Opium

How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World

By: John H. Halpern, David Blistein

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

From a psychiatrist on the front lines of addiction medicine and an expert on the history of drug use comes the "authoritative, engaging, and accessible" (Booklist) history of the flower that helped to build - and now threatens - modern society.

Opioid addiction is fast becoming the most deadly crisis in American history. In 2017, it claimed nearly 50,000 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)

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 John H. Halpern and David Blistein (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"This book takes the reader on a deep journey through the history of opium and how it has shaped medicine, culture, trade, and politics....Halpern and Blistein give readers hope that new policies and treatments to alleviate addiction could make a real difference, if politicians and healthcare institutions are willing to set aside failed strategies that, unfortunately, remain in place." (Torsten Passie, MD, Goethe-University's Institute for History and Ethics in Medicine)

"Detailed and highly readable...[Opium] demonstrates convincingly that the best way to address today's epidemic is to acknowledge addiction as the brain disease that it is...The recommendations in this book should be seriously considered by anyone concerned with today's opioid epidemic." (Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, member of the President's Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis)

"Wealthy patrons of the arts making fortunes off opioids? Blaming immigrants for a domestic drug crisis? Race-based enforcement?...It was as true in the 19th and 20th centuries as it is today. Opium insists that we take an unstinting look at the relationship between people and opioids and dares us to make the hard decisions necessary to deal with the crisis. This book is what history is supposed to be." (Ken Burns, filmmaker)

Perfect on all Points

This is the best book by far that Ive gotten this year! Very well performed,great story and factual.Ive actually listened to it 3 times!!! Who over the reader is? He does a fantastic job.

Kudos To Dr. John H. Halpern

I'm thrilled to share my positive review of "Opium" by Dr. John H. Halpern. Having been an ex-patient of Dr. Halpern from McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, I can attest to his remarkable intelligence and compassionate nature. His correct prescription of medicine over a decade ago still positively impacts my life today.

"Opium" is a truly captivating read for me, given my personal journey through addiction. Dr. Halpern's eloquent words and carefully crafted phrases create a mesmerizing flow that makes it a pleasure to listen to. His well-rounded intellect shines through in his writing and research, emphasizing the dangers of opiates and reminding us of their potency.

It's not surprising that Dr. Halpern's book is wonderfully crafted, considering his expertise as a Harvard psychiatrist and psychedelic doctor. His ability to address complex topics with clarity and depth reflects his exceptional mind. "Opium" serves as a poignant reminder of the risks associated with addiction, while showcasing Dr. Halpern's multifaceted talents as an accomplished author. Kudos to Dr. John H. Halpern for this marvelous achievement!

Opium a poor excuse for a better history.

The narrator is the worst, absolutely horrible! His contrived, misconceived and misanthropic reading style was so annoyingly off the mark I could not stand it. I had to fast forward many times and I have read and listened to every major text written on Opium from Martin Booth’s Opium, to Gabor Mate’s “In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts to “The US of Opium” among many many others. This text bogs down horribly in the history of colonialism and trade having little to do with the Opium story. It’s simply not a good book. And what do you know the authors even get yet another word in on “racism” oh please spare me!

Boring and drawn out

Nothing new here-check book out of library and use it as a non narcotic sleep aid....