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A fascinating guide to the history of drugs and medicines, the science of how they work, and the way they’ve shaped healthcare and society

Today, drugs are a ubiquitous tool in all our lives, from the highly specialised gene therapies used to treat hitherto incurable disease, to the common painkillers we take to relieve fevers and headaches. But healing plants and herbs have been revered since time immemorial, and have been used for as long as people have experienced illness. Over the last century our understanding of these therapeutic wonders has developed at astonishing speed, and so the science of pharmacology was born.

Esteemed scientist Rod Flower guides us through the fascinating history of the discipline, and shows us how drugs really work. How are new medicines developed, and what gives scientists the confidence their therapies will function as intended? What happens inside our bodies when we ingest these mysterious chemicals, and how have they shaped the progress of societies across the world?

This accessible introduction to the science of drugs reveals their intriguing inner workings, and celebrates their remarkable healing power.

Rod Flower is emeritus professor of biochemical pharmacology at Queen Mary University of London. His career has focused particularly on inflammation and anti-inflammatories, and he has an active interest in biosecurity matters and the misuse of science.