Customer Reviews

On Speed: The Many Lives of Amphetamine

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This thoroughly researched and very well written book is the history of the amphetamine class of drugs that were first created in the early part of the 20th century and are still causing problems for society for today. In addition to the history of the drug, there is an allegorical story running parallel to the drug that is a detailed and scary look at practices in the pharmaceutical industry then and now.

Amphetamine, as a class of drugs, was first discovered by Gordon Alles in 1929 while he was doing research on adrenaline substitutes. Although he was not the first to actually identify the molecule, he was the first to precipitate the salt form and identify it as a potential drug. Eventually he sold the rights to the drug to the Smith Kline French Co. in Philadelphia and the hunt was on to find a use for the new drug, as it was a drug looking for a home.

The story follows the hunt to find a use for the new compound and the efforts by the company to get doctors to experiment with "creative" uses for the compound. The one thing the drug appeared to do well was to make people feel happy and empowered. Other than that, it had little use but the company worked around that problem by getting the military to issue speed to soldiers during World War II as a way of keeping them sharp.

The book follows these uses, as well as the use of the inhaler version for recreational drug use and deals, in detail, with the many times the drug could have been put out to pasture only to be rescued by the company that was making so much money from it.

It is still prescribed today, even given what is known about the addictive properties of the drug. And, of course, illegal drug manufactures discovered numerous ways to make it cheaply from legal products, ensuring that it lives on to today.

While I would not recommend this book as a light read, it is certainly a detailed and fascinating look at a drug the public had no real use for and was sold on anyway. It is well written and very readable for those with an interest in the pharmaceutical industry or for a history of the drug itself.

I am an Australian pediatrician who prescribes stimulants to children. Prior to reading this book I was completely ignorant about the history of these medications and the impact they have had on society. I found the book fascinating and thought provoking. Their use by the military especially during WW2 was most revealing as has been their pervasive impact on popular culture. I would recommend the book to anyone who uses or prescribes these drugs so that they are aware of their potential for abuse as well as their many positive aspects.

I thoroughly enjoyed this extensively researched, thought-provoking and well-written book. First formulated in the 1930s, speed -- a drug in search of a market - - was initially sold as an antidepressant although results of trials at that time gave little evidence of any effectiveness in that role and substantial evidence of risk. One of the most interesting discussions is on the varied experiences of early testers, who described the drug as anywhere from a confidence-booster (English testers) to a productivity tool (American testers). During World War II, soldiers and airmen of Germany, England, and the U.S. were prescribed speed as an "upper" to keep flight crews awake on long missions and more generally as a morale booster. Interestingly, of the three only Germany stopped using it as its highly addictive and psychotic properties made it dangerous and unreliable. These properties became familiar in the subculture and speed became the drug of choice for beatniks. The postwar years saw an explosion in both prescribed and illicit use of amphetamines with the emergence of happy pills for the middle classes; by the sixties about 1 in 10 Americans were using amphetamines in one form or another. Most shocking to me was the incredible, recent and on-going growth of amphetamines in an entirely new market, namely children and adults with attention deficit disorder.

The book's conclusions are based on actual scientific evidence rather than conventional wisdom about these eras and their cultures. Interesting as the particular story of speed is, it is also used by the author as a proxy for examining the role of drugs, in general, in modern medicine and in society, especially the manner in which drugs are developed and marketed. The book leaves one questioning the reliance on drugs as the treatment of choice for a host of ailments, and the ease with which the latest 'miracle drugs' are widely marketed before the full range of their complications and risks are examined.

Even though this book is technical in places, it's a fascinating read. Dr. Rasmussen is a medical historian who tells the love story of Americans have had with amphetamines ever since their introduction in the 1930s. He intersperses so many good examples, such as that of a man in the 50s using ten times the recommended dose, experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations, and falling right into path of amphetamine psychosis. The history and sociology of amphetamine use are so carefully positioned behind the scientific facts that this is probably the only non-fiction book I had trouble putting down. An excellent reference, a great piece of American, and World War II history, and a good exploration of both the uses and abuses of amphetamines and related compounds.

"On Speed: The Many Lives of Amphetamine" is a brilliant and insightful analysis of the history of an important class of drugs, amphetamines. Rasmussen provides both sizzle and steak in this impressive work. He has an engaging writing style and also brings academic rigor to his study of how amphetamines were discovered, developed, marketed, and used by the public. As much as I loved his previous work, "Picture Control", and highly recommend it, I liked this one even better. It is a "must read" for those interested in the intersection of science, academia, and business. It provides a facinating discussion of how indications for drugs are sought, developed, and advertised and demonstrates both the strengths and weaknesses of our commercial and regulatory processes.

What is the difference between a drug that treats depression and a drug that just makes you feel better? We like to think that there is a complete difference, but Rasmussen shows us that, over the years, the difference has not been absolute, and amphetamine type drugs were promoted in much the same terms as the antidepressants we prescribe so freely today.
One historical point that intrigued me was that, when Benzedrine inhalers were legal, people took them apart to swallow the Benzedrine. Now I hear of people snorting their "adult ADHD" drugs to get a quicker high. He also shows us how drugs that suppress appetite and increase energy keep returning to the market and turn out to have the same disadvantages as amphetamine. In many cases they are chemically similar to amphetamine. Drugs like Provigil, Ritalin, Concerta, Vyvanse, phenmetrazine, Dexedrine, Benzedrine, Adderall, Focalin, Daytrana, Meridia, Preludin etc all seem to end up as being the same as "speed."
Rasmussen makes his historical points in the first few chapters. These are interesting and well written but may be too discursive and anecdotal for the busy professional seeking practical information. I think clinicians may find the last chapter "Fast Forward" the most useful because it elucidates the relationships between speed, club drugs and crystal meth.

On Speed is a meticulously researched, and information packed book. My exposure to amphetamine was not personal, but rather, came from reading books. When I first read On the Road I wondered why on earth the characters were cracking inhalers and making tea out of them. My second exposure was reading about the history of the Battle of the Bulge and why the German panzer troops were "chewing Pervitin like candy." I am happy to say that Rasmussen covers both incidents in this text and many more. I can't imagine walking away from this work and feeling like there was something remaining to be read concerning amphetamines. The author has a scientific background and it shows in the scholarly way he presents his analysis of his subject. There can be no doubt that Rasmussen is a talented writer and thinker.

However, I had to lower this book's rating due to the author's political views poisoning his discussion of amphetamines and drugs in general. Rasmussen has a decidedly statist temperament and outlook. Indeed, he never questions the wisdom of America's "war on drugs" or if they've had unintended consequences. He also seems to have never had a libertarian thought in his life.

Rasmussen deems the restriction of amphetamine in the early seventies as "an astonishing victory of democracy and good government" over business interests. It was anything but. The drug war is a continuing act of tyranny. If adults--but certainly not children--but if adults wish to take amphetamines or anti-depressants (also editorialized against) it should be their right. Governments should not exist to perfect the lives of the citizenry.

Men like Dr. Rasmussen open the door to government squelching our freedoms in the name of safety. Ultimately, we should decide what's best for us, and we should be permitted to choose how we want to lead our lives. Determinations of quality of life over longevity are made constantly and we don't need university academics empowering the state to take despotic action against our choices.

For example, why must we present identification just to take Sudafed when we suffer from a cold? Rasmussen points out that no one has ever died from nasal congestion, but nasal congestion and pressure can lead to ear and sinus infections. Further, it's my choice if I wish to take Sudafed and certainly not the state's. If individuals like Dr. Rasmussen learned to mind their own business and leave others alone the world would be a better place. People take drugs because...they want to. Get over it. I say "mind your own affairs." Granted, I'm a libertarian and a conservative so my outlook may be uncommon, but at least I admit to my political slant which is something this author is too dishonest to do.

The best book about amphetamines i have ever read. Full of non known historical and political infortmations. Specially about amphetamine use during World War