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Distinguished Service Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Gainesville, Florida
Published Online, February 8, 2005. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1E449
Audience: According to the authors, the book is intended to be used "as a text or supplement for students and teachers in courses on the pharmacology and behavioral aspects of drug abuse at the upper undergraduate or graduate level; as a source book for medical students and physicians who need more information on the drug-related problems their patients are facing; as a resource for counselors and therapists who wish to understand more about the drugs their clients are using; and for lay people with a general curiosity about the drugs that can lead to abuse and dependence." With that said, the authors have pretty well captured their purpose.
Content: The book has 10 chapters, many of them organized around the organ system that is affected and its pathologies (eg, central nervous system [CNS] depressants, CNS stimulants). Other chapters are named for the specific drug or drugs that are discussed therein (eg, tobacco and nicotine, opiates). There are 2 chapters that augment these other chapters: "Medical Issues Associated with Drug Abuse" and "Drug Abuse and the Law." The organization of the book is logical, and finding sections of interest was quite easy.
I found the information in the book to be particularly useful and current. As stated above, this book was written by basic science researchers, and I feared that it would be overweighted with mechanistic and theoretical material that would be less useful to practitioners working in the "trenches." To my pleasant surprise, I found the book to be a refreshing balance of both theory and practice. Sometimes I judge the usefulness of a book by 2 things: (1) did it hold my attention?, and (2) did I learn anything I didn't already know? This book came through with flying colors on both accounts. I particularly enjoyed the historical feature of the different drugs of abuse. This provided a backdrop to help the reader understand just how the most popular drugs of abuse achieved that dubious status. I rarely say this about a textbook or scientific publication, but I found this book hard to put down. I found myself being distracted from my daily work by wanting to sneak a peek at the next section or the next chapter. I would have never expected this to be the case when I first received the book to review.
Usability: This book was very easy to use. It is organized in a logical way and has a very user-friendly index at the back. I read the paperbound volume, but the text is also available as a hardbound version. The lower price of the paperbound book makes it a real bargain.
Highlights: I think the greatest strength of this textbook is its careful blend of basic science concepts with practical insights into how and why drugs are used and abused. Statements of fact are well referenced so that the interested reader can easily track down the original work for more detail. A typical chapter is subdivided in a very logical way. Typically, there is an introduction to the individual drug; then there is a subsection on chemistry and mechanism of action; effects and toxicity; patterns of use; metabolism, dependence, and withdrawal; and pharmacokinetics. The sections are appropriate in length and detail. One does not get bogged down in minutiae, but the book instead provides enough detail to make the reader fully understand abuse of the particular substance.
Limitations: I did find a couple of factual errors, but these were of minimal consequence.
Comparison with Previous Edition: This book has not been updated since the third edition was published 10 years ago. The authors acknowledge that much has happened in the field over this time. For example, they added a new section on club drugs since this phenomenon was not ongoing when the previous edition was written. Other sections have been updated accordingly.
Comparison with Other Related Books: I have dozens of books on the subject of drug abuse and I find this one among the most useful. As stated earlier, I like the balance of theory and practice. I have incorporated this text into the section I reserve for "frequently used sources." There are other texts that I would consult for other aspects of substance use and abuse, depending on the angle I was researching. I don't think I would use this as a textbook for my substance abuse course because I use another text that I find very entertaining and yet very authoritative. I would probably recommend this book as a supplement to my main textbook.
Reviewer's Summary: I like this book a great deal and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in a more in-depth coverage of this subject. The paperbound nature of the book makes it quite affordable. I am pleased that I was asked to review it because now I am aware of a book that I didn't know about before and now it is part of my library. I would urge others to seriously consider buying this book.
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