Pills-A-Go-Go: A Fiendish Investigation into Pill Marketing, Art, History & Consumption [Paperback]

Jim Hogshire (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0922915539 | ISBN-13: 978-0922915538 | Publication Date: January 1, 1999 | Edition: 1

A cultural study of pills and pharmaceutical culture.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As the editor of an eponymous underground 'zine devoted to celebrating pills "from the point of view of unrepentant drug takers," Hogshire seeks to demystify the contents of our medicine chests. Calling pills "the quintessential icon of Western Civilization," he bemoans the fact that America's attitude toward pills is ambivalent at best, and blames this state of affairs on both an elitist medical profession and public information campaigns that create undue hysteria about the consequences of recreational drug use. Dividing the book into such chapters as "Another Clean-Cut, All-American Speed Freak," "Amphetamines and Football," "I Raided Tom Clancy's Drug Stash" and "Great Pharmacist Authors," he mixes cheerfully blistering rants against doctors, pharmacists and the FDA with overviews of the history, uses and side effects of various widely taken medications. Readers are told what security measures to take when breaking into a pharmacy, what combination of meds is most likely to prevent jet lag and how to forge a prescription. Brash, lively and lavishly illustrated, this is a fun and often informative read, although some of Hogshire's pollyannaish conclusions about the benefits of pills should be taken with a grain of salt, if not a dose of Valium. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The drug-appreciative likes of Hashish! (1998) and Opium get lighthearted companionship. Besides "the best tidbits" from the 'zine Pills-A-Go-Go, Hogshire showcases stuff about drug paraphernalia and "inspiring graphics" concerned with "the many taboo, absurd, ignored and forgotten ways pills continue to shape our lives." And then there are the instructional pieces. The kind of instruction offered is practical, especially for home labs, and includes "Making Hard Drugs Out of Mom's Codeine Pills" and "Hacking Valium" (i.e., making diazepam). If offering such information to library patrons seems dicey, think of it as just so many home-schooling science exercises. Mostly, this is a history of popular pills and an exploration of the pill-head lifestyle. The graphics are a treat. Juxtaposing images condemning pill-popping with contemporaneous ones marketing it, they rouse nostalgia for the consumer icons of the past. Later, in an appendix, they amount to a gallery of druggy paperback book cover art. Valuable resource or pop-culture conversation piece. Mike Tribby

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Feral House; 1 edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0922915539
• ISBN-13: 978-0922915538
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #967,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Informative, July 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Pills-A-Go-Go: A Fiendish Investigation into Pill Marketing, Art, History & Consumption (Paperback)

As a pharmacologist, I found this book very interesting and much more informative than I expected it to be. I expected the book to be a simple review of drugs in pop culture, having read a little bit about the 'zine Pills-A-Go-Go that this book is based on. Mr. Hogshire presents some very thorough information about the processes of drug manufacture, marketing, and information control used by pharmaceutical companies. He also gives us a good history of pharmacies and the role of physicians in perpetuating this nation's obsession with prescription drugs. The book is written in a magazine style with lots of graphics, quotes, and lists. I love the use of old drug advertisements to show the history of pharmacetucial marketing toward doctors. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a career in pharmacy, pharmacology, or medicine, as well as anyone simply interested in "pill culture".

I only have two minor problems with this book. First, there are a ton of spelling and grammatical errors, which don't necessarily detract from the book's content, but do make the book a harder read. Second, the book is often very subjective and tends to follow Mr. Hogshire's very strong opinions on the pharmaceutical and medical industries. While this is to be expected based on the nature of the 'zine, it could have been written with a little less bias. In his defense however, he does a good job of telling all sides of the story on many subjects. Overall, this is a wonderful book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars irreverent, informative, amazing, December 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pills-A-Go-Go: A Fiendish Investigation into Pill Marketing, Art, History & Consumption (Paperback)

This is a beautifully done book. I was surprised by the content and delighted by the artwork. Every page is an unexpected joy. Hogshire probes our pill-taking conscience and examines the cultural significance of pills. He is playful, provocative and informative. Don't make the mistake of dismissing this important work as merely another how-to for druggies. This book transcends popculture and should be required reading for pharmacists, healthcare providers, even cops. It is a seminal work. I love this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "High" praise, January 12, 2000

By 

Dorian-Michael (The Valley of Misfit Toys, Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pills-A-Go-Go: A Fiendish Investigation into Pill Marketing, Art, History & Consumption (Paperback)

Jim Hogshire's "Pills-A-Go-Go" is an exceptionally entertaining and informative work that is great to read in a couple of sittings or in bits, a page or two a day.

This book is a good reference point to distingish the huge difference between a drug USER and a drug ABUSER.

There are MANY issues covered here that I have rarely (if ever) seen addressed elsewhere. One example is the fact that most pills are effective to treat things that they have not been officially approved to treat but if a doctor prescribes a drug for a non-government-approved reason he risks losing his licence. Also, much inside information on the relationship between doctors and the pharmaceuticle companies. And, the fact that government agencies have more input - as to what type of and how much of a drug you need when you are sick - than your doctor does! (How certain agencies of our government think it is more important to stop someone from "having fun" with a drug than to allow someone with, for example, a severed spine to have proper relief from their pain).

Highlight chapters include "The Pill as Virgin/Whore", "Rude Pharmasists", "Rape Drugs" (in which Hogshire points out that the date rape drug of choice is nor Rohypnol... it's ALCOHOL!), "Before Viagra, Better Sex Through Pills", "Pill Road Tests" (including a roll-on-the-floor hilarious account of an extreme Robitussin "experience"), and much more.

Well written & compiled, wonderful design & layout and great artwork.

WARNING: If you lend books, you may want to buy more than one copy... this is the type of book people borrow, then "forget" to return!