The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of NarcoticsSpanning five centuries and several continents in a sweeping portrait of addiction, The Pursuit of Oblivion traces the history of the use and abuse of narcotics, revealing their subtle transformation from untested medicines to sources of idle pleasure and, relatively recently, to illegal substances. Richard Davenport-Hines, an eminent, prize-winning historian, uncovers the centrality of drug abuse in our modern industrial society, from the drug habits of Charles Dickens and John F. Kennedy to today's $400 billion annual worldwide trade in illicit drugs (the same volume as the oil industry). A vivid portrayal of the people and events that have shaped the history of narcotics, The Pursuit of Oblivion reveals that, contrary to the assumption underlying current drug policies, our need to escape reality and our body's need for physical pleasure are both ineradicable aspects of our humanity, unchangeable by government initiative. |
From inside the book
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Page 12
... release noradrenaline and dopamine . Morphine acts on three distinct receptors - called collec- tively the opiate receptors - which have been known only since the 1970s . In the same decade a group of neurotransmitters 12 Prologue.
... release noradrenaline and dopamine . Morphine acts on three distinct receptors - called collec- tively the opiate receptors - which have been known only since the 1970s . In the same decade a group of neurotransmitters 12 Prologue.
Page 13
... called the endorphins were found to act as opiate receptors and block both sensory and emotional pain . It is easy to summarise these facts , but more challenging to encapsulate the passions that drugs arouse . Feelings range from ...
... called the endorphins were found to act as opiate receptors and block both sensory and emotional pain . It is easy to summarise these facts , but more challenging to encapsulate the passions that drugs arouse . Feelings range from ...
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Contents
Early History | 21 |
Opium during the Enlightenment | 43 |
The Patent Age of New Inventions | 61 |
Nerves Needles and Victorian Doctors | 99 |
Chemistry | 131 |
Degeneration | 152 |
The Dawn of Prohibition | 195 |
Lawbreaking | 226 |
The First Drugs Czar | 344 |
British Drug Scenes | 368 |
Presidential Drugs Wars | 420 |
So Passe | 475 |
Acknowledgements | 497 |
Notes | 499 |
Bibliographic Note | 549 |
553 | |
Other editions - View all
The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Social History of Drugs Richard Peter Treadwell Davenport-Hines No preview available - 2004 |
The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Social History of Drugs Richard Davenport-Hines No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
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