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Description
The twentieth century saw a remarkable upsurge of research on drugs, with major advances in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections, heart disease, stomach ulcers, cancer, and metal illnesses. These, along with the introduction of the oral contraceptive, have altered all of our lives. There has also been an increase in the recreational use and abuse of drugs in the Western world. This Very Short Introduction, in its second edition, gives a non-technical account of how drugs work in show more the body. Reviewing both legal (alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine) and illegal drugs, Les Iversen discusses why some are addictive, and whether drug laws need reform. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
The book covers both medicinal and recreational drugs. The second chapter on the biochemical mechanisms behind how drugs actually work was heavy going, but the book as a whole was interesting and informative, though I don't know how much I will remember.
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Author Information
26 Works 242 Members
Leslie Iversen, PhD is a retired pharmacologist, known for his work psycho-pharmacology, especially on drugs acting on monoamine uptake mechanisms in the central nervous system. He has advised the UK House of Lords, and the British Government on drug issues. He has worked in Cambridge and Oxford Universities, and in the Salk Institute in show more California. show less
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Drugs: A Very Short Introduction
- Original title
- Drugs. A Very Short Introduction
- First words
- The word 'drug' refers to a chemical substance that is taken deliberately in order to obtain some desirable effect.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries may ironically become victims of their own success in the twenty-first century, as an increasing number of health services find that they cannot afford to use all the expensive goods on offer.
Classifications
- Genres
- Reference, Nonfiction, Science & Nature, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 615.1 — Applied science & technology Medicine & health Pharmacology and therapeutics Materia medica; Drugs; Pharmacology
- LCC
- RM301.15 .I94 — Medicine Therapeutics. Pharmacology Therapeutics. Pharmacology Drugs and their actions
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 114
- Popularity
- 284,604
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.75)
- Languages
- English, German, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 12
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 2
