Drugs: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) - Softcover

Iversen, Leslie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192854313 ISBN 13: 9780192854315

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA, 2001

Synopsis

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 mental 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 gives a non-technical account of how drugs act on the body and how therapeutic drugs are developed and tested, then goes on to review both legal (prescription, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine) and illegal drugs, and discuss current ideas about why some drugs are addictive, and whether drug laws need reform.

About this title

Review

The chapters are easy to dip into, but the book as a whole reads well and is short enough to read cover to cover. . . The book is up to date (Chemistry in Britain 01/03/2002)

I found the text very informative . . . this book succeeds as a general introduction to drugs in medicine abd society, and should have wide appeal to both scientists and non-scientists. It is also good value for money. (Chemistry in Britain 01/03/2002)

illuminating (TNT Magazine, 17/01/2001)

a vade-mecum of drugs of all kinds, bursting with facts presented succintly in a user-friendly style that will make it a favourite reference for many people not otherwise versed in the sciences. Highly recommended. (Gill Ewing, Nurturing Potential)

Synopsis

The book gives a non-technical account of how drugs work in the body. The twentieth century saw a remarkable upsurge of research on drugs, with major advances in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections, heart disease, stomac 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. The book reviews both legal (alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine) and illegal drugs and disscusses current idea about why some are addictive, and whether drug laws need reform.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0192854313
• ISBN 13: 9780192854315
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 144