Drugs Books

Over and over, while reading this book, I had the uncanny feeling I was reading my own story. The unhealthy thought processes, self-destructive and self-debasing tendencies, the hopelessness and despair the author describes, were completely familiar. For that reason I found this book incredibly validating. Lynn's book assured me, more than any I've ever read, I am not alone. Her use of actual therapy sessions was creative and beneficial. She kept my attention from the very beginning. Beyond the Tears will have the reader in tears at times, and some of the experiences are difficult to read because they are so real and heartbreaking. But reading this book is an adventure that is well worth the time. For all who have suffered any kind of abuse or have come from dysfunctional families, this book will be a tremendous help. Beyond the Tears offers hope to all who are seeking healing. Those who suffer from trauma-related struggles will find compassion and courage. As Lynn's title suggests, she truly is a survivor and her story assures us that we can be as well.

Beyond the Tears is amazing. It's a story of incredible courage, strength, and will to not only survive but to thrive and help others. I'm inspired by Lynn's desire to help other women by publishing her own story of trial and suffering. Any woman who has ever suffered childhood abuse or domestic violence will relate to this touching narrative of Lynn's life. Lynn's story gives hope to all women who have ever suffered any form of abuse.

As a male survivor of child abuse, I found this to be an inspiring story of one person's courage to heal from her traumatic upbringing. Child abuse knows no gender. It causes pain and suffering to all those who endure it. Lynn Tolson writes in a clear and driving prose that allows the reader to clearly see life through her eyes. This book shows no bias towards anyone other than the individuals who were abusive to the writer. It took enormous courage to write and publish this book. It has been a healing and uplifting experience for me to read it. I hope that all survivors of abuse will buy and read this. I also hope that those in and interested in the Mental Health field take the time to read and digest this work. If you want to know the type of trauma that befalls a person to attempt suicide, read this story. If you want to believe you can heal from this type of nightmare, I also encourage you to read this book. I'm thankful it was written.

I had a happy childhood. My parents loved me and were wonderful; to this day my mother is one of my best friends and my greatest supporters. Having such a stable family background made it difficult for me to read Beyond the Tears. Lynn Tolson suffered immeasurably. She was abandoned by all of the basic social institutions: the family, the medical system (her stories about psychiatric care are appalling and I'm sure that many people can relate to them) and social service.

Sadly, Lynn did not feel safe enough to confide in her teachers to tell them that she was being sexually abused. There's so much shame and secrecy that is attached to molestation and it takes an incalculable toll on one's psychological and physical health.

With stark candor, Lynn leads us through her devastating experience growing up. But this is not a story simply of pain and victimization. It is a story of triumph over adversity. Not only did Lynn work out her emotional scars with the help of several decent, humane therapists, but she decided to devote her time to giving back to other survivors of sexual abuse. Now Lynn is a social worker helping other people. Who could be more qualified or helpful than someone who has already been there?

Beyond the Tears is required reading for anyone who is interested in the horrifying problem of sexual abuse of children.


Sigrid Macdonald
Author of D'Amour Road

During my research on domestic violence to feature in Sisters in the Lord Magazine for October, which happens to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I ran across Lynn Tolson's, Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story.

By the second paragraph of Beyond the Tears, I was transported into the mind of a young woman bent on suicide and traveled with her through her suicide attempt, discovery, revival in a cold hospital room and transfer to a psyche ward. This was just in the first chapter.

The remainder of my night was shot as I stayed awake, reading each page as quickly as possible so that I might know this woman was okay. That she recovered. That she escaped her abuser and survived.

Intense doesn't begin to describe Beyond the Tears. This writer's true story reads like a best-selling thriller - but it's not fiction. It's Tolson's nightmare that begins the story and her victorious survival that ends it.

Peopled with characters we all know in our own lives, Tolson brings her own cast alive with crisp dialogue and action - oftentimes breathtaking with brutal honesty. Tolson's abuse cycle started as a child and continued through her marriage. The pages turn on their own as this compelling true story shows the cycle of abuse, the mindset of the victim, the actions of the abuser, the betrayal of relatives and friends and finally, the first steps toward healing.

As I suspected when reading Tolson's story, her true calling was to be a writer, which she revealed in a subsequent interview. She is now working on her second survival story - this time she has survived breast cancer.

Beyond the Tears is critical reading for victims of abuse. Through Tolson's story, many will recognize themselves, their families, their spouses, their friends, and from there, recognize that they, too, can heal-even when death seems like the best solution.

Tolson says it best in this quote from her website, "In the meantime, know that my purpose as Lynn C. Tolson is in my initials: LCT, Learning, Creating, Teaching, to provide empowerment of our minds, bodies, and spirits. May this generation break the silence that surrounds sexual assault and incest so that future generations may live in peace."

not a bad book but since i already knew most of the information in it, it wasn't as interesting as i hoped. Yeah, FDA is joke, most doctors prescribe antibiotics without even considering your illness or your medical history, sort of like free candy. Modern medicine became a sham since there are plenty of "alternative" or "natural" cures that work as well as most of medications that are being supressed. I have also had a negative reaction to antibiotics before and because of it stopped taking it altogether. Nothing new there.

"Bitter Pills" is the real-life version of "Strong Medicine" by Arthur Hailey. With a very personal beginning resulting from his wife's near death and slow recovery from taking ONE PILL (Floxin), author Fried went on to find whether there were other victims (many), and why the drug was approved in the first place. Interviews in profusion show why the FDA has its problems. Examples are given of the tendency of drug companies to defend their drugs at any cost regardless of evidence. The end of the book contains addresses of many drug companies, organizations to whom to report adverse drug reactions, and a sample form to send to the FDA. Well thought-out advice for patients (or their helpmates) to investigate drugs are given. A number of other good books on the subject are listed.
Fried is to be congratulated for doing a very accurate job with a minimum number of accusations. I did not find a single technical error in the entire book, and I have about 12 years exploratory drug development and teaching about it as a professor of medicinal chemistry.
Even Fried may not have realized how many drugs not discussed in his book shorten life, because they are tested and accepted based on surrogate endpoints for short periods. This may not be so bad for antibiotics that are taken for two weeks, but can be very destructive for drugs intended to be taken for 20-40 years.

This book begins as a personal story. One day journalist Stephen Fried was forced to rush his wife, novelist Diane Ayres, to an emergency room, when she suffered a severe seizure. She turned out to be suffering an adverse reaction to an antibiotic, Floxin, which she had been instructed to take for a minor urinary infection. "Bitter Pills" grew out of Fried's attempts to understand what had happened to his wife.

Fried, and his readers, soon discover that Diane Ayres' case was not unique, or even rare. Floxin is only one of legions of prescription drugs which can cause severe adverse reactions, which cause at least 45,000 deaths per year in the US (some estimates go as high as 200,000). It is a tribute to Fried's excellence as a reporter that he is able go beyond his dramatic personal story to give a comprehensive picture of what he calls " the hazardous world of legal drugs."

Fried reviews the history of drug regulation in the US, and ably documents the shortcomings of the current regulatory system, as well as the inordinate influence drug companies have on the process. Two of the many specific "hazards" he identifies are the desperate need for doctors to have an independent, reliable source of information on the drugs they prescribe (almost all the informatin they currently have comes from drug manufacturers), and the equally crying need for an effective system for reporting and cataloging adverse drug reactions.

I put this book down very impressed with Fried as both a reporter and a writer. He has clearly immersed himself in an important issue long enough, and deeply enough, that he has mastered it. He has then turned around to convey the complex issues involved to readers very effectively and without losing their interest. I look forward to work of similar excellence from Fried in the future.

I didn't know about Stephen Fried and "Bitter Pills," much less quinolone antibiotics, until I myself was, like Mr. Fried's wife, "Floxed," just a few weeks ago. I began my search for information on reactions to quinolones after four days of gatifloxacin (brandname Tequin) left me with tingling and weak arms and legs, difficulty swallowing and breathing, visual disturbances, headaches, dizziness, and more. I seriously thought I had a stroke or Guillain Barre syndrome or rapid onset multiple sclerosis, I was so sick.

Let me say that first, Stephen Fried's book is an excellent overview of the circumstances of adverse drug reactions to quinolone antibiotics. And with the increased visibility and use of Cipro, and the ease with which doctors dispense heavy-hitting antibiotics like Levaquin and Tequin, I'm sure I'm not going to be the last person to suffer a reaction and end up being "Floxed" and needing the information and reassurance provided by this book.

But it is also much much more. It's an expose of the pharmaceutical industry's fast and loose way of dealing with drugs, drug safety and the American public. This is not a rant -- it's an impeccably researched and detailed presentation of the intricacies involved in drug approvals and tracking of adverse reactions that exposes the limitations of the system, and the dangers those limitations present to us as patients and consumers.

As a patient advocate and spokesperson for thyroid and autoimmune disease patients, I know all too well the feeling of being held hostage to big pharmaceutical companies at the expense of my health and wellness.

Stephen Fried has finally exposed and explained -- clearly and without rancor -- how the drug industry really works, and his book, including the excellent appendix on how to contact pharmaceutical companies, report adverse reactions, protect yourself against bad drugs, and generally protect yourself as a consumer -- is must-reading for every empowered patient or health consumer.

I highly recommend this book to doctors, patients, and anyone who prescribes or takes prescription drugs.

I am another victim of a Fluoroquinolone, just like the author's wife. Take this book very seriously, because what doctors tell you is 'rare' is in fact extremely common. Levaquin (one of the fluoroquinolones) caused me to develop Fibromyalgia. For a time I had to use a walker. I was in constant pain for nearly one full year. Although the doctors say this is 'rare', three other women in my office of 30 people also developed Fibromyalgia after taking one of these pills. In my realm of family and friends, I have discovered nine others...each and every single one had a doctor telling them they did not know the cause of their pains. Each and every single one took a Fluoroquinolone pill before getting these terrible pains that never go away. No doctor will admit to it, and so therefore it goes unreported, and continues to falsely be considered a 'rare event'. There is a group of victims on yahoo that number more than 1600 from all over the world. Some have died or have family members who have died from these pills. Others are permanantly in wheel chairs or confined to bed from the pain. The pain these pills can cause is not like anything else you have ever felt. It's new and extraordinarily tortuous. I have been suffering for almost two years because of ten Levaquin pills. I am only in my 30s and before Levaquin was in great health. The information in this book is worth reading, because the Fluoroquinolones are the most prescribed antibiotic out there, and chances are you will be handed a prescription for one. You need to know the truth about these pills before you even take just one. The first pill nearly ruptured my eyes! The third pill decayed my ankle. The list goes on forever, even long after I stopped the last pill, and you can never be entirely the same after you're affected.

What an amazing transformation. Jorge is man who has the intelligence to run a legitimate business at an early age. Dealing drugs offers him more money then he can fathom. His newly discovered faith turns him on the straight, narrow and happier path. The old saying is true, money cannot buy happiness.

I had to go to jail for possession and happened to come across this book in the library there. I found it impossible to put down once I started to read it. If you get a chance I suggest to anyone to give this book a chance.

I am not a book reader, George gave me a copy of the book when I visited him in Atlanta and the following week I was on vacation in Florida picked up his book and read the entire book could not find a stopping point may God continue to bless his works as he is now touching so many lifes. It took Jesus Christ plus a lot of courage George to write this book.

When I saw this book on the shelf at my local library, I assumed this would just be some preachy, manipulative work in which a drug dealer tries to make his past vanish by finding God. As a lapsed Catholic I found this concept rather weak, but I picked up the book with a (reasonably) open mind, and started reading.
By the time he was in his twenties Jorge Valdes was a cocaine dealer on the rise, dealing to the rich and famous, the living embodiment of wealth and power and luxury; leading a life most of us can imagine only in our wildest dreams. The life of the rich with all the negative excess that goes with it: drugs, pornography, prostitution, infidelity, murder, double-crosses, torture, kidnapping. Enough drama and suspense for a Robert Ludlum novel. The only difference is, this is the real deal. But, as Valdes soon disovers there is a price to all this; and he finds the courage and committment to steer his life onto a new, positive path.
Reading this stirred my intense interest in the good and evil that all human beings are capable of, what Karl Jung called "the shadow". Obviously some of the content of this book is tough to take (Especially Valdes' graphic account of him and an associate being tortured by police for refusing to leak info), but the honesty with which Valdes tells his story and the glimpse the reader gets into his former life makes for fascinating and sometimes horrific reading.
Even though I gave up my religious faith long ago, I still found myself moved by Mr Valdes's committment to his beliefs and how dramatically his life has changed for the better because of his faith. COMING CLEAN is quite simply a remarkable story. I challenge anyone to read this book and finish it without feeling affected. A very moving and powerful work that could only have come from the pen of someone who has lived and breathed the life... and survived to help prevent others from making the same mistakes he did.

From the very first page the reader is drawn into this first person account of the life of Jorge Valdez, former drug smuggler and money launderer.This is a compelling story of intrigue, corruption, power, and greed.

Valdez describes the culture, family life and values of a Cuban family trying to find their dream in America. Valdez emigrated from Cuba with his family when he was 10 years old. He was an honor student and was planning a career in banking and accounting.
A series of events changed his life. He became involved with a drug cartel. By age 20, Valdez was in charge of the entire U.S. operation that included smuggling, distributing drugs, and money laundering.
Valdez eventually got caught and spent a total of 11 years in federal prison. The account of his family's support during his trial and imprisonment is especially touching.

The story is written by author Ken Abraham. The reader is given insight into the world of drug dealers, the prison system, and Valdez's personal ethical values. The book is a well-written account of the dramatic change in the life of Jorge Valdez. This is the testimony of a man freed from the power of sin by the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

Vignettes of fellow prisoners help the reader understand the consequences of bad judgment and wrong choices. The story takes you behind prison walls. The contrast of life in prison before and after Jorge's conversion give solid evidence of a man changed by the power of Christ.
While in prison Jorge earned an undergraduate degree from Southeastern Bible College and most of his credits for a graduate degree from Wheaton College. After his release Valdez completed his graduate studies at Wheaton College and went on to Loyola University to earn a doctorate in New Testament theology.
Valdez has made himself vulnerable in this honest portrayal of his strengths and weaknesses. It is a story of depravation, faith, forgiveness, and a new start. I am looking forward to another installment relating the miracles of Coming Clean Ministries in Tyrone, a nondenominational Christian ministry. This ministry seeks to intercept youth who are on destructive paths by redirecting their lives to become productive members of society.

It is VERY nice book. Especially for medical students and residents.
You can understand from detail to basic of diseases. With this book, you know how to approach and make your list of differential diagnosis.
I worked for infectious disease patients for a while, and this book was very useful because you can get the general knowledge not only about infectious diseases but also general internal medicine, skin lesions, bone diseases, and so on. I especially recommend the chart of antibiotics(Chart 37). I like this book because we can also get the update etiology of diseases. So nice.

This book packs in all the important aspects of client treatment into each section. The headings are a little hard to see when skimming, but the information is excellent. A must have for Nurse Practitioner school!

Very concise, covering a large number of conditions with information about clinical features, diagnosis and treatment... just the best medical book for students, residents and general prationers.

Everyone has a few books they constantly refer to in their library. This is one of mine. The whole CURRENT series is excellent & I update every new issue as soon as it is available. Ideal reference with clear concise text & pictures throughout the book

It is a very good and useful book. It has everything you'd want in it plus more. It includes the signs and syptoms, what you can do to treat the problem, etc. I just wish that it had pictures in it so you could have more to go off of.

Hooked is a facinating story of five peoples lives and should be read for this alone. The author does a great job of telling their stories. Painlessly wrapped inside these stories is a Masters Degree on the drug treatment system.

Hooked will give you an insight into drug treatment systems without the bias of the creators. Hooked will give you years of development history and terminology.

Finally, if your state or county is going to start or start-over a drug treatment program Hooked will tell you the best approach. The approach selected has results that clearly make it the plan of choice. (Read the book for the answer.)

I work in the drug-use prevention field. I purchased this book for my own education. I became emotionally involved in the lives of the drug addicts featured in the book. It was beneficial to learn about their backgrounds and to see their daily lives in detail. I learned a great deal and am even more passionate about my work now!

drug rehab right between the eyes that pulls no pun ches and shows us where we need to go next

This book is amazing. I rarely give books 5 stars, but this one is exceptional - fair, honest, compassionate without being treacly, thorough, thoughtful, well-written. Shavelson does a remarkable job profiling his subjects, the reasons for their drug use and how it turned into abuse, and the challenges they face just finding treatment (not to mention completing it). He describes each program fully and carefully before evaluating them, so that the reader can understand the basis for his criticisms and form her own opinion. Despite the sad outcomes of some subjects, Shavelson offers the reader a glimmer of hope by showing us what is likely to work, why addicts are worth saving, and why numerous "second chances" at treatment are necessary and eventually pay off. Read this book!

Hooked is a very good book. It starts of as one of those investigative journalist things with a description of real drug addicts. Often books of this type look at these people as if they were the inmates of a zoo, but rather than doing that the book uses their problems to illustrate the difficulties which plague organisations which provide assistance to drug addicts.

One woman suffers from a combination of mental illness and drug abuse. Her attempts to find help are continually frustrated by the fact that when she applies for assistance from mental health professionals she is told that she has a drug problem and she is referred onwards. When she speaks to drug agencies she is told that she has a mental health problem and told to see a psychologist. In the last chapter of the book she is able to find an agency which will help her, but this occurs only after the intervention of one of the doctors. The intake staff is concerned about accepting her as they prefer people who have fewer problems and who are easy to deal with.

A lot of the book is focused on one person Mike who attends a live in facility for close to a year. His story illustrates how current rehabilitation facilities fail to have access to services such as detoxification and also use ritual humiliation as a means of controlling the inmates. Mike breaks a rule by developing a relationship with another inmate. He has to sit in a chair for three days and to go through a re-education session similar to those that featured in the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The author makes the point that the people running the program are generally untrained and not able to work out when such treatment is appropriate or whether those who might be put through it could suffer from major mental illnesses. Those people who suffer from substance abuse problems generally will have a background of some difficulty. In this case Mike was a person who was raped repeatedly as a child. There was however no psychological treatment available in the program. More important however is the inability of the program to deal with relapse. Drug addiction is a problem that is often defined by the tendency to relapse. However the response of Mikes program was to kick him out. That is despite the fact that if allowed back into the program his prognosis would have been good.

The author is an admirer of the Drug Court system. The reason for his admiration is that the Drug Court is better able to make the diverse and not well functioning elements of the treatment system accountable. Thus they use relapses to build the drug addicts skills in dealing with their addiction so that they are more likely to stay clean. They can also ensure that rehab placements accept people, provide them with appropriate care and they can also direct addicts to detoxification.

The book is not only an interesting discussion of the issues the author is able to interest the reader in the story of the addicts he studies. One can see them as humans and follow their struggle to get on top of their problems and to live lives as valuable citizens. A book which should be a must read for anyone with an interest in the area.

This is a great, informative book about both illegal and legal drugs from A to Z. It also goes into depths about the whole drug war. After reading it, I can see what a scam the 'War on Drugs' was and still is today. It is all about the media twisting our thoughts into what they and people in power want us to believe. Reading this book encouraged me to learn more about the subject. It turns out that the whole war on drugs was largely started due to Harry Anslinger, the first Drug Czar, being a racist. He hated Chinese immigrants who used opium, Mexicans who used marijuana, and African Americans who used cocaine. Of course, Caucasian Americans also used these drugs, but that's not the demographic he focused on.

I actually used to believe all the crap that the government feeds us about how bad drugs are and how they destroy communities and what not. This may be true for a small percentage of cases, but you have to ask yourself, what about the 200,000 people that die every year from alcohol and the over 400,000 that die every year from tobacco, and those drugs are legal. Furthermore, even if illegal drugs are "bad" (by the way, combined, they only kill 5,000-8,000 people per year according to this book), who has the right to tell anybody what they can put in their own bodies? Who has the right to lock somebody up when the only person they endanger is their self? Illegal drugs, just like legal drugs, have potential for abuse and because of this, they should be treated as a health epidemic and not a crime. The government should spend their money teaching people about drugs instead of throwing them in jail. And when I say teaching people about drugs, I don't mean inflate the facts and lie to people, I mean actually tell the truths and let them make their own decisions.

A century ago, people would probably have cringed at the idea of our government exercising so much authority over us. The bottom line is that the whole thing is unconstitutional; not that that seems to make a difference in this day and age. People need to read books like this one and learn how we are being manipulated and having our personal liberties eroded before it goes too far. Just look at the Patriot Act and this whole North American Union concept.

Buy this book, read it, and let the facts speak for themselves.

This book was an eye-opener. I specifically bought it for an online course I am taking towards my CASAC certification. It gave me information that I wasn't aware of. An excellent book for anyone, even if you are not in the field of counseling or medicine.

The subject of illegal drug abuse in the US and all around the world is explored in this book. The book provides thorough information about chemical charateristics, type of drug, street names, origin, the ethnic group or race the drug is associated with, synthetic forms of the drug as well as an interesting history of the particular drug and their use dated back centuries ago!

Overall I found this book an informative, engaging read and would strongly recommend it to anyone!

Doesn't seem like a fact is missed inside this cherished masterpiece. If your a cop, corrections officer, medic, lawyer, everyone can stand to learn something from this book.

Paul Gahlinger does an excellent job of finding "all" of the 178 or whatever number he says is the number of illegal drugs in (I guess) America. He readily admits that the war on drugs is not working, but then compliments the DEA on its extreme efforts to curve the war on them. This is a rather old subject of thought that has been updated time and time again. He is an MD from Utah, so remember that as you read. On many of the issues he raises he is correct, but on several he not. For example, he states that caffeine (on page 180) is "highly addictive, creating both physical and phychological dependence after as little as 100mg a day." Now, if that were true, most of my friends and I would be in the ER every other day!! Goodness. This is totally false and he knows it. Also in the book he includes the deaths of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe to get his point across that almost everything except water is not good for you-- or can be addicting. His data at times is two sentences, and his sources are questionable, because they are not listed. I must admit he covers just about any, and I do mean any substance that could used to make something illegal. But Dr. Gahlinger is missing the point. We also have outlawed murder, but it still happens. There are laws against theft, but people steal. I had a student tell me he gets stoned sniffing gasoline, so does the author want to outlaw gasoline also? The US laws are full of these draconian statutes which give the government unlimited power of seizure already. One legislator in congress said recently the US cannot afford to win the war on drugs because it has become too lucrative for the DEA and other governmental agencies. The author says knowledge is the only way to win the war on drugs..haven't we done DARE for 15 years now? It does NOT work. This is a very good text on the history of illegal drug use, but is a little weak on the pharmaceutical aspects or dynamics of how medications become addictive to human beings. Can anyone say the drug problems of the 70s are any better now, almost 40 years later? I do question some of his numbers and science, but as far as covering a subject matter, this is a fine addition to anyone's library. Just double check the numbers before using it as a reference. guyairey

What a superior career guide! After looking at several books, I found Ms. Williams' Insider's Guide... and used it to prepare for a pharmaceutical sales career. Three weeks after buying the guide, I have a job with Pfizer!! There is no way that I could have prepared for those FIVE interviews without the Insider's Guide... I wasn't surprised by a single interview question. This book is the best investment I've ever made. I can't recommend it enough to anyone who wants a career in pharmaceutical sales.

I'm writing this review because the previous comment by "Chris S." is wrong. This isnt a book you should "read in one night" and it is not just general information. This book is an insider's GUIDE to pharm sales, not the insider's guide to info on pharma companies. The guy doesn't know what he's talking about. This book has EVERYTHING you need to know about getting into pharm. sales. It's the one stop book of info. that will give you exact interview questions, complete overview of the entire interview process, in depth explanations of what's expected of a pharm. sales rep, and a good overview of well, everything. It's almost like sitting with a pharm. sales rep and asking him/her questions. I was a college grad with barely any sales experience. I had a friend in pharm. sales who recommended this book, and with the help of the book and my friend, I was able to get through 6 VERY competitive interviews with a pharma powerhouse company. Again, I didn't have any professional sales experience. I bought other pharm sale books as well and returned them. Nothing compares to this book. If your looking to get into the world of pharmaceutical sales, just like the title says, then this book is for you. Don't pass it by and if you get the interview, don't for to ABC - Always Be Closing!

Four stars to Jane Williams for writing a comprehensive text like book on getting a job in pharmaceutical sales. Excellent content but could have been a bit more original in both style and format. I chose this book because after reading the reviews it promised to be the most comprehensive guide available. I was not dissappointed, but in order to be the most comprehensive information, I also ordered PharmRepSelect audio book CD and Interview Insight CD along with this book. Good choice, because it provides different view points from authors with different styles and experience.I recommend information on different formats, keeps it way less boring, together this is a five star package! Thanks to Insider's Guide book and PharmRepSelect audio CDs I aced my interview and now work for a pharmaceutical company selling anti cancer drugs. Going to work is rewarding and I thank these authors for their help in getting me a career I enjoy.

Okay people, I bought the book 3 months ago, and I must say it is the bomb!!! I have no sales experience, but this book guided me step by step. It even gives you various scenarios with various answers. It is outstanding for a newcomer to the industry. Take heed and get the book!! I wanted the newest edition, but it hadn't come out yet and I was desperate to begin my research. I had 2 interviews with the same company--I was referred by my pharmaceutical sales rep friend--and I believe they went well. I am waiting to proceed to the next step, which is with the district manager. Needless to say, I was overly prepared. The binder the book suggests you put together totally "WOWED" the interviewer. 2 words...THE BOMB!

As a professional sales consultant, I am always looking for books that I can utilize as a consultant. The new 7th Edition of the "Insider's Guide..." is absolutely fantastic! This book offers excellent advice on networking, the pharmaceutical industry and the new physician call guidelines for pharmaceutical sales representatives, understanding the interview process, using personality profiling to your advantage, 150 specific detailed pharmaceutical sales interview questions and answers as well as major pharmaceutical company profiles and contract sales organizations contact information.

The book is very well written, professionally edited, and reflects the author's credibility. It is easy to see why this book is being utilized by college and university sales and marketing professors for their sales and marketing courses and special sales classes.

We have more than hundred books but this book is the my first one that we can not take it off... usefull bible of vet.

My son is a vet and had requested this book. He raves about the ease of use and the relevant content

Great reference for any professional involved in treatment or care of animals. Excellent detail for anyone who needs a validated source of medication information for their pet. Great details on medications for the vet or the animal caregiver. Details medications, chemistry, storage, stability and compatibility, pharmacology, uses and indications, pharmacokinetics, contraindications, precautions, reproductive safety, adverse effects, drug/drug interactions, drug/lab interactions, dosing, monitoring parameters, and dosage forms both vet and human. This is a quality veterinary drug reference!

this book is great. i'm in vet school and it describes everything perfectly and is very easy to understand.

This book gives all the information you will need about each drug, it's approved use, approved dosages, and different forms for each species.

A "must have" resource for any serious breeder!

Fascinating look into the world of OCD -- spelled out in an informative, entertaining fashion.

I originally picked this gem up thinking it would be interesting to read from a psychological point of view. Once I started into it, though, I began to recognize certain elements of my own behavior. Though I would not say I am a full-blown OC, I do sometimes have obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors (probably as most people do at some time in their life). Just the title and him referring to the tapes that keep replaying in his brain was enough for me to squash my own destructive thoughts. Whenever I start wasting time on obsessive thoughts, I just think of his analogy of the tapes that keep playing, then rewinding and replaying. I then choose to shut the tape player off. Very freeing! A courageous and interesting story. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Bell.!

This book brought me to tears. It so reminded me of my daughter's struggle with anxiety disorders. One thing that all people need to be reminded of is, Jeff, nor anyone with anxiety disorders, is ever cured. It is not overcome. It is coped with - sometimes better than other times. Your life and those around you are still affected by the disorder. You still have symptoms but are better able to not let them control you. This takes energy. If someone you know has anxiety disorders, remember this.

I cannot recommend this account of a person's journey into the terrors of OCD highly enough. I suffer from OCD and read as much as I can on this topic, and this is the best personal story I have ever encountered on this subject. Without whining or blaming, the author carefully and honestly shares his torture. With a reporter's skills, he has us on the scene with him, feeling his agony and rooting for his recovery. A close friend who does not have OCD and borrowed my book was equally in awe of the author as she read of his struggle and his eventual recovery. I would recommend this book to family and friends of OCD sufferers as Jeff shares what his wife, children and parents went through during the height of his disorder. Professionals who treat OCD sufferers will benefit from it as well. It will be a real eye opener into our world. You will not be disappointed in this heartfelt, amusing, and heartbreaking story. This is a book I found extemely hard to put down. Please read this book.

Jeff Bell uses the metaphor of a tape player to describe his struggle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in his harrowing memoir, "Rewind, Replay, Repeat." Bell has been a successful radio personality for many years, which makes his willingness to come clean about his illness all the more remarkable. He is a doubter, who states, "I have all five of my senses, but tend not to trust any of them." Because he does not believe what he perceives, Bell mentally replays entire sequences of his life over and over again. He also revisits places to check that he has not harmed anyone or failed to do something essential. He calls his story "a tale of fear and torment and agony and shame."

After experiencing a few OCD symptoms as a child, Bell enjoys a normal adolescence, goes on to college, earns an MBA, marries his college sweetheart, and starts a career in commercial radio. He and his wife, Samantha, have a little girl, Nicole. Everything is going wonderfully. Unfortunately, the peace of mind that he enjoyed for so many years is shattered when his OCD returns with a vengeance. He begins to obsess about a near-collision that occurs while he is piloting his father's boat. He spends hours worrying about some minor damage that he may have inflicted on someone else's cabin cruiser. Not only does he think about this event constantly, but he also visits the marina over and over to look for physical clues. This fixation on an unimportant incident takes over his life to such an extent that it begins to affect his marriage and his ability to concentrate at work. He stays up all night worrying, and his sleeplessness makes him groggy during the day. Rather than owning up to his condition, Bell makes a valiant effort to hide the truth from his colleagues, friends, and loved ones. He is living a double life and it is destroying him emotionally.

Even after he reluctantly shares his secret with his family and agrees to seek help, the first therapist that Bell consults has no useful answers for him. Although his devoted wife is steadfast in her support of her beleaguered husband, she finds his behavior increasingly unsettling. After sixteen months of "pent-up rage," Bell curls up on the bathroom floor of his house and bawls like a baby. He is deteriorating and he has no idea what to do to make things better.

"Rewind, Replay, Repeat" illuminates the agonizing world of doubters and checkers--those unfortunate souls who cannot leave well enough alone. OCD sufferers include: the woman who must unlock her front door repeatedly to check the stove; the driver who feels compelled to circle the block to make sure that he didn't run over a pedestrian; the terrified child who keeps asking his mother the same question a thousand times and is never satisfied with the answer; the washers who scrub their hands dozens of times a day until their skin is raw and painful; and the savers who hoard objects of no value until their homes resemble garbage dumps. Medical science has yet to pinpoint exactly what causes the brains of OCD patients to misfire.

This is an intensely personal, painfully honest, and extremely detailed look at one man's journey into the abyss and back. After he learns that he has OCD, an incurable condition, Bell struggles for years to get his life under control with a combination of spiritual awakening, a support group, cognitive behavioral therapy, and drug treatment. "Rewind, Replay, Repeat" is an informative, touching, and vividly written first-person account that will give hope and comfort to OCD sufferers and their families. It is a welcome addition to other excellent non-fiction works on this subject that include the classic "The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing" by Judith Rappaport and "Brain Lock" by Jeffrey Schwartz.

I was diagnosed a brain tumor 5 years ago, it was removed 15 days later. I was astonished to find so much informations in this book I shoud have known from the very beginning that nobody knew or dare to share with me.
I strongly recommend this book for someone dealing with this problem (family, patients). The message of the book can be summed up as "Grab your illness yourself and fight". It also give hope which is invaluable although many things influence the outcome (each case is different). Nonetheless I was convinced (as a scientist myself) with the pragmatic approach of the author.

Dr. Ben Williams is an excellent writer who provides a rare opportunity for readers to learn about his "terminal" cancer through a scientist's eyes. In short, he has already survived and thrived over 15 years after he received a diagnosis of a disease that was supposed to lead to a rapid trip to the undertaker. In part one, he shares a very personal view of his own round-trip to Hades. His wry sense of humor makes it enjoyable, even though we share his painful experiences in the hands of some physicians who are not going to win awards for bed side manners. Patients and their loved ones can be torn apart by the healing art of medicine that was meant to cure them, but Dr. Williams kept his dignity and his wits about him, allowing his survival. In part two, Dr. Williams explains why the medical system needs reform. This is an excellent review of some of the basic flaws of scientific medicine. Physicians be warned, Dr. Williams is an iconoclast with a razer sharp mind and first rate scientific credentials, even after being kicked in the head with a near fatal brain tumor. Many physicians who have not had the benefit of an inductive scientific approach may be surprised to learn new ways of examining data. Third, Dr. Williams shares information that your oncologist won't tell you, including alternative medicine, supplements, cutting edge treatments and sources of information. Throughout the book the layman is provided with helpful guidance that will enable the patient and his/her caretakers to make their own choices. The book is also important because Ben was a very patient mentor to me when I was an undergraduate studying experimental psychology at the University of California, San Diego, some 33 years ago. I have the greatest respect for him as a leading scientist and a teacher; and now I have an even more profound respect for him as a tough fighter, and a leader who used his scientific prowess to save his own life, and who then wrote about it to help save others. My bias in favor of Ben aside, this important book will probably change the way cancer is dealt with politically, clinically and scientifically. It is an inspiration to all of us because it shows that what makes the human brain truly amazing is its ability to not only recover function, but to actually improve itself as a result of trauma. They say, "Physician, heal thyself". Dr. Williams not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. Bravo!

My sister was recently diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and I have been trying for more than three weeks to get information on the internet about available treatments. I found out about this book on the Wikipedia page on Glioblastoma. Reading this book has been extremely helpful for me to understand what my sister is dealing with and what I can do to maximize her chances of survival by finding information on the available treatments and their likelihood of sucess. Moreover the survival story of the author is truly inspiring and gives hope to patients and family members that the gloomy statistics of the medical establishment about this monstruous disease may be beaten.

The Gold Standard treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) brain tumors is a combination of surgery, radiation and the chemotherapy themozolomide (Temodar / Temodal).

Untreated, GBM uniformly kills its victims within four months.

For 10% of all patients treated with radiation, that survival expectation increases to two years. At four years, 3% of the original group will still be alive.

Add Temodar and surgery to that radiation, and 27% of those treated can expect to survive to two years. At four years, 12% of those treated with the Gold Standard combination will still be alive.

University study press releases cheer the dramatic increase in surivival rates for patients receiving Tamodar along with radiation and surgery. From 10% to 27% for two years and from 3% to 12% for four years are big jumps.

While the numbers do represent a significant increase, the fact remains that at four years, 88% of those receiving the Gold Standard treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme tumors will be dead.

In 1995, before Temodar was anywhere near the marketplace, Dr. Ben Williams discovered that he had a large Glioblastoma Multiforme tumor. Williams looked at the survival rates for those receiving the recommended treatment and did not like the odds.

A research scientist and academic, Williams scoured every resource to create a state-of-the-art Glioblastoma Multiforme protocol. He received all of the standard treatment, which he supplemented with six other anti-cancer, pro-immune agents (and aspirin for the side effects).

Williams combined the prescribed treatment:
* Surgery (which left mass behind)
* Radiation
* BCNU chemotherapy
* PCV chemotherapy

With these addition of these agents:
* Tamoxifen
* Verapamil
* Accutane
* Melatonin
* Mushroom extract
* Gamma Linolenic Acid
* Aspirin

The treatment the oncologist recommended was certain to result in Williams' death. Yet the doctor refused any treatment outside the standard protocol, for fear of doing harm.

Williams believed that nothing was more harmful than death. The oncologist only budged a little. He gave Williams some Tamoxifen. Everything else Williams took to reduce his tumor - including a higher dose of Tamoxifen than the oncologist would prescribe -- he researched and obtained on his own.

A 1995 Gold Standard for GBM tumor treatment did not exist. The oncologist offered surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The difference between 1995 and 2007 is the accuracy of the radiation and the quality of the chemotherapy.

At two years from diagnosis - when 92% of patients receiving standard treatment would be dead - Williams received the first of what is now 12 years of clean MRIs.

Williams regards his low-toxicity drug cocktail as a synergistic weapon against glioblastoma multiforme. He compares the current Gold Standard GBM treatment to the AZT AIDS treatment. Although AZT worked at first, the body developed a resistance to it. No more HIV patients were alive at four years on AZT than off of it.

GBM cancer cells also adapt to chemotherapy. They're not adept at adapting to the low-toxicity cocktail Williams invented. The Accutane prevented the cancer cells from consuming the cells nearby. The Tamoxifen slowed the cancer cells' ability to extrude out the chemotherapy. The Gamma-Linolenic Acid produced free radicals inside the tumor, killing it from the inside out.

As a rule, oncologists do not offer these treatments to brain tumor patients. These treatments are not "proven." If the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not blessed the substance then the doctor will not prescribe it, even if the doctor's treatment itself means almost certain death.

Doctors know, says Williams, that their patients will die. So what is the problem prescribing low-toxicity agents that might cure brain tumors?

Going outside the system can have a dramatically negative affect on a doctor's career. He might be accused of fraud, profiteering or incompetence. In a profession based on the credo "First, do no harm," doctors would first like to do no harm to their own careers.

Doctors find themselves trapped between the FDA and the medical self-policing infra-structure on the one hand, and certain death for their patients on the other.

Doctors won't prescribe the cocktail agents Williams took because they are not "proven" according to FDA standards. The approval process requires billions of dollars. Pharmaceutical companies won't research drugs that will not be economically viable. The drug must be exclusive to the pharmaceutical company. The population requiring the drug must be large enough to expect a return on investment.

Many of the agents Williams used to cure his cancer are not patentable. Competitors would be able to copy and sell the compound. About 12,000 people a year are diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme tumors. The market is not large enough to justify very expensive scientific trials.

Beaten down by disease, radiation and chemotherapy, few GBM patients have the energy to climb the hurdles to promising but not "proven" treatments. Even when the outcome is certain death patients who ask for more will not receive it. Just as AIDS patients created political pressure to get "unproven" treatments for HIV, Williams encourages GBM patients to insist on access to "unproven" treatments for GBM.

Dispensing only "proven" treatment is legal, says Williams. But denying dying patients access to substances that could save their lives is grossly unethical. Already fighting the deadliest of brain tumors, patients should not have to fight for promising but "unproven" cures. Until the political pressure on the FDA reaches a critical mass, he says, the GBM Gold Standard Treatment will still produce a four year death rate of 88%.


[...]

This book was written by Dr. Williams, an eminent and widely published experimental psychologist in the field of learning theory and many other related fields. Dr. Williams was diagnosed in 1995 with a glioblastoma with, for all practical purposes, zero chance of survival. He immediately went on a quest for maximizing his chances of survival by evaluating and combining traditional and nontraditional treatment approaches. Today, in 2007, he is alive and well. This book should be of interest for anyone, even if not affected by cancer personally. I found it a remarkable account of how one can deal with catastrophic diagnoses and seemingly hopeless situations. It also critiques current FDA policies and conventional medical practice by providing a wealth of facts, literature citations, and well-developed logical arguments. There is also a very readable discussion of the statistical approach, written for a lay audience, of experimental design, and of implications for the methods for the social and medical/biological sciences. This book includes a systematic, open, thoughtful, and fair evaluation of so-called alternative treatments. The evaluation of these alternative treatments is so convincing because it was undertaken by someone like Dr. Williams, who knows the scientific approach so well. I call this book "inspirational" for anyone who has to tackle important life-and-death decisions.