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Booth writes with admirable attention to detail, if very little élan. Plowing through some of his sentences is a little like chewing on a mouthful of sawdust: "There are several reasons suggested for the popularity of the hypodermic but the primary one is the lowering standard of heroin purity caused by the success of legislation on production and by the selling methods employed by Italians who took over distribution from Jewish gangs, leading to an increase in price and higher levels of adulteration." It's enough to drive a reader to drugs. Nonetheless, the power of his narrative can't be entirely erased by the unwieldiness of his prose. The book is filled with striking images and surprising facts--for instance, opium-addicted Victorian children, fed "soothing syrups" by minders to keep them quiet. Undernourished, yellow-skinned, in the words of one contemporary observer, they "shrank up into little old men or wizened like a little monkey." In the end, Booth finds few answers to the problems posed by the opium trade--a scourge he says has "destroyed millions of lives, enslaved whole cultures and invidiously corrupted human society to its very core." In writing this exhaustively researched history, however, Booth brings us that much closer to understanding--and thereby conquering--the most tenacious of human addictions. --Mary Park
"The book's wealth of detail is remarkable." --The Economist
"Opium is of great value for its thoroughness, and it is briskly written....Each chapter [is] a ball of opium with an explosive charge." --The Boston Globe
"Booth takes us from P. somniferum to 'black gold,' compellingly documenting the influential role of the opiate trade throughout history." --Publishers Weekly
"From the subtleties of Chinese history to the complexities of Golden Triangle narco-nationalism...Booth shows us a sure grasp of his material and manages to pull the innumerable and far-flung threads...neatly together." --Kirkus Reviews
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 15109210-6
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Used; Very Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books. Seller Inventory # 2686728
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Reprint; First Printing. Light reading and cover creases, paper edge toned with minor foxing. ; Nice tight flat copy, no names inside. Cover photo by Brigitte Thomas. ; B&W Photographs; 400 pages; Opium is probably the oldest and most widely used narcotic drug. On the one hand it is addictive and deadly, yet on the other hand it is the most effective pain killer responsible for alleviating suffering. In this the first full length history of the drug and the bittersweet effects of a simple poppy with a pernicious legacy. Seller Inventory # 32389
Book Description Paper Back. Condition: Very Good. The cover has light wear. The edges of the book and inside covers are somewhat foxed. 381 pages. Books listed here are not stored at the shop. Please contact us if you want to pick up a book from Newtown. Size: Size D: 7"-8" Tall (177-203mm). Seller Inventory # 145645
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. First thus. Illustrated with photographs. ; 200 x 130mm; 381 pages. Seller Inventory # 13807