Customer Reviews

The Love Drug: Marching to the Beat of Ecstasy (Haworth Therapy for the Addictive Disorders)

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For several years now, the buzz about Ecstasy and its scientific name MDMA has grown significantly from the confines of the medical community, through the halls of the DEA, and to providing the fuel for raves all over the world. Now poised to be exposed to the general public, there's no better time than for everyone who might encounter it to educate themselves. For those who really want to know what's up, there's no better source than Richard S. Cohen's The Love Drug: Marching to the Beat of Ecstasy. When the first raves were being held in England in the latter half of the 80's, rapid pill-popping ensued. When this resurgence was detected in America, it was swiftly banned and has been ever since. Despite the legalities, Ecstasy (a.k.a. X, beans, rolls) continues to be bought, sold, and consumed by an ever-growing number of people. While exact experiences quoted in The Love Drug vary, the overall response to the drug are positive. It is not to be confused or compared with any other drug, most notably other rave-friendly chemicals such as GHB, Rophynol, or LSD. Cohen breaks down Ecstasy from all aspects, providing readers with a thorough journey of a drug that few people have a full understanding of, if even that. Undoubtedly, The Love Drug is a straightforward, no-nonsense presentation. While other media coverage regarding the drug in the past have leaned towards advocating its use (such as in the books E Is For Ecstasy and The Pursuit of Ecstasy), or providing misleading warnings (various news articles, including a dreadful story on 20/20 aired three years ago), Cohen does neither. He keeps an amazing neutrality on the issue from start to finish, replacing influential propaganda with hard facts, countless passages from various medical journals, and extensive quotes from those who have tried it. This is all managed without the slightest sway of personal opinion, a feat that is difficult to achieve for such a debatable topic. The accessibility of The Love Drug allows anyone with an interest in Ecstasy to take a look. Whether it be a desire to try it or just a simple curiosity to learn about it, Cohen has established a middle ground that will hopefully become the standard when addressing any drug-related issues. Like any complex subject in our culture, the only way of getting a fair understanding of it is to be able to look at it from an objective point of view, something Cohen has accomplished in The Love Drug, leaving the personal decisions where they belong... to the reader.

Whether one is interested in the chemical configuration of Ecstasy, the chemistry involved in manufacturing the pill, or how Ecstasy emerged upon the rave scene-- you will find THE LOVE DRUG to be useful. I particularly enjoyed learning about the many legislative facets that have never before been revealed leading up to the banning of Ecstasy. The book describes something that was unbenownst to me in that Ecstasy was legal up until 15 years ago, and used within psychotherapy. The book also delves into the rave event or circuit parties pointing out the intimate relationship between such parties and Ecstasy. The book is definitely well-researched, and very resourceful for anyone trying to go behind the scenes to truly learn about this rather tempting drug. The chapter pertaining to adverse reactions will sure make people think twice about experimenting with the substance. Of course there are chances and risks that we take throughout our life. But at the same time; internal bleeding, convulsions, hyperthermia, kidney failure, and liver damage don't sound too inviting either. The fisthand accounts of ravers and individuals who have had medical trauma keeps one glued to the book.

A truly informative overview of MDMA, the compound we refer to here in England as 'E'. The author neatly portrays all of the cognitive, behavioural, and other pressing clinical issues surrounding ecstasy. The facts are intriguing, at times shocking. The user-quotes are entertaining, yet accurately depict the use of ecstasy in recreational arenas. The adverse effects attributed to E are striking, alarming, and cause for some panic. Certainly a must read for researchers, E users, behaviourists, & psychotherapeutic clinicians. The book is easy reading, presenting purely factual information.

I hate to rain on everybody's parade, but this book did not live up to the praise it received in other reviews. There are really only 90 pages of text. The rest of the book is footnotes repeated in the bibliography, a list of treatment agencies, and a glossary. The writing is often repititious or uninformative, with statements like "Ecstasy has, indeed, been the 'drug of choice' for many years now." The frequent use of quotation marks grows incredibly annoying-- like getting elbowed in the ribs after every point. The saddest part is, this is still probably the best book available on the topic.

The Love Drug mirrors a lot of what we have been recently hearing via the mass media. This book tightens it up dramatically. What other books spend chapters to report, this book says it succinctly and intelligently. I particularly liked this about 'The Love Drug'. I will say this, The Love Drug is definitely a balanced and well written book. The book describes the pros and cons of MDMA utilization within both recreational and professional fields. I expected the author to report more information on the benefits of MDMA in psychiatric settings, including marriage counseling. But, the author may have limited reporting on this partially due to the fact that such benefits have not yet been scientifically substantiated. Go ahead and by the book. It has great medical information on the beneficial and adverse effects of MDMA in humans. It also doesn't condemn MDMA - in fact, the book dedicates several pages to the mixed messages our culture sends out. It is a very neutral text. It is an interesting read, nonetheless, for people interested in find out all about this very enticing compound, Ecstasy.

Was hoping this would be a good honest book about MDMA, instead we get results of studies with extremely small groups of people, questionable sources, and the usual drug hysteria. You'll do better with information found on the web, not to mention the writing will be more enjoyable.

The Love Drug is an easy-to-read factual book containing several hundred references in the bibliography section. Undoubtedly, the book provides an enormous overview of the drug 'ecstasy'. The quotes are interesting and swiftly reveal just what it is that people find to be so alluring about the substance. The side-effects are also depicted, hence, leaving the reader well aware of the mosaic of symptoms that may occur following ecstasy usage. Overall, the book is written in an impartial way. The author nevers surrenders his own opinions, which makes the book all the more fun-reading, allowing us to form our own opinions without having ideas forced upon us. The Love Drug is by far the best book availabe for people, like myself, interested in learning more about this very unique compound- {ecstasy}.

Richard Cohen does an admirable job of explaining for the several million "E" or "ecstasy" pill users who may be hoping to find love what their chances are of avoiding death, hyperthermia, lethargy, convulsions, hepatitis, memory loss, panic, depression, and a host of other ecstasy-related disorders. MDMA ("Ecstasy") may be used for euphoria or pleasure to facilitate social interaction, but avoiding major medical complications may not be so easy. This book is a well-referenced and scholarly review for health professionals.

Cohen has synthesized the history and physiology of MDMA, 'Ecstasy', and come up with a Fascinating and Compelling story. This book is devoid of the usual bias and presents rather the fascinating and intriguing story that surrounds Ecstasy. It combines a good story with what is known of the science of the drug.

I have been hearing about the drug, Ecstasy, in the news lately. It has been described by some as being a "medical miracle", and by others as "potentially deadly". I decided to find out about this drug and further my knowledge with regard to the behind-the-scenes of what's going on surrounding this substance. I ordered a copy of "The Love Drug", by Richard Cohen. I found the book to be to be incredibly informative. I found myself learning more and more tid bits about the drug as I turned every next page. I was surprised to see that this drug Ecstasy was once actually legal, and actually patented in the early part of the twentieth century. I was intrigued by the legal testimony surrounding Ecstasy, which the author describes in detail. The book also discusses the connection between rave or circuit parties and MDMA. It's obvious, as the author portrays, that this drug is much more than a passing fad. I recommend this book highly to those wishing to further their familiarity with this rather fascinating compound. The chapter concerning adverse reactions will raise a few eye brows of those who use.