Opium: Reality's Dark Dream

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Medical, Medical Science, Pharmacology, Reference, History
Cover of the book Opium: Reality's Dark Dream by Dr. Thomas Dormandy, Yale University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Dr. Thomas Dormandy ISBN: 9780300183658
Publisher: Yale University Press Publication: May 15, 2012
Imprint: Yale University Press Language: English
Author: Dr. Thomas Dormandy
ISBN: 9780300183658
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication: May 15, 2012
Imprint: Yale University Press
Language: English

Opium and its derivatives morphine and heroin have destroyed, corrupted, and killed individuals, families, communities, and even whole nations. And yet, for most of its long history, opium has also been humanity's most effective means of alleviating physical and mental pain. This extraordinary book encompasses the entire history of the world's most fascinating drug, from the first evidence of poppy cultivation by stone-age man to the present-day opium trade in Afghanistan. Dr. Thomas Dormandy tells the story with verve and insight, uncovering the strange power of opiates to motivate major conflicts yet also inspire great art and medical breakthroughs, to trigger the rise of global criminal networks yet also revolutionize attitudes toward well-being.

Opium: Reality's Dark Dream traverses the globe and the centuries, exploring opium's role in colonialism, the Chinese Opium Wars, laudanum-inspired sublime Romantic poetry, American "Yellow Peril" fears, the rise of the Mafia and the black market, 1960s counterculture, and more. Dr. Dormandy also recounts exotic or sad stories of individual addiction. Throughout the book the author emphasizes opium's complex, valuable relationship with developments in medicine, health, and disease, highlighting the perplexing dual nature of the drug as both the cause and relief of great suffering in widely diverse civilizations.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Opium and its derivatives morphine and heroin have destroyed, corrupted, and killed individuals, families, communities, and even whole nations. And yet, for most of its long history, opium has also been humanity's most effective means of alleviating physical and mental pain. This extraordinary book encompasses the entire history of the world's most fascinating drug, from the first evidence of poppy cultivation by stone-age man to the present-day opium trade in Afghanistan. Dr. Thomas Dormandy tells the story with verve and insight, uncovering the strange power of opiates to motivate major conflicts yet also inspire great art and medical breakthroughs, to trigger the rise of global criminal networks yet also revolutionize attitudes toward well-being.

Opium: Reality's Dark Dream traverses the globe and the centuries, exploring opium's role in colonialism, the Chinese Opium Wars, laudanum-inspired sublime Romantic poetry, American "Yellow Peril" fears, the rise of the Mafia and the black market, 1960s counterculture, and more. Dr. Dormandy also recounts exotic or sad stories of individual addiction. Throughout the book the author emphasizes opium's complex, valuable relationship with developments in medicine, health, and disease, highlighting the perplexing dual nature of the drug as both the cause and relief of great suffering in widely diverse civilizations.

More books from Yale University Press

Cover of the book Max Eastman by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book Ezekiel 38-48 by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book The Crusader States by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book Spirit of the Buddha by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book The Havana Habit by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book The Voting Wars: From Florida 2000 to the Next Election Meltdown by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book The Age of Secrecy by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book Einstein by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book The Battle for Syria by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book The Slave's Cause by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book African States since Independence by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book Passchendaele by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book What Can and Can't Be Said by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book Bishop von Galen by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
Cover of the book The Rise and Fall of English by Dr. Thomas Dormandy
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy