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Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse
 
 
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Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse (Paperback)

~ Paul Gahlinger (Author) "The origin of drug use is quite simple..." (more)
Key Phrases: very high abuse potential, taken ingested, unresponsive coma, South America, New York, Native American Church (more...)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

List Price: $22.00
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Frequently Bought Together

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Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse + Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy (Third Edition)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

a ton of information ... for anyone who wants the facts, I’d say this is the one book to find them. -- Bookviews --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.


Product Description

Does Ecstasy cause brain damage? Why is crack more addictive than cocaine? What questions regarding drugs are legal to ask in a job interview? When does marijuana possession carry a greater prison sentence than murder?

Illegal Drugs is the first comprehensive reference to offer timely, pertinent information on every drug currently prohibited by law in the United States. It includes their histories, chemical properties and effects, medical uses and recreational abuses, and associated health problems, as well as addiction and treatment information.

Additional survey chapters discuss general and historical information on illegal drug use, the effect of drugs on the brain, the war on drugs, drugs in the workplace, the economy and culture of illegal drugs, and information on thirty-three psychoactive drugs that are legal in the United States, from caffeine, alcohol and tobacco to betel nuts and kava kava.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Plume; Updated edition (December 30, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0452285054
  • ISBN-13: 978-0452285057
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,436 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #35 in  Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Pharmacology > Drug Guides
    #35 in  Books > Science > Medicine > Pharmacology > Drug Guides

More About the Author

Paul M. Gahlinger
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22 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate, But Sometimes a Little Annoying, March 1, 2002
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
I'm not going to throw rocks at this book, because there is an incredible dearth of good information on this subject, and in the information in this book is excellent. But when Gahlinger says "complete," he is not kidding. This is a great resource for the sophisticated student of the subject, with history, sociology and legal issues as well as medical info, and lots of coverage of obscure drugs. For people whose interest in the subject which is either more casual or practical (e.g. "Is this stuff dangerous?" or "What's my kid getting into?") the book may be a little overwhelming.

I cannot stress how thoroughly superior this book is to Andrew Weil's "From Chocolate to Morphine."

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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, readable review of the drug world, September 4, 2006
By David (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews
This is among the most readable reference books written. The history and relationships of abusable drugs are covered. Then, commonly abused drugs receive individual attention. The information seems accurate and factual, and the author is a University-based M.D.

Unfortunately, he doesn't always note the source of some quotes clearly in the text. This leaves one wondering, at times, if the quote was intended to demonstrate a truth or a misconception -- especially if the topic in question is controversial. There are only occasional, minor references to sensationalistic stories that leave one wondering if they're true.

The author's bias (having read 2/3rds of the book so far), seems to be that the "War on Drugs" has not worked, but he's not a promoter of drug use, noting frequently the enormously harmful effects of drugs on both individuals and society. He describes both the positive and negative uses of drugs.

While this book contains a great deal of medical info, it is written for an educated layman and is not filled with the arcane technical writing and jargon of typical medical texts. Highly recommended overall.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate, No-nonsense Information, January 28, 2002
By Jesse E Lane, drug policy student activist (Hampshire College, MA, United States) - See all my reviews
In the vein of Andrew Weil and Winifred Rosen's From Chocolate to Morphine, Gahlinger's Illegal Drugs exemplifies a complete, `safety-first' approach to discussing illicit drugs and drug use in this country. Gahlinger goes beyond simply explaining the effects of various drugs on the body and mind; he explores the non-physical -but equally important- aspects of drug use/abuse, including extensive information on the legal consequences of involvement with drugs, drug testing in the workplace, economics of the drug trade, and the origins of U.S. drug policy. Perhaps most outstanding aspect of Gahlinger's book is his thorough, no-nonsense instructions for detecting a drug overdose and seeking efficient, timely medical care for the victim- knowledge that could, one day, be the deciding factor between the death or recovery of a friend or loved one. The accurate, rational information contained in Gahlinger's Illegal Drugs is an invaluable gift for any young adult today.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Covers It All
This book is an amazing plethora of information. It in no way condones drug use but educates the reader of the history, use and abuse. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. kimberling

4.0 out of 5 stars Good not great
The author is strongly against the War on Drugs and he tries to provide as neutral as possible a look at the facts. Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. Stephenson

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Critique
The topic of my book was the history of drugs. This book was aimed towards anyone who wanted to know the history and use of most drugs. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Patrick McCarville

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read.
Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use and Abuse (Review)
Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use and Abuse, is an... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Camron T

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT
This is an excellent book for any student who is doing a report on drugs. it has everything you would need to know and not just about the drugs themselves it has the culture, the... Read more
Published 11 months ago by C. B. Hockaday

5.0 out of 5 stars a thorough review of all drugs illegal and legal
like title states this book covers it all. whether your a student doing research or a concerned parent this book will make things much clearer. Read more
Published 12 months ago by *Maureen*

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenally Informative
I can't praise the author of this book highly enough. He has created a comprehensive, readable and thoroughly engaging reference including almost every drug found in society... Read more
Published 13 months ago by G. Basso

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book
This is an excellent, informative book. The reviewer who said this book lacks cites is correct. Otherwise, it is money well spent.
Published 15 months ago by SafeCop

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book of knowledge..but read with caution!
Paul Gahlinger does an excellent job of finding "all" of the 178 or whatever number he says is the number of illegal drugs in (I guess) America. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Guy F. Airey

5.0 out of 5 stars TELLS YOU EVERTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!
Doesn't seem like a fact is missed inside this cherished masterpiece. If your a cop, corrections officer, medic, lawyer, everyone can stand to learn something from this book.
Published 22 months ago by Adam J. Russo

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