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I am reading Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones. I'm only a few chapters in but I can't put it down. Very well written and very informative.
With a great reporter's narrative skill and the storytelling ability of a novelist, acclaimed journalist Sam Quinones weaves together two classic tales of capitalism run amok whose unintentional collision has been catastrophic. The unfettered prescribing of pain medications during the 1990s reached its peak in Purdue Pharma's campaign to market OxyContin, its new, expensive - extremely addictive - miracle painkiller. Meanwhile, a massive influx of black tar heroin - cheap, potent, and originating from one small county on Mexico's west coast, independent of any drug cartel - assaulted small town and mid-sized cities across the country, driven by a brilliant, almost unbeatable marketing and distribution system. Together these phenomena continue to lay waste to communities from Tennessee to Oregon, Indiana to New Mexico.
Introducing a memorable cast of characters - pharma pioneers, young Mexican entrepreneurs, narcotics investigators, survivors, and parents - Quinones shows how these tales fit together. Dreamland is a revelatory account of the corrosive threat facing America and its heartland.
When I get finished with this book, or maybe WHILE I'm reading this book, I am going to read The Boy Kings of Texas by Domingo Martinez. I started it right before Dreamland came in and sucked me into it's vortex, but I really really did like the writing style of The Boy Kings of Texas and look forward to getting back into it.
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Opening with the brutal tale of the murder of a beloved pet avenged, Seattle journalist Martinez's memoir of growing up in Texas in the 70s and 80s along the Mexican border is an emotional roller coaster rendered in exquisite detail.
I am reading Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones. I'm only a few chapters in but I can't put it down. Very well written and very informative.
When I get finished with this book, or maybe WHILE I'm reading this book, I am going to read The Boy Kings of Texas by Domingo Martinez. I started it right before Dreamland came in and sucked me into it's vortex, but I really really did like the writing style of The Boy Kings of Texas and look forward to getting back into it.
Just finished reading Jupiter's Travels, by Ted Simon. In the early 1970's he embarked on a 65,000 mile, 4-year, motorcycle trip, through Europe, Africa, South/Central America, Australia, SE Asia, India, the Middle East, and back home to France.
I was hoping to savor this book, chapter by chapter, but I gobbled it all up in 3 days! Just couldn't put it down, once he had my adrenaline flowing!
I've been reading this book - Corsets and Codpieces. It's about the history of European clothing. It's actually a really fascinating read! Surprisingly well written and well sourced and lots of interesting illustrations.
What I find particularly interesting is how fashion has always reflected political movements and how involved in fashion the church was prior to the advent of humanism and the ideals of personal freedom.
But this book isn't all heavy - it's got a lot of humor in it as well.
I've also been reading Dreamland, which was a recommendation I got from this forum. I have hardly been able to put it down (even brought it on the plain when we were on vacation) - going to finish it probably this morning. It's excellent. It will make you look askance at just about everyone, especially people in parking lots and those driving nodescript cars though. Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
I'm gonna read corsets & codpieces!!! That sound fascinating.
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Wow, it's FULL of fabulous photos of real clothing that has survived over the centuries, along with well written essays about why such styles were popular at the time. I couldn't put it down and have had several friends and family members over the years "borrow" it and try to keep it! I mean, they said they were borrowing it but I'd ask them over and over again to bring it back and I've had to literally get it from their houses. So...yeah...great book but don't loan it out!
The link above is a very good price - this is a fairly large book full of quality illustrations and photos, and I think I paid about $40 for the book new.
Tracing the evolution of fashion — from the early draped fabrics of ancient times to the catwalk couture of today — Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style is a stunningly illustrated guide to more than three thousand years of shifting trends and innovative developments in the world of clothing.
Containing everything you need to know about changing fashion and style — from ancient Egyptian dress to Space Age Fashion and Grunge — and information on icons like Marie Antoinette, Clara Bow, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Alexander McQueen, Fashion catalogs the history of what people wear, revealing how Western fashion has been influenced by design from around the world and celebrating costume and haute couture.
Fashion will captivate anyone interested in style — whether it's the fashion-mad teen in Tokyo, the wannabe designer in college, or the fashionista intrigued by the violent origins of the stiletto and the birth of bling.
The reviews are very good and I got it used so it wasn't horribly expensive for a book full of photographs.
I am reading Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones. I'm only a few chapters in but I can't put it down. Very well written and very informative.
When I get finished with this book, or maybe WHILE I'm reading this book, I am going to read The Boy Kings of Texas by Domingo Martinez. I started it right before Dreamland came in and sucked me into it's vortex, but I really really did like the writing style of The Boy Kings of Texas and look forward to getting back into it.
I just ordered Dreamland. I rarely buy new books, but I've been wanting to learn more about the opiate epidemic and this sounds really good.
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