Dope, Inc.: The Book That Drove Henry Kissinger Crazy

Customer Reviews:

Dull, Boring, Inaccurate in Places and Out of Date Investigation into the Drug Industry.......2006-02-11

I found this book a real grind to read. It consists of page after page of seemingly unconnected names, places, big amounts of money, and I just found myself getting bored with it all. The bulk of the book is material from the 1978 edition so there are lots of references to Jimmy Carter. I think there could be a good book written on this subject what with all the stuff that's been happening lately in Afghanistan and Colombia, so maybe if a revised edition came out then it might be a bit more interesting. The only interesting section for me was the section on how the British first launched the Opium Wars on China; I would have liked to have learned about this at school.

Overall, the standard of investigative journalism in this book is a bit poor. There's a pro-Christian bias and the authors seem to blame Freemasons+Gnostics+Zionists for all the world's problems. E.g., page 404: "Since the days of Saint Augustine, the oligarchy has drawn on the Gnostic belief structure, with its deep hostility to the Western moral values of technological progress and the sacred worth of the individual, to do battle with the Christian faith, whose teaching that man can share in the divinity of God by continuing his creative work is anathema to the oligarchy." Also, the book is riddled with little factual errors, e.g. the authors assert that Timothy Leary was fired from Harvard when he in fact resigned following Richard Alpert's dismissal, and some of the allegations are unsubstantiated, e.g. that the Red Cross ambulance service performs terrorist actions for the British. And why do the authors keep referring to China as "Red China"?

More interesting reads about the drug industry include Trail of the Octopus, Dark Alliance, Compromised and Bushwhacked by Uri Dowbenko, in particular chapter 26 in which he interviews Rodney Stich.

Penetrating Historical Analysis.......2004-02-17

Although the Larouchies have done some speculative work, this is not entirely of a low-grade quality. In fact, much of the historical information on the Opium Wars is widely known and accurate. Before disregarding EIR, because of their solution to world problems is bigger global government, give this book a close read. It points in the right direction and read in combination with other similar works it can really cause an awakening.

Increase the War on Drugs?.......2003-05-01

From what little i read of the book i found it to be overly dramatic. ... The writer, ... makes the conviction that if the american people don't move to quickly crush the international drug mafia, the US and Western Civilization will fall into a new dark age. He goes on to say we need to launch a full-scale War on Drugs as the Allied nations used to defeat Nazism. I have no doubts that many governments are involved with the mafia and drugs, but my view is for legalization and not increasing the "lost cause" on drugs.

Exaggerated truth.......2002-05-01

Jeff Steinberg is the chief editor of the Larouche political organization. Though a skilled writer I find most members a bit excitable & hyper. I sensed this through the book as I read it. The book takes one through the time Adam Smith managed the British East India Co. to most of the 20th century. It is obvious that they have an ax to grind with the Rockefellers, Kissinger, Theodore Schackley, and, the Bush family. This organization does have some good information as they have moles that work in our government. I am just as certain the CIA have opereratives inside the LaRouche organization. The book has good information about things the average person has no control over except our own personal choices.

The Truth Will Wake You UP!.......2001-08-07

I remember the day that this book was given to me for free. I started reading it from day one. I was amazed to reallize that there is really nothing this country or any other country can do about the drug trade. That the current war on drugs is a total waste of time and effort. That people in "Law Enforcement" are truely lost if they think they are making a difference.

Average customer rating:

At last, the blessed marriage of Wisdom and Humor
Irreverent and hysterical, I love Cecil!
Straight Dope part II
More great work from Cecil
Another Fine Collection

Return of the Straight Dope
Cecil Adams
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Triumph of the Straight Dope
Straight Dope Tells All
More of the Straight Dope
Know It All!
The Explainer

ASIN: 0345381114
Release Date: 1994-04-12

Book Description

"When inquiring minds want to know, there is someone to turn to for an answer."
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Cecil Adams's first two books covered everything from the real lyrics to "Louie, Louie," to whatever became of Einstein's brain. You probably thought you couldn't stand any more genius in one lifetime. Well, fasten your intellectual seat belts! Inside you'll find 100% guaranteed top quality brilliance on every page, as he winsomely and wisely answers questions like these: Can people really hear radio broadcasts through their teeth? What does Queen Elizabeth carry in that purse, anyway? So how DO porcupines mate? And many more. When you hear the answers, you'll be glad someone asked the questions.

Customer Reviews:

At last, the blessed marriage of Wisdom and Humor.......2007-09-22

Of the three Straight Dope books I've read so far--this is the third in the series--I would say that this is the best one yet.
Cecil Adams is hilarious, even if Wikipedia claims he is a committee and not an actual individual...which I hesitate to believe. Slug Signorino's drawings are just perfect for the material and often laugh-out-loud funny. And in conversations lately, thanks to reading this, I feel as if I've had a lot more to say than I ever have before.
Five stars for "Return of the Straight Dope."
Another great read in a series of great reads.

Irreverent and hysterical, I love Cecil!.......2002-07-07

Cecil Adams is a hoot. It's that simple. I'm the first to admit that his style may not be for everyone. If you don't enjoy the smart-alec humor of David Letterman, the irreverence of Saturday Night Live, and the take-no-prisoners approach of James Randi, than maybe the "Straight Dope" isn't for you.

For the uninitiated, The Straight Dope is a weekly newspaper column (appearing mostly in local "freebie" papers such as Madison's Isthmus) wherein Cecil (the smartest human alive) answers all manner of questions put to him by the "teeming millions." Do fish breathe? Do birds pee? Are there really 57 varieties of Heinz Ketchup? No question is too trivial for Cecil, and he applies a surprising degree of scholarship to all queries, mixing it all with a sharp-tongued wit and repartee with his correspondents that will leave you laughing out loud, guaranteed.

The books, numbering 5, collect the best of his columns into loosely organized chapters and include occasional updated information since the questions and answers were originally printed.

A few examples from 3rd book (Return of the Straight Dope, 1994), which is the one I happen to have from the library right now:

p. 338: Why do stars twinkle? Cecil supplies the correct answer, embedded as always, firmly within his razor sharp wit: "Ben, you amateur, stars don't 'twinkle.' They exhibit 'stellar scintillation.' The Pentagon isn't going to fund a damn twinkle study."

p. 63-64: A straight-down-the-pipe debunking of Uri Geller, as only Cecil can do. James Randi (whom Cecil sites as a source) has nothing on Adams. This is also a good example of Cecil's "dialog" with his readers. A reader wrote in to tell of his first hand encounter with Geller years before, and why Geller couldn't possibly have faked the spoon bending (or whatever) because this reader never took his eyes off the spoon, yada yada. Adam's reply shows his appropriately skeptical approach to such situations, where he stresses how many supposed "experts" were completely bamboozled by Geller's slight of hand and misdirection.

p. 349: The inertia of air, as seen in the helium balloon in a car experiment; p. 146 if you toss a ball in the air while inside the cabin of a flying airplane, does the total weight of the craft decrease by the amount of the ball's weight? (no, and he does a great job handling the physics involved).

The "Straight Dope" collections are a skeptical reader's delight, and totally entertaining to boot. I highly recommend them for casual reading, but don't be surprised if you learn something along the way.

By the way, there's apparently some debate about whether Cecil's a real person or not. I don't have an answer ... but it doesn't matter to me. The books are well written and right on target scientifically.

One more tidbit (this one from the straightdope.com web site), to a reader who asked what the deal is with Nostradamus, Cecil replied: "There are two schools of thought on Nostradamus: either (1) he had supernatural powers which enabled him to prophesy the future with uncanny accuracy, or (2) he did for ... what Stonehenge did for rocks. I incline to the latter view."

Cecil goes on to give a more detailed (and very accurate) response re: the whole Nostradamus thing, showing again his serious attempt to combat the epidemic of silly pseudoscience that so many of the "teeming millions" seem inclined to accept at face value.

And that really seems to be the bottom line for Cecil, and the best reason to read the column and the books.

Straight Dope part II.......2002-06-24

The second book of Cecil Adams' Straight Dope is here...
A good follow up for the fabulous first part and full of astounding data...
Get ready for hilarious laughter and information absorbtion...

More great work from Cecil.......2001-07-30

You have to love this guy - he gives you quality information and manages to do it in an entertaining way. He has found the perfect middle ground with the "Teaming Millions" who maintain endless dialogue over the weighty issues of life- He asserts his knowledged when challenged, ( even on the rare occasions when he gets it wrong)and injects a healthy dose of humour into the process to entertain us .

I have all these books - they are great - I just wish they were bigger

Another Fine Collection.......2001-03-18

If you don't know who Cecil Adams is, its unlikely that you will find yourself purchasing this book. As the lucky initiated know, Adams has been writing his weekly column, "The Straight Dope" for alternative newpapers for nearly thirty years now. Adams is a good-natured arrogant know-it-all who uses reader questions both to show off his knowledge and flex his keen sense of humor. He is at the same time both hilareous and informative. He also tackles plenty of subjects that mainstream journalists will not touch. For example, in this book he discusses the little known practice of eating the human placenta. There is no one quite like Cecil. And for that we must be thankful.

Average customer rating:

The Best
not sure
Indispensable!
A compilation of weird, exotic and funny trivia things
The best Adams since John Quincy!

The Straight Dope
Cecil Adams
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Curiosities & Wonders | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

More of the Straight Dope
Return of the Straight Dope
Triumph of the Straight Dope
Straight Dope Tells All
Know It All!

ASIN: 0345333152
Release Date: 1986-05-12

Amazon.com

This collection of Adams' best newspaper columns answers with erudition and wit all the weird questions Americans ponder to distraction. Why didn't the Incas invent the wheel? Is the frequency of bald women on the increase? And how many square feet of flesh on the human body? Incredibly sarcastic, knowledgeable and entertaining, The Straight Dope makes a great bathroom book or gift book or personal treasure.

Book Description

No molly coddle, he, Cecil Adams tackles the tough questions in life, including "Do cats have navels?" and "What are the real lyrics to 'Louie, Louie'?'" Uncompromising and always entertaining, he explodes myths, reveals shocking truths and answers over 400 of the most pressing questions of this or any day.

Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2007-07-15

"The Straight Dope" is, hands down, without question, the best source for intelligent trivia out there. Cecil Adams's column, and his books, are more interesting and more entertaining than I can possible do justice do in a dashed-off Amazon review. Suffice it to say though, that Adams makes even subjects you thought you had no interest in fascinating, and as he does so he presents a very amusing persona as well.
Please, please, ignore those lame, lame books like "Why Do Men Have Nipples?" and go straight to this instead. The strangest questions are asked and answered here, with numerous fascinating digressions, and the illustrations by Slug Signorino are often hilarious as well. Put this book in your bathroom, and the odds are good you'll have the entire thing read in a couple of weeks.
People think they can get all the information they need from the Internet, but Adams really performs a service here with the immense amount of information he gathers and distills, the connections he makes that people not obsessed with this stuff never would, and the amusing tone he does it in.
Aside from being informative, this book is also often very, very funny. It's a nice glimpse into just how strange and complex the world can be, and a good read for anyone with an inquisitive mind.

not sure.......2007-03-29

It isn't the best or the worst. I wanted more quick facts then a long story about each one.

Indispensable!.......2005-09-02

If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Cecil Adams, for the love of pete, buy this book. I first found this book when I was 12 years old, and I gotta say, it gave me a great jumpstart on life. Everything from how to effectively kill disgusting insects to... shall we say, the more raucous and salacious aspects of the world. Politics, science, the occult, history, urban legends (by the way, that Myth show on Discovery is totally based on the Straight Dope books!)... so much to learn, so little time! Unca Cec always entertains with his wicked sense of humor as well.

A compilation of weird, exotic and funny trivia things.......2003-06-19

First of all let me tell you Cecil Adams' work is not for impressionable people. He is quite outspoken and spits out things in some straightforward and perhaps rude way.
If that's ok for you and you are interested in trivia things, then I reccommend this book to you.
This is the very first book of his set of 4 and covers most of the most interesting articles appeaered on his column at the Chicago Reader since 1973.
Cecil is an eccentric guy who claims to be the "smartest" guy who knows it all around the world. its said he has devoted a whole house to compile and archive articles and data of various aspects deriving from Biology to Laws.
Tip: you can find most of his articles on line, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to read a couple of them first and find out your likeness for his way of writing.

The best Adams since John Quincy!.......2002-10-12

Dude, man, this book was like...totally not like its title said it would be man. I mean, the only buzz I got off it was inhaling the fumes from the cover. No Dope anywhere to be found! It was like...
...
...a bummer.

Book Description

"Smart, saucy answers...the kind of book you'd buy as a goofy present for your wackiest friend--and then keep."
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Since 1973, the redoubtable Cecil Adams has collected, corrected, inspected, and dissected thousands of reader's questions, reporting his sagacious findings in the popular weekly column, THE STRAIGHT DOPE. His first book amazed millions. Now he returns with another incomparable compendium of fantastic facts, insouciant information, and delicious data on every subject of import to personkind: Is it true Thanksgiving was invented by the editor of HARPER'S BIZARRE...? Why do your fingers wrinkle in the bathtub...? and hundreds more burning questions explained at last!

Customer Reviews:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M IN LOVE! LOVE, I TELL YOU!.......2007-09-09

I am absolutely addicted to The Straight Dope. Every since I got Cecil Adams's first book, I've been unable to put these books down.
This is the second book of collected Straight Dope columns, and I'd have to say it's even better than the first. This one includes more of the humorous exchanges between Cecil Adams and his readers, more columns altogether, and a lot of really bizarre and interesting questions.
Let me just say that immediately after finishing this, I ran to get the third book and started reading it that same day. Not only is this book (the second book) filled with facts, it's also really funny, and well-illustrated. Slug Signorino's pictures are a total riot sometimes.
Unbelievably, this book is now out of print, but fortunately for us, it's still available used. Get it. Now.

Good trivia book.......2002-06-24

If you like Trivia then this is a good book for you...
Cecil Adams has a "way" to narrate things but he has style in everything he does...
He claims to know everything about everything and be able to tell it in a way to make you feel a jerk...
Worth a try...

You Won't Regret Buying This Book.......2001-01-04

Cecil Adams Straight Dope books are some of the best trivia books out there bar none. While you may not get the answers to the specific questions you are asking you will find answers to things you always wanted to know but never really thought to ask about.

Cecil Adams has been writing his column for the Chicago Reader since 1973 and has been asked every random trivia questions under the sun and rarely is he unable to find the answer. Cecil Adams has a wicked sense of humor that makes his books so much fun to read over and over again.

More Of The Straight Dope is the second book in his series and while it is hard to find, is certainly one of the best of the lot. He answers questions like - what exactly is Mojo? Why does your skin wrinkle in the tub? and so forth.

No one has ever seen the real Cecil Adams and as long as he keeps answering questions and putting out books like this - no one will ever really care (well.... it is probably the last mystery that he will ever solve.)

The Best DOPE of the Bunch.......2000-05-12

The first book was great, but played it safe. The more recent books are likewise good, but seem to have been trying a tad too hard. This is the one to start with. Like Miss Manners, Cecil transcends his material or subject matter-- his sharp, witty voice is the real treat here. However, it should also be noted that unlike most authors of trivia and odd-knowledge compendiums, Cecil actually applies Real scholarship to his answers, instead of the usual assortment of second-hand hearsay. A great gift for the smartass on your list...

Best of the Straight Dope Books.......1999-12-25

The Straight Dope books have gone from being fun and informative to slim compilations of padded material. THis is the best of the bunch. Lots of fun.

Average customer rating:

Volume 5 of the Encyclopedia Trivia
Cecil does it again
The best thing to come out of Chicago (after my Wife)
Well Cecil, you did it again...
Entertaining!!!!

Triumph of the Straight Dope
Ed Zotti , and Cecil Adams
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Straight Dope Tells All
Return of the Straight Dope
More of the Straight Dope
Know It All!
Useless Knowledge: Answers to Questions You'd Never Think to Ask

ASIN: 034542008X
Release Date: 1999-02-16

Book Description

Why do parachute jumpers yell "Geronimo"?

Is it aerodynamically impossible for bumblebees to fly?

Will watching too much TV ruin your eyes?

Fresh from the popular newspaper column by CECIL ADAMS!

WHAT IS CECIL ADAMS'S IQ?

"Do you want it in scientific notation? Little Ed, get out the slide rule."

--Cecil Adams

For more than a quarter of a century Cecil Adams has been courageously
attempting to lift the veil of ignorance surrounding the modern world.
Now, in his fifth book, he takes yet another stab, dissecting such classic
conundrums as

--If you swim less than an hour after eating, will you get cramps and die?
--What's the difference between a Looney Tune and a Merrie Melody?
--Can you see a Munchkin committing suicide in The Wizard of Oz?
--Was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre based on actual events?
--Did medieval lords really have "the right of the first night"?

And much more!

THE CRITICS: STILL RAVING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS!

"Trenchant, witty answers to the great imponderables."

--Denver Post

Customer Reviews:

Volume 5 of the Encyclopedia Trivia.......2007-10-09

What a terrific series of books.
I'm absolutely hooked on the Straight Dope, and am now unsure of what to do with myself now that I've read all the books.
This book, Volume 5 in the series, has some of the best questions yet, but, unfortunately, also contains numerous transcriptions of Internet message boards--which are funny, but kind of a waste of space. I was hoping he wouldn't do that in this book (like he did in the previous volume), but he did, and he added columns that he didn't even write, that were written by his assistants. These other columns are well written pieces, but they're not Cecil's. He's inimitable.
It's now been close to nine years since this book came out, and I'd like to think that's because they're waiting to make this next book an all killer no filler sort of deal. (And not because they're tied up in litigation for some reason.)
"Triumph of the Straight Dope" deals with whether or not human heads live after being removed from their bodies, the meaning of PEZ, the truth behind the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and much, much more.
Cecil Adams seems as funny as ever, despite hints that he may have become somewhat more religious since the first volumes, and the book is generally a pleasure that goes by quickly.
Reading this book, after reading the previous four, I was struck by just what an epic work the collected decades of this column are when viewed all at once. Together, they're an encyclopedia of trivia and knowledge, and far more entertaining and sassy than any such tome has ever been before.
Recommended. Highly recommended. All of 'em.

Cecil does it again.......2002-06-24

Another book for Cecil Adams in his quest to fight ignorance...
After almost 30 years this eccentric guy has been trying to get rid of the ignorance and myths upon us and shine a light of wisdom among us...
Worth a read...

The best thing to come out of Chicago (after my Wife).......2001-06-19

My Mother used to say that "no one likes a smartass" - Sorry Mom but I dont agree; not when the smartass in question is Cecil Adams. Here is a man who clearly loves to confound us with his wide and deep knowledge and has an engaging way of keeping the "teaming millions"on their toes. I secretly suspect that he gets a little help in his research but hey, who am I to quibble. This is great light reading - informative and interesting and the best thing to come out of Chicago (since my Wife)

I bought this book ( and some of the others in the series) for my daughter but read them first and enjoyed them so much that I kept them for myself. Dont worry , I'll let her borrow them from time to time So try this book - you won't regret it

Well Cecil, you did it again..........2000-11-10

Hmmmmmm- as an avid fan of SD I was happy to learn that Cece has produced his 2nd best work ever (sorry about that I'm a fan of the 1st SD). The topics are still interesting, the wit- dry and razor sharp- but- it could have been better without the Straigh Dope message board fillers (such a waste of good space for such drivel).

Nonetheless- this book will surely be a great tool in killing time (with a few yuks pitched in).

Entertaining!!!!.......1999-07-15

Another great book by the witty, all-knowing (well, most of the time) Cecil Adams. The book's question and answer format makes it easy to read and understand. A must!

Average customer rating:

expansive humor
Get a contact high
Nahweary,INC.
To Kamiu
A Distinct Disappointment; Not Really a Spider Book At All!

Amazing Dope Tales
Stephen Gaskin
Manufacturer: Ronin Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Monday Night Class
This Season's People: A Book of Spiritual Teachings
Cannabis Spirituality: Including 13 Guidelines for Sanity and Safety
Messenger from the Summer of Love
Memoirs of an Ex-Hippie: Seven Years in the Counterculture

ASIN: 1579510108

Book Description

Stephen Gaskin looks back on the San Francisco scene during the 1960s -- the Summer of Love, the Grateful Dead, and the Merry Pranksters -- and shares his mind-blowing adventures.

Customer Reviews:

expansive humor.......2004-02-11

a wildly fun and entertaining romp through some of the more interesting corridors of mind. Well worth the trip!

Get a contact high.......2002-05-20

I've got somebody I'd like you to meet. Reader, this is Stephen Gaskin; Stephen, this is Reader.

Stephen Gaskin is, among other things, one of the founders of The Farm (which is about the only big hippie commune that turns out to have been built to last) and an activist for cannabis legalization. He's usually billed as a "hippie spiritual teacher," which means that listening to him has the power to knock your mind loose from your brain.

And that should clue you in that this book -- originally published in 1980 and republished here with a new foreword by Stephen and a new introduction by Spider Robinson -- is _not_, despite its title, about dope. Stephen himself will tell you that dope is just one means among others and that all of this stuff can be approached in other ways. As for dope itself, Alan Watts and Baba Ram Dass used to say that when you've gotten the message, you should hang up the phone.

If you're worried about the drugs, you should be aware that for the most part the only drugs involved here are cannabis and LSD (plus an occasional bit of peyote and one or two others). Moreover, the book includes lots of cautionary tales about bad trips. And it's not _at all_ about (what I regard as) the really dangerous drugs. (These distinctions are important, especially during today's indiscriminate "war on drugs." Being "anti-drug" is roughly equivalent to being "pro-food.")

So what _is_ the book about? It's about consciousness and religion and getting telepathic, and it's about some things that happened during some of Stephen's trips that hipped him to all of that stuff. More prosaically, it's a transcription of some oral history about the late '60s as delivered in Stephen's unique voice.

You'll like Stephen. And I wasn't kidding when I said he can knock your mind loose from your brain.

The _way_ he tells his stories is as important as the stories themselves. You can read a couple of sample pages and see what I mean; the whole book is like that. He talks from inside the experiences he describes, and these transcriptions make them real for you too, just as if he were sitting there talking to you. He's also pretty self-critical in what he makes of these experiences; pay close attention to his opinions about how hallucinations work and in what sense(s) they may be "real."

Anyway, when you read one of his amazing dope tales, you may find that you've picked up a contact high from Stephen and that you, too, can sometimes see the subconscious on people. If enough of us did this sort of vicarious tripping, it might help us to get telepathic even without taking dope ourselves. That would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

If (like me) you're also a Spider Robinson fan, you'll enjoy his short introduction, which deals with both the significance and the failures of hippie ideals. (Stephen has shown up, sometimes disguised, in several of Spider's books.) And vice versa: if you like this book, you'll probably enjoy Spider's fiction as well.

Nahweary,INC........2002-04-29

Amigo-I too/also think the "truth" can be agreed on. Give Thanks 4/that! And I have allways remembered that version of Monday PM class that had that "dose"--Initials taken OUT! I'm not 2/sure I wanna know anything about DMT-but I'm gettin vexed with all the food gettin dosed with canola oil. It's 2/close to mustard gas in your "lower". Kinda freightening the way square world stuffs your gut to weaken you-that just can't be defended. BRO.{OUT!}

To Kamiu.......2000-06-27

I was wondering, did you read the title before buying the book?

A Distinct Disappointment; Not Really a Spider Book At All!.......2000-06-06

First off, this book's not even by Spider. I'm not vertain why he lent his name to it, much less wrote the introduction. The book itself is a loosely connected series of ramblings of a proto-typical dope-fiend from the 60's San Francisco scene. It's a bit trippy, and even mildly insightful once is a while, but was certainly not worth picking up if you're expecting anything like the quality of writing and storytelling that Spider Robinson imparts to all of _his_ works.

The Birth of Heroin and the Demonization of the Dope Fiend

Average customer rating:

"Heroin Heroes"
Enlightening
Useful Research

The Birth of Heroin and the Demonization of the Dope Fiend
th Metzger
Manufacturer: Loompanics Unlimited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Drug Dependency | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1559501774

Customer Reviews:

"Heroin Heroes".......2004-11-20

When one thinks of drugs, particularly, illicit drugs, it is usual to think of them in terms of black or white. In other words, drugs are either good or bad, legal or illegal, healthy or unhealthy, &c. Concerning illicit drugs, the customary portrayal is that it has a diabolical dimension, as if the drug itself was actually sentient and its intentions were nothing but malicious. Contrarily, that same drug which at one point was contextually portrayed as evil can as easily be portrayed as a redeemer, a healer - again, almost as if it were a sentient thing - this time possessing good intentions. Is it, however, reasonable to bestow on drugs human attributes? Of course, no one would really ever admit that it, in fact, is reasonable (unless you're in Harry Potter-land), yet - Heroin has that exact kind of human status - in this case, it is wholly evil. And, by association, those who use Heroin are by default branded evil; these distinctions can lead to interesting conclusions, such as: Heroin is evil; you use Heroin; therefore you are evil. In this case, the attributes of the user are based on his or her use of the drug, and not the natural disposition of the user. Of course, logically considered, this assertion goes against all sense, yet this is how the propaganda against Heroin and its users or "fiends" have been articulated in the political arena as well as in the media. The author, Th. Metzger, considers this odd twist of unjust identification by analyzing the origins of opiate use in America and how it went from having an exalted status to that of the demonic, something bereft of any medical utility. Heroin, is, in and of itself, not only useless - but and especially morbid. A perfect and modern example of this, not mentioned in the book, can be easily seen in the hysteria over the BRAND of opiate, Oxycotin. Other than who manufactures the pill and how it is designed to work as well as its potency - there is simply no difference between it and other opiates, hydrocodones included.

Like Richard Lawrence Miller's excellent thesis of what societal role drug users play in American life in his book, "Drug Warriors and Their Prey," Metzger's book is an excellent survey of the more irrational side of the virulent American obsession with drugs, which has manifested itself in what is commonly referred to as the "drug war." In his book, Metzger mainly sticks to the topic of Heroin and the Heroin user and therefore other drugs are rarely mentioned.

This book is an excellent source for those not only interested in the role of drugs and drug users in society but why it is an issue in the first place - in fact, this book can provide many interesting directions for further study.

Metzger is an academic, but his writing is devoid of all the usual abstruse language and verboseness that attends typical scholarly writing. This work is well documented - however, I do wish that there were an index included in this work! Otherwise, Highly recommended.

Enlightening.......2002-11-04

Great book. I learned a tremendous amount from Metzger's details. I was shocked to find out the truth behind what company was the first to deal heroin (so to speak) and the real people and dates of addiction, eugenics, and the demographics of the heroin addict at different times. It's full of information that "I always wanted to know" but would never have found out if it weren't for this book.

Useful Research.......2000-03-07

Having recently written my Masters Thesis on Heroin in Contemporary Film, I found Metzger's book informative and interesting. Metzger focuses largely on the link between the eugenics 'cult of purity' of the early 20th century and the emergent anti-drug attitudes of 'mainstream' culture. At times Metzger may veer towards the hysterical himself, but his analysis of the beginnings of the criminalisation of heroin goes some way towards understanding the cultural formation of illict drugs and is a must for anyone wishing to explore the construction of the heroin addict. The book redresses the imbalance of 'legitimate' narratives, which simply take a moral stance on drug issues without a historical perspective. It's also an enjoyable read.

Average customer rating:

You'd never guess.
The Underbelly
LOVED IT!
Rich, nasty noir.
Too bad the author forgot she needed a plot to tie together all these rich characters

Dope
Sara Gran
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Come Closer
Saturn's Return to New York
Two Minute Rule, The
Speak of the Devil: A Novel of Suspense
Slipping into Darkness

ASIN: 0425214362

Book Description

From the author of Come Closer comes the most highly acclaimed-and unusual-thriller of the year. Josephine, a former addict, is offered a thousand dollars to find a suburban couple's missing daughter. But the search will take her into the dark underbelly of New York she thought she'd escaped-and a web of deceit that threatens to destroy her.

Customer Reviews:

You'd never guess........2007-09-28

Sara Gran really knows how to keep the suspense going. Just when you think you have it down, she flips it over on you. I read it twice in the period of two days just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

The Underbelly.......2007-08-29

It described New York City well in the 50's. but I guess the 60's 70's and up into the 90's. The characters were strong, between whores pimps, thieves and all other criminals envolved but the plot line lacked in my opinion. It did show street life in all its shambles of human debris and the police were done well like "Dragnet" was. I guess I would say strength in background and characters, weakness in plot.

LOVED IT!.......2007-07-05

As someone who is old enough to have experienced this 'old' New York, I am amazed that young as she is, she got it so right. The plot, the ending, doesn't bother me at all. This is not a 'crime' novel. This is more of an 'atmosphere' novel. Loved it!

Rich, nasty noir........2007-05-02

As a fan of every flavor of hardguy - I guess "hardgal," in this case - fiction, from Stark to Vachss, I'm an easy touch for a cover like the one on "Dope." Thing is, I tend to read the first page in the bookstore, and put a book down, disappointed. Not this time. Read a page, bought the book, and knocked it off inside of a day. (And I had things to do, dammit!)

I hope Gran does more of this stuff, because in some very short strokes, she brings a fully-formed, desperately sad underworld to life, populated by thieves and junkies...the users and the used. Her characters crackle and breathe...and her heroine is worth rooting for. This is no parody or homage; this book is the real, hard-boiled deal. Bravo!

Too bad the author forgot she needed a plot to tie together all these rich characters.......2007-04-11

Sara Gran's sophomore novel is billed as Chandleresque detective noir. She certainly has the setting correct--flophouses and the streets of 1950's New York. She employs a cast of addicts, pick pockets, hookers, up-and-coming actresses, and pimps in her detective story. Unfortunately, the novel completely lacks a plot or plausible mystery. It's centered around reformed heroin addict named Josephine ("Joe") who is employed by a missing girl's parents to track her through the underbelly of the city.

The novel consists entirely of Joe traipsing through the city, talking tough and being in the know. Towards the end, Gran throws in a series of "twists" that serve more as monkey wrenches in a plodding story that as compelling plot devices.

If you want noir, stick to the tried and true classics. Gran's novel is barely mediocre, and certainly not worthy of comparison to any of the great detective authors.

The Crimes of Patriots: A True Tale of Dope, Dirty Money, and the CIA (Touchstone Books (Paperback))

Average customer rating:

While you were looking at El Salvador . . .
Very fine Kwitney book about Drugs, Nuganhand Bank and US Govt high up corruption
YOU BE THE JUDGE
How the U.S. brought down Australia's government in 1975

The Crimes of Patriots: A True Tale of Dope, Dirty Money, and the CIA (Touchstone Books (Paperback))
Jonathan Kwitny
Manufacturer: Touchstone Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

The Iran-Contra Connection: Secret Teams and Covert Operations in Reagan Era
Endless enemies: The making of an unfriendly world
Blond Ghost
Secret Agenda: Watergate, Deep Throat, and the CIA
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ASIN: 0671666371

Customer Reviews:

While you were looking at El Salvador . . ........2007-03-07

If the press was doing ots jobs, then Ronald Reagan would not have been able to appear in public during his Iran-Contra period without also being bombarded with cries of "What about Nugan Hand!"
The Nugan Hand scandal appears to be the biggest, dirtiest scandal to reach the upper levels of American government since Watergate. The suicide of Nugan and the flight of Hand occurred in Australia, but the scandal had all-American origins. If Australian authorities and reporter Jonathan Kwitny are right, then the coverup, which continues, involves at least the Defense and State departments, the CIA, the FBI, the Commerce Department and the National Security Council.
Such a coverup must reach at least into the president's Cabinet.
First a word about Kwitny, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. No investigative reporter in America is more highly regarded by other reporters, dating back to his exposes of the corrupt Teamsters Union Central States pension fund in the early '70s.
Frank Nugan was an Australian shyster. Mike Hand is an American, an ex-Green Beret decorated for heroism in Vietnam, later a CIA spook. Starting in 1973, the men set up a bank and a number of other financial companies, eventually opening offices around the world, though East Asia was their happy hunting ground.
Nugan Hand Bank may have been set up to launder and over up CIA money transfers; the Caribbean banks that performed that service folded about the time Nugan Hand Bank was set up.
It is not proper to be too definite about Nugan Hand. Because of incompetence by Australian investigators, many of its records were spirited away after Frank Nugan's death in 1980. (Kwitny says, "For an American, used to FBI efficiency, it is hard to imagine cops so spineless that they let criminal suspects carry evidence away right under their noses, while waiting for permission to examine it." That was written before Oliver North's testimony in the Iran-Contra scandal. Americans would have less trouble imagining such a thing now. 2007 update: This review was published in 1988. Kwitny's naivety seems quaint in the 21st century.)
"This isn't a book for people who must have their mysteries solved," Kwitny warns. No, it is only a book for those who need to have their eyes opened.
It is possible to say definitely that Nugan Hand laundered money and moved cash between countries where it is illegal to export cash. Many of their clients were trying to hide money from tax collectors -- for Australians, Nugan Hand usually charged 22 percent for this service.
Nugan Hand also was definitely, though ineffectually, trying to work illegal arms deals, and it probably was involved in a large-scale opium/heroin scheme in Burma.
Certainly, most of its prominent employees were con men, brothel keepers, dope and money smugglers, disbarred lawyers and other sleazy types. Its other top employees and consultants were retired generals of the U.S. Army and admirals of the U.S. Navy and former officials of the CIA, including former director William Colby. What, Kwitny asks, were men like that doing in association with the most notorious whoremasters and heroin pushers in Sydney, Australia?
For one thing, they were encouraging Americans who had served under them in the armed forces to place all their cash with Nugan Hand. Some of these men worked in places like Saudi Arabia, where there are no banks.
The generals and admirals later claimed that they, too, were victims of Nugan and Hand, but documents prove that these high officers were still taking in cash after Nugan Hand was in bankruptcy. Where the cash went is a mystery. The depositors didn't get it back.
Working with fragmentary records, receivers guessed that Nugan Hand owed more than $50 million when it crashed in 1980. It was probably much more -- many of the people who placed their money with Nugan and Hand were in no position to make claims against the estate in bankruptcy.
Nugan and Hand and their employees lived high, but they couldn't have spent $50 million on themselves in four years (though they started in 1973, the cash didn't start to flow in torrents until 1977.) the receivers found assets of only about $2 million.
Someone looted Nugan Hand after Nugan's death. Who?
There is a Hawaii connection to all this. There was a Nugan Hand Hawaii Inc. At the very least, Nugan Hand illegally engaged in banking in the USA without being regulated as a bank. When pushed by Kwitny, various agents of the American government have said that Nugan Hand's crimes, if any, occurred on foreign soil. But this explanation will not explain why Nugan Hand has escaped inquiry for its banking irregularities here.
It gets worse, right up to cold-blooded murder.
But the greatest value of "The Crimes of Patriots" is not just its partial exposure of a nest of very nasty crooks. Kwitny links it to a continuing pattern of lawlessness in the name of American national security that centers in the CIA -- and taints Congress and the highest levels of the executive branch. "As the theory of perpetual covert action is exercised, our national security is perpetually in the hands of criminals," he writes.
This is not news to anyone who has studied the activities of America's spymasters. But that is a tiny fraction of the voters. (See also my review of George Crile's "Charlie Wilson's War.") The torpor of most citizens in the face of repeated revelations suggests that they think that eggs have to be broken to make a spy's omelets. It is the virtue of "The Crimes of Patriots" to demonstrate that this is not so. Others have said as much, but seldom has the message come from anyone with credentials as respectable as Kwitny's.

Very fine Kwitney book about Drugs, Nuganhand Bank and US Govt high up corruption.......2006-10-03

This book ties in nicely with Bo Gritz,
Stan Montieth, Rodney Stich, Fletch
Prouty and Tom Valentine works on the
same type subject matter. Also check
out Terry Redd's Compromised which
gores both Clinton and the Bush, the
Presidencila Elder. Highly recommended.

YOU BE THE JUDGE.......2003-01-01

On the advice of a friend who knows one of the "Cast Of Characters" (a "Yank In The Bank"), I ordered a used copy of this long out of print book. What an eye opener. It's amazing what a group of "former" senior military officers and spooks can get up to when allowed to run amok overseas. You name it and they got away with it. Even though some of the principals are dead, nobody has been held accountable for the myriad of crimes that have occurred abroad. With the lack of support rendered by the U.S. government (especially the F.B.I.), it makes one wonder how "former" some of these players really were. It's also amazing how many of these same people reared their ugly heads years later during "Iran-Contra". Read the book and then decide for yourself.

How the U.S. brought down Australia's government in 1975.......2001-10-29

As an Australian I was both surprised and gratified that an American journalist should want to trace the extraordinary history of the Nugan Hand Bank's Australian operations. This great document decribes the most cut-throat, heroin dealing, crime syndicate ever to have sullied our shores, and all under the covert auspices of the C.I.A. Kwitny's research is exhaustive and his even handed way of presenting his findings is exemplary of fine journalism. The implications hatched in this veritable can of worms will have net-sleuths busy for years tracing the myriad references to the numerous associates of Nugan Hand who vanished into the night only to surface again in the Irangate scandal. Essential reading for anyone trying to come to terms with the scourge of heroin, the world arms trade and those members of the U.S.'s covert agencies that spread misery in their own and other countries...Read it if you dare!

Average customer rating:

All killer, some filler
Another book of Uncle Cecil's collection
Maybe there's a limit....
more Cecil, less fanmail please
Cecil sells out?

Straight Dope Tells All
Ed Zotti , and Cecil Adams
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Triumph of the Straight Dope
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ASIN: 0345420071
Release Date: 1998-02-24

Amazon.com

Cecil Adams has been giving the straight dope to thousands of bizarre and inane questions, in his books and weekly newspaper column, for 25 years now. His most recent opus, The Straight Dope Tells All, is as addictively fascinating, sarcastic, and informative as his previous efforts. If you're a Straight Dope enthusiast from way back, you know how joyous an occasion a new Straight Dope is. And if you're a Straight Dope virgin, it's time to be initiated into Adams's scholarly yet snide approach to the trivia questions that torment his readership into seeking his help. Where else are questions like "Does 'kimosabe' actually mean 'chicken guano?'" and "Must the pet rabbit chew one's t-shirt to keep from dying of overgrown teeth?" actually see the light of newsprint and receive an answer. Just perusing the index is good entertainment. A quick glance at "S" shows "Sabbath, why Christians celebrate on Sunday rather than Saturday," sex: anal, and "gay bowel syndrome," "shivering, following urination," "singing nun, fate of," "smiley face, inventor of," "smoking, whether more WWII veterans were killed by that than combat," and "sound of tree, if falls in woods." How one could resist a line-up like that, is a question even Cecil would be unable to resolve satisfactorily. --Stephanie Gold

Book Description

IF KNOWLEDGE WAS POWER, CECIL ADAMS WOULD RULE THE WORLD!

It's true! For the past twenty-five years, in his books and weekly newspaper column, world-history genius Cecil Adams has been patiently explaining to the Teeming Millions how the world works. He answered questions such as how do porcupines mate, what exactly does Barney Rubble do for a living, and where is Einstein's brain? His answers changed your life. Or at least settled a bet with a loved one. But surely, you are thinking, all the salient facts of the universe have been ascertained by now. Ha! Get a load of the mysteries The Master explores in this landmark volume:

¸  If Teflon is such a nonsticky substance, how do they get it to stick to the pan?
¸  Is the Great Cabal implanting microchips in our brains?
¸  Do fluorescent lights cause cataracts?
¸  What do Scotsmen wear under those kilts?
¸  Can some people extinguish street lamps by force of their bodily emanations?
¸  Is the U.S. Government really hiding alien spaceships?

Customer Reviews:

All killer, some filler.......2007-10-05

I love The Straight Dope, and I have to say that there are parts of this book that were so entertaining that I found myself thinking, "This is probably my favorite collection of these columns"--certain especially funny questions, particularly acerbic polemics, et cetera.
This book addresses who invented the yellow happy face symbol, takes a very skeptical look at the infamous Roswell Incident, explores why the KKK burns crosses, discusses sex in space, whether people's personal magnetism can short out street lights, and if rabbits' teeth can grow to the point that they can no longer use them to eat.
So there are a lot of cool parts in here...but there were other parts as well.
There's no question that this book is entertaining and engaging, but it's also got a lot more filler in it than any of the previous volumes: lengthy transcriptions of chatroom conversations, not-so-insightful reader responses, and a kind of un-Cecil-Adams-like laziness about answering the questions that I'd never noticed before. For instance: he often just posts a question on an online message board and then tells us what people said. His whole omniscience schtick seems to falter here.
And then there's the book's size: it's pretty slight compared to most of the earlier ones, and some of the topics start to feel as if you've already read them in earlier volumes.
But whatever. These books are great, better than any other trivia books I can think of, and even as I wrote the above complaints, I was wishing that he'd hurry up and put out Volume 6. It's been almost eight years already since the last book!
Also, I'd love to see the short-lived TV show on DVD. I'd buy that for sure.

Another book of Uncle Cecil's collection.......2002-06-24

Yet another book from him...
If you havent heard about Cecil Adams then let me tell you he's one of the most eccentric "personages" ever existed... he claims to know everything about everything and cannot be mistaken... a bit arrogant sometimes he comes again to make mankind a favour and take us all from profound ignorance...
Good book for trivia fans...
Warning: expect to read almost anything imaginable here on these pages... it's true!

Maybe there's a limit...........1999-10-14

I've always enjoyed Cecil and have, over the years, purchased his first four books. And it's true--each volume is a bit less fascinating than the previous. It really seems that the most familiar, universal, and entertaining imponderables were addressed in the earlier volumes. Odd, but seemingly true. Still, keep going Cecil!

more Cecil, less fanmail please.......1999-05-24

Cecil Adams' work rarely fails to satisfy, but this fourth compilation by him contains too much email garbage from AOL users. it's obvious these are online junkies who have far too much time on their hands. so in short: Cecil is great but the junkmail sucks.

Cecil sells out?.......1999-04-24

I was as excited as the next Straight Dope fan when this book came in the mail, but was quickly disappointed. Much of the book is taken up by reprintings of newsgroup witticisms or reader comments, and Cecil's answers seem to lack that familiar "zing". Still an interesting resource, and slightly entertaining, but there's too much other junk to sort through to get to it.

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