This Is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Admitting that "so much has been written on drug use and American culture that it would take weeks to roll all of that paper up and smoke it," journalist Grim plunges into the counterculture, the literature, the research, the opposition, the pharmaceutical interests, the media coverage, the kids and users, the heroes and the hypocrites to chart the evolution of drug use in America, covering every illegal high, taking on well-entrenched myths and turning up fascinating stories on current trends-beginning with the end of LSD. Backed by plenty of startling facts (i.e., 1984's drug-related criminal population was 30,000; by 1991 it was more than 150,000), Grim fashions a sharp critique of anti-drug programs ("exposure to anti-drug ads led to higher rates of first-time drug use among certain groups, such as fourteen-to-sixteen year olds and whites") and other policy decisions (President Clinton's approval of NAFTA led to an unprecedented influx of drugs across the Mexican border). Grim isn't all talk, however: he barely survives on-site research during drug riots in Bolivia, goes through a typically fraught trip on ayahuasca, and scouts the battlefields of the fight to legalize cannabis ("In San Francisco, pot clubs quickly outnumbered McDonald's franchises"). This lively, personable history should strike fans of Martin Torgoff's Can't Find My Way Home as a worthy follow-up.

Review

Admitting that "so much has been written on drug use and American culture that it would take weeks to roll all of that paper up and smoke it," journalist Grim plunges into the counterculture, the literature, the research, the opposition, the pharmaceutical interests, the media coverage, the kids and users, the heroes and the hypocrites to chart the evolution of drug use in America, covering every illegal high, taking on well-entrenched myths and turning up fascinating stories on current trends-beginning with the end of LSD. Backed by plenty of startling facts (i.e., 1984's drug-related criminal population was 30,000; by 1991 it was more than 150,000), Grim fashions a sharp critique of anti-drug programs ("exposure to [anti-drug] ads led to higher rates of first-time drug use among certain groups, such as fourteen-to-sixteen year olds and whites") and other policy decisions (President Clinton's approval of NAFTA led to an unprecedented influx of drugs across the Mexican border). Grim isn't all talk, however: he barely survives on-site research during drug riots in Bolivia, goes through a typically fraught trip on ayahuasca, and scouts the battlefields of the fight to legalize cannabis ("In San Francisco, pot clubs quickly outnumbered McDonald's franchises"). This lively, personable history should strike fans of Martin Torgoff's Can't Find My Way Home as a worthy follow-up. (July) (Publishers Weekly, July 27, 2009) "One of the theses of This Is Your Country on Drugs -- a cornucopia of unconventional wisdom about our relationship to mind-altering substances -- is that the popularity of drugs waxes and wanes according to a complex sum of factors." (salon.com, July 20, 2009) "Mark Kleiman calls it "Atonishingly clear-headed and well-written, as if someone had taken David Courtwright and added just a splash of Hunter Thompson." (Mark Klieman, TPMCafe) "A wide-ranging, fascinating romp through the history of America's insatiable appetite for all manner of drugs, from opium to crystal meth, all the way up to the possibly soon-to-be-illegal hallucinogen Salvia divinorum." (The Philadelphia City Paper)

Admitting that “so much has been written on drug use and American culture that it would take weeks to roll all of that paper up and smoke it,” journalist Grim plunges into the counterculture, the literature, the research, the opposition, the pharmaceutical interests, the media coverage, the kids and users, the heroes and the hypocrites to chart the evolution of drug use in America, covering every illegal high, taking on well-entrenched myths and turning up fascinating stories on current trends—beginning with the end of LSD. Backed by plenty of startling facts (i.e., 1984's drug-related criminal population was 30,000; by 1991 it was more than 150,000), Grim fashions a sharp critique of anti-drug programs (“exposure to [anti-drug] ads led to higher rates of first-time drug use among certain groups, such as fourteen-to-sixteen year olds and whites”) and other policy decisions (President Clinton's approval of NAFTA led to an unprecedented influx of drugs across the Mexican border). Grim isn't all talk, however: he barely survives on-site research during drug riots in Bolivia, goes through a typically fraught trip on ayahuasca, and scouts the battlefields of the fight to legalize cannabis (“In San Francisco, pot clubs quickly outnumbered McDonald’s franchises”). This lively, personable history should strike fans of Martin Torgoff’s Can’t Find My Way Home as a worthy follow-up. (July) (Publishers Weekly, July 27, 2009)

"One of the theses of This Is Your Country on Drugs -- a cornucopia of unconventional wisdom about our relationship to mind-altering substances -- is that the popularity of drugs waxes and wanes according to a complex sum of factors." (salon.com, July 20, 2009)

"Mark Kleiman calls it "Atonishingly clear-headed and well-written, as if someone had taken David Courtwright and added just a splash of Hunter Thompson." (Mark Klieman, TPMCafe)

"A wide-ranging, fascinating romp through the history of America's insatiable appetite for all manner of drugs, from opium to crystal meth, all the way up to the possibly soon-to-be-illegal hallucinogen Salvia divinorum." (The Philadelphia City Paper)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470167394
• ISBN-13: 978-0470167397
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #248,500 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This...It Will Make You Feel Good, June 29, 2009

By	Traven (DC) - See all my reviews

Whether you've thought long and hard about the "War on Drugs" or never seen an episode of The Wire, this book will open your eyes and give you a fresh perspective. The research and historical bits alone are worth the price of admission (who knew coke was big in the 1890s or NAFTA allowed Mexican Meth to flow freely across the border?). What really sets this book apart, however, is the author's humor and willingness to include personal anecdotes in his story telling. Highly recommended.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating peek into the history of drugs in America, June 28, 2009

By	Book Junkie (Annapolis, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Ryan Grim started with a simple question: "Where did all the acid go?" and expanded it to examine our country's obsession with drugs. The research is extensive, and it is woven together with interesting prose that is both thought-provoking and, perhaps unfortunately, extremely funny. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read both for serious drug policy students and laypeople who are just interested in the history of our unofficial national pastime. Highly recommended.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening AND Entertaining!, June 28, 2009

By	holla "tamalecaliente" (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

Having been a student of drug policy and having read tons of primary sources and reaction analysis, this was a good and refreshing read. Not only did it provide good analysis of research and material, but it was fun and really entertaining. The author's personal perspective and anecdotes pave the way for a meaty but well thought out and readable argument. If you know little about drug policy, this book is totally accessible, and if you're a wonk already, it'll make you see things you know in a different way. I definitely recommend checking it out!