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3va's review
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
I learned so much from this book, and I love how Hart uses his own experiences of using substances throughout the text. I think his expertise definitely pertains more to conversations around healthy recreational drug use, but I found some of his understandings of addiction and mental illness to be less informed
pensivemoose's review
5.0
Anyone with eyes can see that the War on Drugs in America has been a complete failure but arguing for the decriminalization of ALL recreational drugs and fighting for the destigmatization of using them responsibly (including heroin) certainly goes directly against the social norm over the past century. But this is what Dr. Hart attempts to do in this book! As someone who had much to learn about the topic, I was eager to hear an experienced researcher's perspective, especially one that is so against everything those I grew up around would have me believe.
Part of what makes Dr. Hart's story more interesting is that he was once aligned with mainstream thought about drugs: they were dangerous, responsible for destroying communities, and those who partook became irresponsible members of society. But the years of research he has conducted in addition to many personal experiences around the world have completely changed his point of view. Not only do a majority of drug users (yes, even heroin users) avoid addiction, they also manage to hold jobs, pay bills, and, yes, even parent children responsibly. Dr. Hart's perspective is that many adults use drugs in a pursuit of happiness and that, because the Declaration of Independence claims that pursuit as a right, drugs should not be criminalized. Although this book is not primarily about addiction, he also shares other country's methods of stemming it that are much more effective than America's penal approach. Many reviewers here have noted that Dr. Harl seemingly downplays how damaging addiction is for some people and, while I agree he could have discussed the topic more, he certainly doesn't disregard the issue entirely and his main goal is obviously to push back on the pervasive idea that addiction affects a majority of users.
In the end, it's impossible for me to state concisely how much I learned from this book. I found Dr. Hart's reasoning to be compelling, even when he had to critique his peer's own research papers which have seemingly become poisoned by society's bias against drugs, preventing intellectual honesty. Anyone interested in learning more about the political debate on drugs should absolutely read this book.
Part of what makes Dr. Hart's story more interesting is that he was once aligned with mainstream thought about drugs: they were dangerous, responsible for destroying communities, and those who partook became irresponsible members of society. But the years of research he has conducted in addition to many personal experiences around the world have completely changed his point of view. Not only do a majority of drug users (yes, even heroin users) avoid addiction, they also manage to hold jobs, pay bills, and, yes, even parent children responsibly. Dr. Hart's perspective is that many adults use drugs in a pursuit of happiness and that, because the Declaration of Independence claims that pursuit as a right, drugs should not be criminalized. Although this book is not primarily about addiction, he also shares other country's methods of stemming it that are much more effective than America's penal approach. Many reviewers here have noted that Dr. Harl seemingly downplays how damaging addiction is for some people and, while I agree he could have discussed the topic more, he certainly doesn't disregard the issue entirely and his main goal is obviously to push back on the pervasive idea that addiction affects a majority of users.
In the end, it's impossible for me to state concisely how much I learned from this book. I found Dr. Hart's reasoning to be compelling, even when he had to critique his peer's own research papers which have seemingly become poisoned by society's bias against drugs, preventing intellectual honesty. Anyone interested in learning more about the political debate on drugs should absolutely read this book.
claudia_da's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This book shows how the War on drugs is harmful to society, and why it needs to end! A must-read!
ecwfitzpatrick's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
One of the more interesting books I’ve ever read.
ciarafor's review
5.0
I have a degree in neuroscience with a study emphasis on narcotics, so I was delighted to hear that one of the lead neuroscientists in the field of drug research had written a book about modern day drug use for grown-ups. By the end of this book, I am now a staunch supporter of the full legalization of every drug - in addition to the governmental regulation of those drugs, the same way we regulate the quality of legalized marijuana, or the driving of cars. If you have any interest in understanding the science and the social impacts of the actual "war on drugs," I recommend reading this book as soon as possible. This is the type of book that could change a nation, if enough people were willing to read and understand it.
billiamdyemyhair's review against another edition
4.0
Both deeply researched and incredibly welcoming, Dr. Hart describes drug use from a profoundly different perspective than most people are used to.