A Question of Intent: How the FDA Finally Took on Tobacco and Won - Hardcover

Kessler, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1891620800 ISBN 13: 9781891620805

Publisher: PublicAffairs,U.S., 2001

Synopsis

From the controversial former FDA commissioner: the surprisingly gripping, suspenseful, inside story of how the FDA confronted the tobacco industry.. Tobacco companies had been protecting their turf for decades. They had congressmen in their pocket. They had corrupt scientists who made excuses about nicotine, cancer and addiction. They had hordes of lawyers to threaten anyone--inside the industry or out--who posed a problem. They had a whole lot of money to spend. And they were good at getting people to do what they wanted them to do. After all, they had already convinced millions of Americans to take up an addictive, unhealthy, and potentially deadly habit.David Kessler didn't care about all that. In this book he tells for the first time the thrilling detective story of how the underdog FDA--while safeguarding the nation's food, drugs, and blood supply--finally decided to take on one of the world's most powerful opponents, and how it won. Like A Civil Action or And the Band Played On, A Question of Intent weaves together science, law, and fascinating characters to tell an important and often unexpectedly moving story. We follow Kessler's team of investigators as they race to find the clues that will allow the FDA to assert jurisdiction over cigarettes, while the tobacco companies and their lawyers fight back--hard. Full of insider information and drama, told with wit, and animated by its author's moral passion, A Question of Intent reads like a Grisham thriller, with one exception--everything in it is true. Tobacco companies had been protecting their turf for decades. They had congressmen in their pocket. They had corrupt scientists who made excuses about nicotine, cancer and addiction. They had hordes of lawyers to threaten anyone--inside the industry or out--who posed a problem. They had a whole lot of money to spend. And they were good at getting people to do what they wanted them to do. After all, they had already convinced millions of Americans to take up an addictive, unhealthy, and potentially deadly habit.David Kessler didn't care about all that. In this book he tells for the first time the thrilling detective story of how the underdog FDA--while safeguarding the nation's food, drugs, and blood supply--finally decided to take on one of the world's most powerful opponents, and how it won. Like A Civil Action or And the Band Played On, A Question of Intent weaves together science, law, and fascinating characters to tell an important and often unexpectedly moving story. We follow Kessler's team of investigators as they race to find the clues that will allow the FDA to assert jurisdiction over cigarettes, while the tobacco companies and their lawyers fight back--hard. Full of insider information and drama, told with wit, and animated by its author's moral passion, A Question of Intent reads like a Grisham thriller, with one exception--everything in it is true. *More detail, drama, and inside information on the whistle-blowers, investigators, and major players in the campaign against Big Tobacco A great read for anyone who likes gripping narrative nonfiction or relishes a terrific, true detective story .

About this title

About the Author

David Kessler is Dean of the Yale University School of Medicine. He served as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, from 1990 to 1997. Kessler is a graduate of Amherst College, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Chicago Law School. He lives in Connecticut with his family.

Edition details

• Publisher: PublicAffairs,U.S.
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1891620800
• ISBN 13: 9781891620805
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 512