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Drugged: The Science and Culture Behind Psychotropic Drugs 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Richard J. Miller (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 43 ratings
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"Morphine," writes Richard J. Miller, "is the most significant chemical substance mankind has ever encountered." So ancient that remains of poppies have been found in Neolithic tombs, it is the most effective drug ever discovered for treating pain. "Whatever advances are made in medicine," Miller adds, "nothing could really be more important than that." And yet, when it comes to mind-altering substances, morphine is only a cc or two in a vast river that flows through human civilization, ranging LSD to a morning cup of tea.

In DRUGGED, Miller takes readers on an eye-opening tour of psychotropic drugs, describing the various kinds, how they were discovered and developed, and how they have played multiple roles in virtually every culture. The vast scope of chemicals that cross the blood-brain barrier boggle the very brain they reach: cannabis and cocaine, antipsychotics and antidepressants, alcohol, amphetamines, and Ecstasy-and much more. Literate and wide-ranging, Miller weaves together science and history, telling the story of the undercover theft of 20,000 tea plants from China by a British spy, for example, the European discovery of coffee and chocolate, and how James Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous man of letters, first isolated the alkaloid we now know as caffeine. Miller explains what scientists know-and don't-about the impact of each drug on the brain, down to the details of neurotransmitters and their receptors. He clarifies the differences between morphine and heroin, mescaline and LSD, and other similar substances. Drugged brims with surprises, revealing the fact that antidepressant drugs evolved from the rocket fuel that shot V2 rockets into London during World War II, highlighting the role of hallucinogens in the history of religion, and asking whether Prozac can help depressed cats.

Entertaining and authoritative, Drugged is a truly fascinating book.
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  3. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  4. Publication date
    November 4, 2013
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    7269 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

One of The Guardian's Top Ten Science and Tech Books, December 2013.

One of The Daily Beast's Hot Reads, December 2013.

"I've read virtually all the books for the general public on psychoactive drugs. None come close to Miller's volume in breadth, depth, engagement and accessibility. He recounts the stories of all the principal drugs with a flair that is engaging as a novel. From morphine to marijuana the history, chemistry, pharmacology and societal roles of every agent are chronicled with comparable emphasis on cultural roles as on brain actions. A must read both for the lay public and professionals."
-- Solomon H. Snyder, MD, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD

"Drugged: The Science and Culture Behind Psychotropic Drugs is a tour de force by Professor Richard J. Miller of Northwestern University. This book makes a powerful case that to deeply understand drug effects on the brain, one needs to understand how the emergence of these drugs in both ancient and modern cultures have shaped and continue to shape human culture; from the emergence of religion over 11,000 years ago to our "Prozac nation" and "Rave" cultures... [and] is all the more engaging for the personal reflections and the evident sense of humor of its author. I recommend it highly to people interested in both the scientific and social contexts of psychopharmacology."
-- John H. Krystal, MD, Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Professor of Translational Research, Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine and Chief of Psychiatry, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT

"Finally, psychotropic drugs, the drugs which speak loudest to our minds and hearts, have found the voice that provides the basis for understanding how these miraculous, misunderstood, and often misused and maligned substances, came to be discovered, how they achieve their magic, and how they have shaped society and vice versa. Miller's breathtaking knowledge of pharmacology, history, literature ,and social mores, leavened by a great talent for writing readable prose, is awesome, enabling him to produce a book that will enlighten, delight, inspire, amuse, appall, and humble everyone from professors of neuropharmacology to the consumers of Prozac, Valium, Risperdal, lithium, meth, 'special k' and coke."
-- Herb Meltzer, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL

"Miller casts his net [wide]..., covering everything from tea and coffee to LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride), and not limiting himself geographically. He also makes lengthy and lively excursions into culture." -- Nature

"Indeed, the connections Miller makes between the arts and the science of our brains on drugs are some of the most delightful bits in Drugged. Even if you can't bear the chemical compounds, you can take pleasure in the 19th-century paintings." --The Daily Beast

"As interviewed in the Swiss French-language newspaper LeTemps."

"As interviewed in the Croation Sunday Edition newspaper Nedjeljni Jutarnji."

Featured in New Statesman

"When presenting the vignettes associated with any particular drug as well as the drug's proponents, developers, and detractors, the book is at its best. The stories are interesting, well written, and historically engaging often presenting facts unknown even to those in the field of brain chemistry." --New York Journal of Books

"[Miller] is literate in a way that we hope all scientists to be, and his account is not only engaging ... but also scientifically rigorous." --Irish Times

"Drugged is not a typical work on psychotropic drugs. The book blends historical and current research in an engaging style more common in popular works than in historical scientific writing. Drugged should be part of the library of virtually anyone who is employed in the alcohol and drug use/abuse industry. [... I]t will also make interesting reading for general readers along with students and professionals in numerous disciplines. Highly recommended. All readership levels." --CHOICE

"This is a brilliant book and readable at several levels: as a serious work on psychotropic drugs; as an historical account of the way humans discovered and used them; and as a report on the effects they have had on those who sought relief with them. ... A real gem." --Chemistry & Industry

About the Author

Richard J. Miller is the Alfred Newton Richards Professor of Pharmacology
Professor in Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry at Northwestern University.

Dr. Miller’s research has concerned the properties of neurotransmitters and their receptors in nerve cell function. This has included work on dopamine receptors, opiate receptors and cytokine receptors. Dr. Miller has also worked extensively on understanding the structure and function of calcium channels. The influx of calcium into neurons through these channels is important for many reasons, including the release of neurotransmitters. His laboratory has analyzed the properties of these molecules by examining their electrophysiological properties and has generated calcium channel knockout mice. Other projects in his lab aim to understand the molecular basis of neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), HIV-1-related dementia and other neuropathological conditions.

Dr. Miller obtained his Ph.D. at Cambridge University. Prior to joining Northwestern, he was Assistant Professor and Professor at the University of Chicago.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00GFS6SJI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (November 4, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 4, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7269 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 43 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Richard J. Miller

Richard J. Miller

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Richard Miller was born in London and developed an interest in chemistry when his father gave him a chemistry set for his fifth birthday. During his teens, his interests shifted to biochemistry and a desire to use science to understand the workings of the brain and to explain mental disorders. Richard obtained his PhD from Cambridge University and then joined the faculty of the University of Chicago.

After 25 years, he transferred to the Department of Pharmacology at Northwestern University. Richard has published over 500 scientific papers in the areas of biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and neuroscience. Richard’s research has concentrated on trying to understand how drugs interact with the nervous system, something that he discussed in his first book “Drugged” (Oxford University Press, OUP).

In his latest book “The Rise and Fall of Animal Experimentation” (OUP), Richard examines the use of animals in biomedical research. Why do we do it? Is it successful? Is it ethical?

Importantly, he discusses the ever-increasing use of human stem cells and related technologies to create experimental models so that animal-based research is rapidly becoming obsolete. His aim is to make a kinder, less violent world

Abstract of Book - Oxford University Press:

https://academic.oup.com/book/45849

Website:

https://richardjmillerscientist.com/richard/

Northwestern University Faculty Profile:

https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=12007

Book Cover for "The Rise and Fall of Animal Experimentation” (OUP):

The book cover is from the painting "Fate of the Animals" by German artist Franz Marc (b.1880) which he created in 1913 three years before he died a soldier in World War 1. The title of the painting in German is "Tierschicksale" that translates to animal destinies. Marc himself referred to the picture with a longer title: "The trees show their rings, the animals their veins." On the back of the canvas is an inscription which translates to "And all being is flaming, suffering" or "And all being is flaming sorrow." The brutal treatment of animals that Marc witnessed was a premonition to him about the destruction that World War 1 would rage on human life. The Kunstmuseum Basel currently houses the painting. For more about the painting, please read "the Fate of the Animals" by Morgan Meis.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fate_of_the_Animals

https://aftertheart.com/2022/12/13/there-are-no-words/

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
43 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

JC
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, informative book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2014
Verified Purchase
Richard Miller is a fantastic storyteller. I greatly enjoyed reading the history and mechanisms behind the drugs discussed in this book, which includes caffeine (always relevant). One thing to note, if you do not have a basic science background, some of the drug action mechanisms can be difficult to understand. However, Dr. Miller makes the subject matter entertaining by recounting the stories you never hear, and bringing the scientists, anthropologists, and other historical figures to life. If you ever have the chance to attend a lecture by Dr. Miller in person, I highly recommend that you do so. Overall, great book, and I definitely recommend that you read it!
8 people found this helpful
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Surfson
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book on psychoactive drugs - must read
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2013
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Wonderful book!!!! Written in a very engaging and interesting way, yet full of valuable information, analysis and perspective. The author makes the topic exciting and relevant.
3 people found this helpful
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Matthew Getzin
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2014
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's science lingo, though inevitable, was difficult to follow at times.
One person found this helpful
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JeffAmazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating history of psychotropic drugs, as the title implies ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2014
Verified Purchase
Fascinating history of psychotropic drugs, as the title implies. Read it and get started on the homework assignment at the end.
One person found this helpful
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Christopher
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for a broad, yet detailed, history of drugs
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2015
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I absolutely love this book! Provides a great background (with references) on the history of drugs and culture!!!
One person found this helpful
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wesvillager
5.0 out of 5 stars Who needs Drugged? I do!
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2013
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An excellent and much needed book. Highly recommended, particularly those with a science background who are interested in the nature of psychotropics.
4 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2016
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Great book. A bit heavy those without a medical or pharmacology background.
One person found this helpful
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Erin
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2017
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Need for a class but a good read
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Sven Munch-Petersen
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that will go down the ages!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed reading every page of this, although I am no man of science and it at times became hard to follow, then I never really lost track of how the drugs mentioned work on the brain. Not only is he unbiased concerning the use of drugs by people in the past, but he is also very careful to point out the dangers of a continued use of any psychotropic drugs. Understanding the historical background (as far as we are allowed to track it into the past), will leave one not only laughing, but left with a sense of wonder concerning the ignorance even the most well meaning person has in regard to the topic. After having read this book, you will be able to understand the flaws of other people's argument (thus correct them), as well as become able to justify why the topic of drug use is not simply black or white.

Any person with a interest in the subject of drugs, be it history, science, use or just to gain knowledge for the sake of understanding can and should not avoid this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Carlos Vazquez Quintana
4.0 out of 5 stars buen manual pero necesita hallar sus lectores
Reviewed in Spain on March 31, 2014
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No se engañen: este es un buen libro, pero incluso en EEUU y Gran Bretaña, opino tiene difícil encontrar sus lectores. Ello es porque básicamente es un manual de farmacología del sistema nervioso, lo cual supone algunos conocimientos de farmacología básica y de anatomía y fisiología del cerebro y nervios aunque sea en un grado superficial, pero ineludible. Si vd sabe algo de eso, el libro es francamente muy claro y muy bueno, pero ese lector creo no se halla fácilmente.
Contiene también una serie de observaciones anecdóticas de tipo humano e histórico. Desde el té hasta los fármacos contra la esquizofrenia, el opio, morfina, láudano, benzodiacepinas, cannabis y más, pero eso será un tercio del libro como mucho. Todo eso tiene aquí su lugar y se trata de explicar cómo actúan esas substancias. El autor lo logra hasta donde es posible, pero como digo, no es un libro de mero entretenimiento y requiere un esfuerzo por parte del lector.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Looking at drugs
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2014
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Very good book about psychoactive drugs.History and analysis of the main ones.Entertaining and informative.Quite detailed at times which I found useful.
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