American Overdose

The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts

De: Chris McGreal

Narrado por: Dan Woren

A comprehensive portrait of a uniquely American epidemic -- devastating in its findings and damning in its conclusions

The opioid epidemic has been described as "one of the greatest mistakes of modern medicine." But calling it a mistake is a generous rewriting of the history of greed, corruption, and indifference that pushed the US into consuming more than 80 percent of the world's opioid painkillers.

Journeying through lives and communities wrecked by the epidemic, Chris McGreal reveals not only how Big Pharma hooked Americans on powerfully addictive drugs, but the corrupting of medicine and public institutions that let the opioid makers get away with it.

The starting point for McGreal's deeply reported investigation is the miners promised that opioid painkillers would restore their wrecked bodies, but who became targets of "drug dealers in white coats."

A few heroic physicians warned of impending disaster. But American Overdose exposes the powerful forces they were up against, including the pharmaceutical industry's coopting of the Food and Drug Administration and Congress in the drive to push painkillers -- resulting in the resurgence of heroin cartels in the American heartland. McGreal tells the story, in terms both broad and intimate, of people hit by a catastrophe they never saw coming. Years in the making, its ruinous consequences will stretch years into the future.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"American Overdoseconfirms Chris McGreal's stature as one of the truly essential reporters of our times. It is - in its investigative depth and documentary breadth - a riveting and urgent reckoning of colossal corruption that has taken such a staggering toll on twenty-first century American life."
—Philip Gourevitch, author of We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families

"In this gripping account, McGreal exposes the avarice and corruption that caused one of the most shocking crises in American history. A searing expose full of extraordinary characters - heroes, villains and victims."—Katty Kay, contributor MSNBC Morning Joe, presenter BBC World News America

"McGreal shows how the overdose crisis was driven by the pursuit of profits, not just drugs-both of which combine our instinctive craving for pleasure with our evolving capacity for denial and deceit. Fascinating, disturbing, impressively researched and elegantly written."—Marc Lewis, author of The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease

"With great reporting and compelling storytelling, American Overdose lays bare the tragedy of the opioid epidemic tearing at the soul of the United States. Those who want to understand the issue of narcotics and addiction have to read it."—Ioan Grillo, author of El Narco

"A deftly researched account of America's opioid epidemic. McGreal's book is authoritative in tone and vernacular in style....[A] powerful narrative."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"This urgent, readable chronicle, which names names and pulls no punches, clearly and compassionately illuminates the evolution of America's mass addiction problem."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"McGreal, an award-winning journalist, presents this grim cautionary tale of opioids, greed, and addiction in three acts: 'Dealing,' 'Hooked,' and Withdrawal'.... McGreal goes on to successfully address the question of how the greatest drug epidemic in history grew largely unchecked for nearly two decades....What can be done to reverse this? McGreal's powerfully stated indictment is a start."—Booklist, Starred Review

"Thorough, gripping and excellent."—--The Straight Dope, Medium.com

"[A] powerful encapsulation of that epidemic....a timely examination of hard-won lessons."—Nature

"Staggering... Zola-esque in its dark twists and turns."—Ed Vulliamy, LiteraryReview

"[A] searing book... Appalachian accents and anger steam off the page."—TheSunday Times

"Compelling.... reads like a white-collar The Wire, with a cast of characters determined to exact as much money as possible regardless of the human cost."—The Observer

"An engaging, cogently argued book."—Evening Standard

An old story in a compelling way

This story is an exceptional journey into America's love affair with pharmaceuticals and the tragedy it has led to. The statistics and stories are terrifying and tragic but it never gets bogged down in the minutiae. It is a human story matched by an outstanding narration. I could not stop listening.

EYE OPENING!!!

I had no idea just how bad it was until listening to this book. It makes me sad and ashamed that so people were sucked into the addiction by doctors and drug company PR.

Required read

A required read for all in a position of power, health care, law enforcement and first responders to understand how we got into this epidemic.

Most Comprehensive Book on Opiate Epidemic

Having read all the major books on the Opiate Epidemic which I have lived since losing my son in 2001 to OxyContin this book explains it all without being 5 volumes 👍👍

Great book!

This book is so hard hitting and well written. Definitely going to have to listen to it again. The author does a phenomenal job at laying out America's opioid crisis.

An important read

This book will make you angry, will make you scream at the greed , the laziness, the weakness, the indifference of all involved in the current opioid crisis. I am a physician- I went to many lectures and had drug reps tell me that patients in pain could not become addicted to prescription pain medicine. This flew in the face of my experience as an ER doctor. We are trained in medicine to not trust anecdotal evidence. What is the answer when the “scientific studies “ are misrepresented, poorly conducted or fraudulent.
This book is important for anyone dealing with the opioid crisis. It is well written and well researched. The reader has a wonderful voice. The book is easily understood by listeners without a scientific background

The same story

As someone who was aware long ago the story and people are the same. the issue is the same. However, the response is different. This is a story that shows how racism works, and this is the only time it (racism) worked for Black people.

Awesome and informative book!

This book is very informative and a great listen. Great narration. I will listen to it again in the future.