society (Paperback)

I read 75% of this book simply to try to understand how an educated person can be so wrong on a subject. He fails to provide any balance and disdains or ignores such minor issues as human liberty, America as a free society and the unfettered power of government to intrude into the private lives of Americans. I found the book interesting but only in my effort to understand a logically untenable point of view, whose premises supports The dysfunctional FDA, The War on Drugs (actually aa War on people's rights), and the ease with which people allow, nay urge, government to take away the rights of others because of self-righteously motivated emotions (and possibly minds, though minds are sadly absent in this book).