Fascinating, quick read. Author is not a 'Big Pharma basher', but does discuss the financial incentives inherent in a market-based system (i.e., drugs requiring recurring doses are more attractive than important, but short-term, therapeutics).

Fascinating and enlightening.

Maybe 3.5 stars?

I’ve been reading this book for over a year. It’s actually a good book but I keep passing it over to read others. I’m putting it on this list for housekeeping purposes. It’s like jello- nothing wrong with it but other choices are more appealing.

This book provides a history of drugs and medicines throughout history.
It is very inclusive and written in a style that allows everyone to follow, learn and understand.
Scientific names and procedures are all explained in a simple way.

I thought this book was full of curious and interesting information which I did not know before. It made me stop and think and research and appreciate the science that got us where we are today.

I didn't really enjoy the last part where the author goes into his own opinion about a certain drug and how the industry can suggest forcefully medicine on people. I understand that it is an important perspective to which we should pay attention to avoid being fooled, but it felt misplaced to me since the rest of the book is facts and history.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was very good. I found the book very interesting. I really enjoyed the stories about how various drugs were discovered & their early uses. There were just a few spots that could have been shorter & where the author spent too much time injecting his personal opinion.