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No Speed Limit: The Highs and Lows of Meth
Hells Angels and fallen televangelist Ted Haggard. Cross-country truckers and suburban mothers. Trailer parks, gay sex clubs, college campuses, and military battlefields. In this fascinating book, Frank Owen traces the spread of methamphetamine—meth—from its origins as a cold and asthma remedy to the stimulant wiring every corner of American culture. Meth is the latest “epidemic” to attract the attention of law enforcement and the media, but like cocaine and heroin its roots are medicinal. It was first synthesized in the late nineteenth century and applied in treatment of a wide range of ailments; by the 1940s meth had become a wonder drug, used to treat depression, hyperactivity, obesity, epilepsy, and addictions to other drugs and alcohol. Allied, Nazi, and Japanese soldiers used it throughout World War II, and the returning waves of veterans drove demand for meth into the burgeoning postwar suburbs, where it became the “mother’s helper” for a bored and lonely generation. But meth truly exploded in the 1960s and ’70s, when biker gang cooks using burners, beakers, and plastic tubes brought their expertise from California to the Ozarks, the Southwest, and other remote rural areas where the drug could be manufactured in kitchen labs. Since then, meth has been the target of billions of dollars in federal, state, and local anti-drug wars. Murders, violent assaults, thefts, fires, premature births, and AIDS—rises in all of these have been blamed on the drug that crosses classes and subcultures like no other. Acclaimed journalist Frank Owen follows the users, cooks, dealers, and law enforcers to uncover a dramatic story being played out in cities, small towns, and farm communities across America. No Speed Limit is a panoramic, high-octane investigation by a journalist who knows firsthand the powerful highs and frightening lows of meth.
- GenresNonfictionDrugsMedical
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 14, 2008
This book is both maddening and fascinating. There's a ton of stuff I didn't know in this book - like that meth was legal and very popular during the 50s and 60s and that it was used, partially, to control women (their weight and their attitudes)during a time when America was expanding to the suburbs and women were trapped in their homes all day, often in the middle of nowhere. All of this history I found very compelling.
The maddening part of this book is the author's attitude. The author's prose drips with sarcasm and disdain for most conventional points of view pertaining to meth. At first I found this amusing because he seemed to be directing his contempt to the religious fanatics who believe the laying on of hands can cure meth addiction and that meth is a sign of the coming Armageddon. I feel that these people are worthy of disdain and so chuckled at the author's attempt to point out how nuts these people are.
Then the author completely divorces himself from the narrative history he's telling for a small rant that says, in essence, that addiction is not a disease and so treatment is pointless. His specious argument is "proven" by the fact that, statistically, treatment programs don't work and that most people relapse (he doesn't stop to consider that depending on how you look at it, this fact may prove that addiction *is* a disease and that we've simply not found its cure). He goes on to say that doing meth is a choice and that it's not really that addictive and that the only people addicted to meth are people with weak minds who refuse to stop taking meth because they, presumably, prefer to be addicts.
At each point in his book he frames the meth problem as a "so-called epidemic". And while he offers evidence and sources for many of his historical details he never once (I'm not while finished with the book, but he has yet to)offer a source, a scientific study - anything - for where he gets his outrageous opinion that meth does not increase crime rates, is not addictive, addiction isn't a disease anyway, and that people can and do quit whenever they feel like it.
I happen to have seen a documentary about a scientific study undertaken that showed a remarkable correlation between the purity of the meth available on the street and the violent crime rate. This scientific study was featured on PBS and otherwise widely publicized. The author has yet to address this study.
I'm not sure what the author's point is. He points out the folly of treatment programs but doesn't seem to support throwing folks in prison for drug use. I want to reach into the book and explain to its author that, as of right now, those are the two choices available to judges and lawyers so railing against both of them seems rather pointless.
The author seems to posit that since he used to take meth and quit on his own that anyone can. It rather reminds me of an argument I had with an old friend who claimed that homeless and poor people were just plain lazy. He had worked his way from dishwasher at a restaurant to owning a successful restaurant himself at the age of 30. I hastened to point out to him that he had also had his college education paid for by his mother and that it just *might* have helped him get to where he was considering he was educated and had no debt. This idea was shocking to him. I wonder if something equally as obvious might need to be explained to this author who doesn't stop to consider that the fact that he's a globetrotting journalist, white, has no serious untreated mental illness and a native English speaker may have given him more options in life than other addicts.
I think the book is worth reading for the interesting historical view of meth. If you come away wanting to take the author by the shoulders and shake him - don't say I didn't warn you.
The maddening part of this book is the author's attitude. The author's prose drips with sarcasm and disdain for most conventional points of view pertaining to meth. At first I found this amusing because he seemed to be directing his contempt to the religious fanatics who believe the laying on of hands can cure meth addiction and that meth is a sign of the coming Armageddon. I feel that these people are worthy of disdain and so chuckled at the author's attempt to point out how nuts these people are.
Then the author completely divorces himself from the narrative history he's telling for a small rant that says, in essence, that addiction is not a disease and so treatment is pointless. His specious argument is "proven" by the fact that, statistically, treatment programs don't work and that most people relapse (he doesn't stop to consider that depending on how you look at it, this fact may prove that addiction *is* a disease and that we've simply not found its cure). He goes on to say that doing meth is a choice and that it's not really that addictive and that the only people addicted to meth are people with weak minds who refuse to stop taking meth because they, presumably, prefer to be addicts.
At each point in his book he frames the meth problem as a "so-called epidemic". And while he offers evidence and sources for many of his historical details he never once (I'm not while finished with the book, but he has yet to)offer a source, a scientific study - anything - for where he gets his outrageous opinion that meth does not increase crime rates, is not addictive, addiction isn't a disease anyway, and that people can and do quit whenever they feel like it.
I happen to have seen a documentary about a scientific study undertaken that showed a remarkable correlation between the purity of the meth available on the street and the violent crime rate. This scientific study was featured on PBS and otherwise widely publicized. The author has yet to address this study.
I'm not sure what the author's point is. He points out the folly of treatment programs but doesn't seem to support throwing folks in prison for drug use. I want to reach into the book and explain to its author that, as of right now, those are the two choices available to judges and lawyers so railing against both of them seems rather pointless.
The author seems to posit that since he used to take meth and quit on his own that anyone can. It rather reminds me of an argument I had with an old friend who claimed that homeless and poor people were just plain lazy. He had worked his way from dishwasher at a restaurant to owning a successful restaurant himself at the age of 30. I hastened to point out to him that he had also had his college education paid for by his mother and that it just *might* have helped him get to where he was considering he was educated and had no debt. This idea was shocking to him. I wonder if something equally as obvious might need to be explained to this author who doesn't stop to consider that the fact that he's a globetrotting journalist, white, has no serious untreated mental illness and a native English speaker may have given him more options in life than other addicts.
I think the book is worth reading for the interesting historical view of meth. If you come away wanting to take the author by the shoulders and shake him - don't say I didn't warn you.
September 17, 2011
Anyone with a fairly broad experience of life in America will realize that, while habits such as drinking and smoking must sensibly be counted as drug use, they're hardly the only drugs Americans are using. Journalist Frank Owen turns his attention in this book to one of those that has gone underground in recent decades, methamphetamine, and its earlier version, amphetamine. He knows from personal history (which he recounts) that it's a potent chemical to be messing with, and he devotes most of his book to exploring the many subcultures it's a part of. Much legwork went into this, and a good deal of other research as well, but it ends up being a little less satisfying that one might wish; the bulk of the book amplifies on what one will already know, granted a little curiosity or that experience I spoke of.
I was more interested by his historical survey, which doesn't occupy that much of the book. For instance, the German, American, and Japanese armed forces during WWII apparently dispensed stimulant pills in huge numbers to the troops--something I've never seen touched upon in any direct reporting on that war. And widespread public use of various versions of amphetamine, dating back roughly to the 30s in America and elsewhere, puts the lie to the now-widespread notion that the stuff is ruinous to almost anyone who touches it. Anthony Eden was on bennies during the Suez Crisis, and Kennedy got himself shot up by Dr. Feelgood, one thing I did know, and Auden took Benzedrine daily for 20 years, and Bernstein composed on it. How ruinous was that?
One is left wondering what sense this all makes. Suggested answers may have been beyond his brief, but in any case Owen makes little effort. One idea (borrowing in part from Malcolm Gladwell's work on drinking): as long as discussion of the drug is mostly off the table as far as current public discourse goes but people continue to encounter it, there are few limits on what might go wrong, because there are few familiar examples to rely on. With alcohol, by contrast, one can learn from those around you either to deal with it (and how that might be done) or to give it up.
I was more interested by his historical survey, which doesn't occupy that much of the book. For instance, the German, American, and Japanese armed forces during WWII apparently dispensed stimulant pills in huge numbers to the troops--something I've never seen touched upon in any direct reporting on that war. And widespread public use of various versions of amphetamine, dating back roughly to the 30s in America and elsewhere, puts the lie to the now-widespread notion that the stuff is ruinous to almost anyone who touches it. Anthony Eden was on bennies during the Suez Crisis, and Kennedy got himself shot up by Dr. Feelgood, one thing I did know, and Auden took Benzedrine daily for 20 years, and Bernstein composed on it. How ruinous was that?
One is left wondering what sense this all makes. Suggested answers may have been beyond his brief, but in any case Owen makes little effort. One idea (borrowing in part from Malcolm Gladwell's work on drinking): as long as discussion of the drug is mostly off the table as far as current public discourse goes but people continue to encounter it, there are few limits on what might go wrong, because there are few familiar examples to rely on. With alcohol, by contrast, one can learn from those around you either to deal with it (and how that might be done) or to give it up.
August 4, 2009
I don't know what it was that lead me to order a copy of this book to read, but I have to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. The author, a former recreational meth user, explores the history and the evolution of meth through research and personal interviews with meth users, former meth users, children who grew up in meth labs, politicians, and social workers. Owen's opinion on the so-called "meth epidemic" is fascinating and laced with strong assertions about the addictiveness of the drug in its many forms as well as factual summaries of medical and social research about the drug. After reading about the history and progression of this drug in the U.S., I have come to see how nobody could have suspected the effects that meth would have on our nation, both socially and politically. Owen gave me a new perspective on the "epidemic" and I was pleased to find that the book didn't just buy into the hype of "meth is the worst thing that has ever happened to our nation." If I wanted to hear that over and over I'd watch 20-20 or Fox News.
March 23, 2021
Overall, it’s a decent book, but I’ve read better about Meth. There were a lot of interesting stats (amphetamines, the class of drug Meth belongs to, was widely and easily prescribed to housewives of the 50’s – by 1958 more than 3.5 BILLION amphetamine pills were legally produced in the US, following on the heels of all the soldiers in WWII being given amphetamines as part of their kit so they could stay alert and awake when exhausted), a few mildly interesting case histories, but not a lot of real insight. Not until the last chapter did he actually do much analysis, and that’s the chapter where he ticked me off.
The biggest problem, I think, is the book is outdated (which is why it’s a library discard). 14 years when discussing chemical addiction trends is two lifetimes. It’s not until the LAST PAGE of the book that he states that meth is being replaced by drugs like Oxycontin – about 10 years too late for that statement. Downplaying heroin and morphine addiction was accurate for the time of data collection (2005), but the current wave of heroin/oxycontin addiction blows meth out of the water. We tightened restrictions on Pseudoephedrine but anyone over 18 can still legally purchase it without prescription; we’ve all but removed the entire class of painkillers from the market.
Many of the things he says are true – many people do leave drugs all by themselves even after decades of abuse. That’s true with most drugs. But those that can’t often die. But why wait until the last pages to mention that?
And some things just ticked me off. Complaining that the risks and dangers of meth are overhyped and more people are addicted to nicotine and alcohol than meth and no one freaks out. Technically, true. But I’ve never yet read a single account of anyone binging on cigarettes that one hit has them seeing hallucinations for 4 straight days. Yes, alcohol will do that, but many chronic alkies still hold a job, and feed their kids, and no where is the same level of crime associated with cigarettes or alcohol (unless you’re being murdered for selling a single cigarette): no one is robbing houses to feed their nicotine habit, and no one is doing a drive-by shooting over a bottle of Jack. Such a statement also negates the entire economies of several South of the Border countries who depend on the manufacture and sale of illegal ( and both nicotine and alcohol are legal) drugs. The sadistic murders, the rapes, the human trafficking, the cost to communities and families and children caused by meth far, far exceed anything of alcohol and tobacco combined. You can lightly compare it to Prohibition, but I don’t think that even comes close to the level of sophistication and crime that the illegal drug trade exists on. The author spends 225 pages extolling the horrors of meth, and then laughs and says the media hype is totally overblown and it’s nowhere near as bad as it’s made out to be.
Tell that to the destroyed families, and those whose loved ones have been murdered, and to those who have OD’d. Overhyped? Probably. But it doesn’t negate the danger. And making light of it isn’t going to help anyone.
January 1, 2023
My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104. This is my confession. If you're watching this tape, I'm probably dead, murdered by my brother-in-law Hank Schrader. Hank has been building a meth empire for over a year now and using me as his chemist. Shortly after my 50th birthday, Hank came to me with a rather, shocking proposition. He asked that I use my chemistry knowledge to cook methamphetamine, which he would then sell using his connections in the drug world. Connections that he made through his career with the DEA. I was... astounded, I... I always thought that Hank was a very moral man and I was... thrown, confused, but I was also particularly vulnerable at the time, something he knew and took advantage of. I was reeling from a cancer diagnosis that was poised to bankrupt my family. Hank took me on a ride along, and showed me just how much money even a small meth operation could make. And I was weak. I didn't want my family to go into financial ruin so I agreed. Every day, I think back at that moment with regret. I quickly realized that I was in way over my head, and Hank had a partner, a man named Gustavo Fring, a businessman. Hank essentially sold me into servitude to this man, and when I tried to quit, Fring threatened my family. I didn't know where to turn. Eventually, Hank and Fring had a falling out. From what I can gather, Hank was always pushing for a greater share of the business, to which Fring flatly refused to give him, and things escalated. Fring was able to arrange, uh I guess I guess you call it a "hit" on my brother-in-law, and failed, but Hank was seriously injured, and I wound up paying his medical bills which amounted to a little over $177,000. Upon recovery, Hank was bent on revenge, working with a man named Hector Salamanca, he plotted to kill Fring, and did so. In fact, the bomb that he used was built by me, and he gave me no option in it. I have often contemplated suicide, but I'm a coward. I wanted to go to the police, but I was frightened. Hank had risen in the ranks to become the head of the Albuquerque DEA, and about that time, to keep me in line, he took my children from me. For 3 months he kept them. My wife, who up until that point, had no idea of my criminal activities, was horrified to learn what I had done, why Hank had taken our children. We were scared. I was in Hell, I hated myself for what I had brought upon my family. Recently, I tried once again to quit, to end this nightmare, and in response, he gave me this. I can't take this anymore. I live in fear every day that Hank will kill me, or worse, hurt my family. I... All I could think to do was to make this video in hope that the world will finally see this man, for what he really is.
October 3, 2017
This work is full of interesting and useful information about methamphetamine (crank,speed,ice). It gives real information about the effects of crank from people who have done it. The writer himself had tried meth and explained that it quickly started to ruin his life. The book covers what meth is and how bad the effects of cooking the drug as well as using are. It provides real examples of what people have done because of meth.
December 2, 2020
I don’t really know why this book doesn’t have a higher rating!
Compared to other studies it may not be 500 pages, but I think that’s what makes it better.
It tells a story with statistics and different perspectives. I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought.
Compared to other studies it may not be 500 pages, but I think that’s what makes it better.
It tells a story with statistics and different perspectives. I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought.
June 8, 2018
Fast read with lots of facts about the meth epidemic. Interesting bits about the drug, the culture and the people who caused the problem as well as a look at law enforcement efforts.
March 30, 2019
Reads like a series of essays. Some were interesting...some were skimmed. Overall just ok.
November 4, 2019
Well written, researched, and thought out. A thorough history of meth that is very readable.
March 24, 2020
Okay, but the inconsistencies got annoying.
February 23, 2023
I've had this book for years. It was published in 2007, so I'd like to see how a book published within the last year or so about the same issue differs and/or compares.
November 7, 2013
Ok, there are some positives to this book, like it doesn't act like meth is some super industrial drug that you are immediately addicted to and kills you after 5 years. Additionally, it points out that meth cooks aren't (as a rule, there are obviously exceptions) toothless rubes that need a Walter White figure (he sorta already exists as the Neo-Nazi connected Uncle Fester who writes guides to meth cooking, making .44 black talon rounds and making chemical weapons) as most meth recipes net you about 92% purity and are not particularly time intensive. Frank Owen also manages to illustrate really clearly that meth isn't exactly a new drug in the USA (originally available as OTC medication!) but what falls apart is there is a lot of talking about principal players in the meth game, the history of the chemical compound, etc. etc. but it doesn't really go anywhere (other than his argument that meth is a moral panic, which fine yes it is, but i think the thesis could be handled better). Also, while i get that it's a "thing" for sociologists writing about drugs, i feel like Owen either has an underlying problem exacerbated by amphetamines or simply is prone to exaggeration because as yours truly has quite a few friends with a history of amphetamine/methamphetamine abuse, i have *never* seen anyone as prone to hallucinations while on a bender than Owen (although i guess it makes for good script? i don't think so but i'm sure some people find it titillating). Also his coverage of meth and the gay club scene is sorta ham handed like, he cites A PRETTY PRESTIGIOUS SKEPTIC of the whole "gay men do meth, get irresponsible, forget condoms because meth, contract HIV because meth, spread HIV because meth" and then goes back to citing Michelangelo Signorile and Larry Kramer style rants and utilizes "And the Band Played On"'s discredited thesis as an explanation for HIV transmission (personal peeves but are also things i can comment on well).
August 27, 2007
I read about this book on Salon.com and decided to order it and another book on meth addiction at the same time, and managed to read both this weekend sick in bed. There's nothing like reading about the highs and lows of drug addiction to combat the snotty feeling associated with a head cold.
This book contains a lot of good and realistic (as far as I can tell, not having first hand knowledge of th drug) facts and commentary. It follows the emergence of meth, from WW2 to the present -- from pharmaceutical manufacture to clandestine home cooks. One fascinating aspect of the book is the author's own experimentation with the drug, which is short lived, but gives a much different spin than one gets with the classic anti-drug tome or chronology of addiction spun out of control (as with Leaving Dirty Jersey). I wasn't left with the impression that meth was a great contribution to society, but with a more balanced idea of how great of a problem it truly is -- and really how much the media shapes and scares the public about a drug and it's use. A solid read.
This book contains a lot of good and realistic (as far as I can tell, not having first hand knowledge of th drug) facts and commentary. It follows the emergence of meth, from WW2 to the present -- from pharmaceutical manufacture to clandestine home cooks. One fascinating aspect of the book is the author's own experimentation with the drug, which is short lived, but gives a much different spin than one gets with the classic anti-drug tome or chronology of addiction spun out of control (as with Leaving Dirty Jersey). I wasn't left with the impression that meth was a great contribution to society, but with a more balanced idea of how great of a problem it truly is -- and really how much the media shapes and scares the public about a drug and it's use. A solid read.
April 22, 2008
"No Speed Limit" is a fascinating exploration of the latest American drug "epidemic." I'm happy to say I've never taken crystal meth, but I have some idea what it might feel like after reading this book. And it ain't a good thing. Unless you like giant talking cockroaches, rotten teeth, and not sleeping for four days straight. Well, the latter does have some appeal...
I'm giving this book four stars for some of the same reasons other reviewers have done so. "No Speed Limit" is organized thematically, so it's hard to keep the chronology straight. For example, even after reading, I'm left wondering if the Mexican cartels took over the meth trade after the Midwesterners stopped cooking, among other questions. But other than a slightly confusing structure and a few typos, the book has no major flaws and is, in many ways, heart-wrenching, particularly the chapter on how this drug impacts the lives of children.
I'm giving this book four stars for some of the same reasons other reviewers have done so. "No Speed Limit" is organized thematically, so it's hard to keep the chronology straight. For example, even after reading, I'm left wondering if the Mexican cartels took over the meth trade after the Midwesterners stopped cooking, among other questions. But other than a slightly confusing structure and a few typos, the book has no major flaws and is, in many ways, heart-wrenching, particularly the chapter on how this drug impacts the lives of children.
May 5, 2010
Im not really sure why I picked up two different books about meth (the other was about a gay Iowan tweaker) last time I visited the library. It's not a drug I'd ever consider (I'm still borderline straight-edge, and would sooner do most other drugs than risk what meth would turn my already borderline ocd personality into), but its one thats fascinating to me. Why would people do a drug to help them hyper-focus? Isn't that the opposite of why most people take drugs? Part of the fascination may be the idea that it's something you can make yourself, through chemistry; you're not growing anything, you mix it up from frightening ingredients such as lithium batteries and match strike pads.
This book was much more of a general survey of the history of amphetamines in the US, meth in particular. In the quest to learn something new every day, during this book, I learned why it gets called crank (has to do with how Hell's Angels moved it). An interesting read, and a quick one.
This book was much more of a general survey of the history of amphetamines in the US, meth in particular. In the quest to learn something new every day, during this book, I learned why it gets called crank (has to do with how Hell's Angels moved it). An interesting read, and a quick one.
March 14, 2008
This is a very accessible history of the use and manufacture of amphetamines in the United States. Meth is a interesting drug to focus on because its production and distribution does not (or has not in the past) rely on organized crime; anyone can make meth. In fact, reading this book made me very curious to try making some myself, just to see if I could. Don't worry- that impulse, as well as the one to purchase and read some of the other "DIY" books mentioned by the author ("Silent Death," about making your own toxic gasses and chemicals, "Vest Busters," about making bullets that will pierce kevlar, and the self-explanatory "Complete Guide to Lock Picking") have been curbed by my fear of where such activities might put me in the eyes of the US government.
August 24, 2009
I got really hopped up on coffee and read this book in about two days. It tells an interesting story, from the Mexican cartels taking over the Hells Angels' business to pharmaceutical lobbyists blocking anti-meth legislation to a description of the Chelsea drug-club scene that reads like some moralistic science fiction novel. The author is obviously adept at writing for snarky magazines, which means that the book moved along well but that there's this annoying tone of cynicism throughout. He also seems to think meth, and those who make the drug themselves, are kind of badass and that those who are worried about it have a good point but should stop being so uptight.
December 26, 2011
Ok book. The facts we're very interesting, such as that even James Bond was shown taken drugs. Ditto for the stories of parents who neglected their kids while taking meth, plus those of gay men on meth who we're practically sex machines.
But other than that it is hard to tell what the book was trying to accomplish. He tells how the epedemic (which I didn't really know was an epedemic) was exagerrated by the press and government agencies. He also says that maybe meth isn't that serious a drug.
I don't know what the author was trying to accomplish in writing this book. I paid either $1.00 or $2.00 for this book, and that is all it was worth.
But other than that it is hard to tell what the book was trying to accomplish. He tells how the epedemic (which I didn't really know was an epedemic) was exagerrated by the press and government agencies. He also says that maybe meth isn't that serious a drug.
I don't know what the author was trying to accomplish in writing this book. I paid either $1.00 or $2.00 for this book, and that is all it was worth.
September 1, 2007
so far, this has been a damn good read...took it as train reading en route to a bar last night and actually managed a couple of pages in my stupor on the trip back home...it has the pacing of a magazine article for Esquire/GQ/Rolling Stone...focuses on the current speed craze in the suburban and rural regions of the United States and its origins (big pharma sells a cure all and doctors get caught up in dispensing the wonder drug to as many folks as they can) and paths of dissemination via armed forces veterans and biker gangs...fascinating thus far
October 25, 2008
The number one thing about this book was that it is a very well researched book. I enjoyed seeing all the numerical and first hand facts that were included. The valuable part to it was the author's first hand experience and description of taking drugs. The experiences were described in a scientific way that fit very well with the journalistic approach of the book.
The down sides to this book would be that the author did seem to loop back on himself and repeat what was previously stated. The time line was a bit blurry and jumped around a bit with out being overly clear.
The down sides to this book would be that the author did seem to loop back on himself and repeat what was previously stated. The time line was a bit blurry and jumped around a bit with out being overly clear.
September 1, 2007
I grew up in Franklin County, Missouri, which should (hopefully) explain my desire to read about the culture. It's funny how safe and drug-free Los Angeles seems in comparison.
I really enjoyed this book because it wasn't anti-drug, and it steered clear of the hysteria that dominates most meth talk without ever supporting heavy-duty meth use either. Engrossing and educational.
(Also a fun book to read at the gym.)
I really enjoyed this book because it wasn't anti-drug, and it steered clear of the hysteria that dominates most meth talk without ever supporting heavy-duty meth use either. Engrossing and educational.
(Also a fun book to read at the gym.)
January 27, 2011
I'm currently fascinated by drug culture and this wonderful little book satiated all my druggie needs. It was mostly about meth, but I didn't know that different drugs take over different regions in the US and probably the world too. On the good and bad side, I found out that meth does make the skinny and have a lot of energy, but also of course rips your world apart and threatens one's well-being. A great read if you want to experience drugs the safe way.
May 5, 2008
Debunks a lot of myths about meth. I couldn't put it down, but it is definently not a must read. Unless perhaps you must read about Meth: the history, myths and truths about it. If that is the case, then this is the book for you.
Or if you have a weird fascination with the drug culture, like me.
Or if you have a weird fascination with the drug culture, like me.
December 23, 2008
Well-researched, well-written and very readable book about the history of meth. Kept my attention until 3/4 way thru when it just became about stats and numbers. Then I sorta lost it and had difficulty finishing. If you're interested in substance abuse and/or where the US supply of meth originates, then read it. It's interesting.
June 17, 2008
Like Karen said...the book started off really interesting. The last two chapters were ho hum. Glad I finally finished this though. It's tough to read when you know so many who are on it, or were and are now in prison. I've never done it and have no desire to ever touch the shit.
January 25, 2008
As a fan of the "Intervention" TV show, I found this study on the history and abuse of methamphetamine fascinating. Cuts through the hysteria of the media and presents a clear eyed picture of the problem.
January 26, 2008
Very good history of Amphetamines. From a WWII front line drug used by all the armies to how it morphed into wide use in postwar America to it's current state. Can you say "faith-based drug exorcism"?
February 3, 2008
The first half of this book is really interesting -- I learned a lot about the history of meth use (plus, there's a lot of mention of KS and MO). The last half gets a little dry and boring -- lots of statistics and numbers. Recommended.
June 17, 2008
Lots of new things learned about meth from this book, and since i live in two counties well known for meth labs, maybe I should know more about this drug than I did. I do know it ruins a lot of lives and helps no one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews