The drug book From arsenic to Xanax, 250 milestones in the history of drugs

Review by Choice Review

Part of the "Sterling Milestones" series (e.g., The Medical Book by C. Pickover, CH, Feb'13, 50-3302), The Drug Book highlights 250 "mind- and body-altering substances." Clearly, the scope is not comprehensive. Rather, Gerald (emer., Univ. of Connecticut School of Pharmacy) presents drugs that he believes have significantly impacted human health or that are interesting due to the history of their development. Entries are presented chronologically by year of the drug's discovery, from ca. 60,000 BCE (various herbals) to 2020 (speculative treatments including antiaging medications and gene therapy). Each consists of a one-page narrative, with a color illustration or photograph opposite. No in-text citations are provided, but a "Further Reading" section lists one or two sources for each drug. The year of discovery can indicate when the drug was created/identified in the lab, when it came to market, when it was embraced by the medical establishment, or when it captured the public's attention. It is not clear what interpretation of "discovery" is being used for each drug. The book is a visually attractive survey of the history of drugs, best suited for general readers and as a starting point for undergraduate researchers. The cross-references in some entries will facilitate exploration. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and undergraduate students. K. K. Mitchell Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Booklist Review

This book is organized chronologically, beginning with entries on the use of Herbs and Alcohol from the dawn of mankind and ending with a glimpse at the future with a discussion of Female Viagra and Gene therapy. Entries consist of a few paragraphs on one page, with a photo or illustration on the facing page. Handy see also references appear at the end of each article. There is a brief bibliography for each entry located at the back of the book, and a thorough index leads browsers directly to key people and specific drugs. As with others in the series (The Medical Book, 2012), this is not a comprehensive reference book, but it would make an excellent starting point for student researchers and is very browsable for the general reader. Recommended for most public libraries.--Vnuk, Rebecca Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Library Journal Review

Gerald (pharmacy, emeritus, Univ. of Connecticut; The Complete Idiot's Guide to Prescription Drugs; The Poisonous Pen of Agatha Christie) has produced a beautiful and well-researched historical guide to significant drugs. Short, chronologically arranged monographs begin with herbs and alcohol and include coffee and tea as well as more conventional medicines. The majority of pages cover 20th-century drugs, and 19 sections relate to 21st-century medicines, with five sections tackling substances of the future, such as "smart drugs," anti-aging drugs, and gene therapy. Verdict This title will be of interest to history of medicine readers and related collections.-Mary Chitty, Cambridge Healthtech Inst., Needham, MA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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