David Blistein

John Halpern

From a psychiatrist on the frontlines of addiction medicine -- the former medical director of the Boston Center for Addiction Treatment and former director of the Laboratory for Integrative Psychiatry at the legendary McLean Hospital -- comes the fascinating history of the flower that helped to build, and now threatens, modern society. In 2017 over 60,000 Americans died as the result of opioid overdoses, more than died annually in this country during the peak of the AIDs epidemic, more than die every year from breast cancer, and more Americans than died in the entire Vietnam War. But even though the overdose crisis ravaging our nation seems impossible to ignore, few understand how it came to be. Opium tells the extraordinary and at times harrowing story of how we arrived at today's crisis -- a story that begins at the dawn of human civilization with enterprising poppy farmers in Mesopotamia, explores how Greek physicians and forgotten chemists discovered opium's effects and refined its power, how colonial powers spirited opium around the world in the interest of building out empires, and finally how international drug companies used the substance as a model for a wave of pills that laid the groundwork for today's raging overdose epidemic. Throughout, the book demonstrates how opium has served to build our modern world, from trade networks to medical protocols to drug enforcement policies. Most important, it reveals how crucial misjudgments and patterns of greed served to spread dangerous uses of the drug, hurtling the world toward crisis -- and how, using the insights of history and the miracles of state-of-the-art science, we can overcome it.

How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World

Opium

Ken Burns

Based on the PBS documentary by Ken Burns, Erik Ewers, and Christopher Loren Ewers. On September 30, 1889, W.W. Mayo and his sons Will and Charlie performed the very first operation at a brand-new Catholic hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. It was called Saint Marys. The hospital arose out of the devastation of a tornado that had struck the town six years earlier. After the storm, Mother Alfred Moes of the Sisters of Saint Francis told the Mayos that she had a vision of building a hospital that would \"become world renowned for its medical arts.\" Based on the film by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science chronicles the history of this unique organization, from its roots as an unlikely partnership between a country doctor and a Franciscan order of nuns to its position today as a worldwide model for patient care, research, and education. Featuring more than 400 compelling archival and modern images, as well as the complete script from the film, the book demonstrates how the institution’s remarkable 150-year history continues to inspire the way medicine is practiced there today. In addition, a series of case studies reveals patients, doctors, and nurses in their most private moments as together they face difficult diagnoses and embark on uncertain treatments. The film and this companion book tell the story of an organization that has managed to stay true to its primary value—the needs of the patient come first. Together, they make an important contribution to the critical discussions about the delivery of health care today in America ... and the world.

Faith, Hope, Science

The Mayo Clinic

John H. Halpern

From a psychiatrist on the frontlines of addiction medicine and an expert on the history of drug use comes the "authoritative, engaging, and accessible" history of the flower that helped to build (Booklist) -- and now threatens -- modern society. Opioid addiction is fast becoming the most deadly crisis in American history. In 2018, it claimed nearly fifty thousand lives -- more than gunshots and car crashes combined, and almost as many Americans as were killed in the entire Vietnam War. But even as the overdose crisis ravages our nation -- straining our prison system, dividing families, and defying virtually every legislative solution to treat it -- few understand how it came to be. Opium tells the "fascinating" (Lit Hub) and at times harrowing tale of how we arrived at today's crisis, "mak[ing] timely and startling connections among painkillers, politics, finance, and society" (Laurence Bergreen). The story begins with the discovery of poppy artifacts in ancient Mesopotamia, and goes on to explore how Greek physicians and obscure chemists discovered opium's effects and refined its power, how colonial empires marketed it around the world, and eventually how international drug companies developed a range of powerful synthetic opioids that led to an epidemic of addiction. Throughout, Dr. John Halpern and David Blistein reveal the fascinating role that opium has played in building our modern world, from trade networks to medical protocols to drug enforcement policies. Most importantly, they disentangle how crucial misjudgments, patterns of greed, and racial stereotypes served to transform one of nature's most effective painkillers into a source of unspeakable pain -- and how, using the insights of history, state-of-the-art science, and a compassionate approach to the illness of addiction, we can overcome today's overdose epidemic. This urgent and masterfully woven narrative tells an epic story of how one beautiful flower became the fascination of leaders, tycoons, and nations through the centuries and in their hands exposed the fragility of our civilization. An NPR Best Book of the Year"A landmark project." -- Dr. Andrew Weil"Engrossing and highly readable." -- Sam Quinones"An astonishing journey through time and space." -- Julie Holland, MD"The most important, provocative, and challenging book I've read in a long time." -- Laurence Bergreen

David's Inferno combines intensely personal reminiscences of a two-year nervous breakdown with contemporary insights on how manic-depression manifests and how it is diagnosed and treated. Author David Blistein shares his experiences to shed light on the darkness of depression for fellow travelers as well as those who care about them. Millions of people suffer from major depressive episodes. All of them want relief but, more importantly, most simply want to know that they are not alone. With gentle wry humor and a compassionate tone, David's Inferno offers a tale of realization, acceptance, and hope. It is neither prescriptive nor opinionated, seeing all forms of therapy as potentially beneficial in the continuum of care. David's Inferno is also an ideal book for friends and family of those suffering from depression, helping them to better understand what their loved ones are experiencing.

David Blistein

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