Drugs Books

Deborah Davis' NOT LIKE YOU is a powerful and evocative glimpse into the life of a teen living with an alcoholic parent and all that THAT means. From the bittersweet opening to the truthful yet hopeful final paragraph, NOT LIKE YOU delivers a punch to the gut for anyone who has ever dealt with an alcoholic parent or relative. Kayla is honest and clear-eyed about her situation in a way that makes me want to cry with her, but I enjoyed how Davis shows that even in the midst of a chaotic life, there is promise. Even a reader who has NOT had a similar experience will come away with empathy and compassion for Kayla's--and her mother's--situation.

Kayla's mother has moved them five times in the past two years due to her drinking and problems - and Kayla's been in foster care once, so this time she'll do what she can to keep her mother's life in control. They've just moved to New Mexico, where Kayla is putting down roots and developing friendships. Can she really create her own life - even if it means leaving her mother behind? A sensitive story of alcoholism and stability evolves.

Fifteen-year-old Kayla Hanes is tired of moving on a moments notice to God knows where. She's tired of having a pretend dog as her only friend. She's tired of watching her mom drink herself into a stupor. She's tired of working to pay their bills. She's tired of hoping that maybe this time her mom will be able to quit drinking for good. Essentially, Kayla is the adult in the relationship, and it's beginning to take its toll. As bad as it gets though, it's still better than having to go back into foster care.

Marilyn, Kayla's mom, swears that this time it will be different, she's turning over a new leaf - but that's what she always says. Why should this time be any different? When they get to their new home in a small town in New Mexico, Kayla's small inkling of hope disappears. Their house is a trailer, on a dirty lot, with a creepy landlord.

Kayla starts up a dog walking/training business, meets a boy (who's much too old), and even makes a few friends. Maybe this time will be different. But when Marilyn starts to drink again, and uses Kayla's hard-earned money, and everything starts to fall apart once again, this time it just might be too much.

This is a great story about how much any one person can take, and the different lengths to which they can go to escape. How much is too much? How far is too far to push someone? Where is the line between tough love and abandonment? You want Kayla to get out. You want her to punish her mom. But you end up hurting for Marilyn as much as you do for Kayla.

Maybe, the harder you try to get away from something, the closer you actually come to it. Heart wrenching and hopeful, that's what this book is, and that's what life is.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

Oaktown Devil was so good, one of those finish it in a day because you can't put it down type books.

When I first started reading it I was like what in the world? I guess I was expecting a modern urban tale. The main character started the book off trying to describe his mack game but he clearly was not in 2004, more like the early 90s. This was back in the day of thick gold link and herringbone chains, airbrushed jeans and tees, and skypagers. But once I got past that and into the book there was no stopping. This book was funny as I don't know what. Something for everybody. Urban drama with a tiny bit of mystery mix. Oaktown Devil is probably even more of a treat for Bay area residents because of the descriptions of streets and hangouts in their hometown. Even some Too Short lyrics thrown in for good measure.

Just buy this book, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. I'll be starting the sequel "Shakey's Loose" shortly. Renay Jackson, you got a fan for life.

this book is so full of adventure & true to life in oakland ca.
mr. jackson has some great books. he doesn"t hold back! i would recomend all his books, i only wish he had more out now.
belle
#1 fan from the bay area

This book was not only written ideal for a blockbuster movie, but it had some EXCELLENT food recipes inside the book that made me hungry! As a reader, I can tell this book was written by an older mature author, but the storylines were hot. It's a book about betrayal, drugs, love and urban drama....I don't want to give away the story, buy the book. It's a read you are sure to enjoy. Book clubs, check this one out!!!...I'll be waiting for part 2 "Shakey's Loose" (which is not yet released) :(

On Drugs raises many fascinating issues about drugs in American society. Lenson begins by exploding the myth of a Drug-Free America, and pointing out why the "War on Drugs" has failed, and a brief history of human drug use and American attitudes towards outsiders. One of the most interesting chapters is about drug use as a regression to childhood, and the chapter on stimulant abuse is chilling. Sometimes the author's concerns about consumer society seem to reek of liberal paranoia, but for the most part an excellent book

This is simply a spectacular book. No one has written so well about drugs. Lenson is brilliant on the effects of drugs: what it's like to be high on this or that. He's marvelous on the history of the reception of various drugs--how pot came into the US and how its cultural meanings changed over time. He's also astoundingly good at showing what role drugs have played in the cultural imagination of the past twenty years, and how the war against drugs functions as, among other things, a war to regularize, normalize and delimit consciousness. The writing is very clear, but highly sophisticated, nuanced and often poetic. You gotta read it.

This book is clearly one of the best to ever address links between consciousness, drug consumption, and societal demands. It is superbly written, with entertaining references to science, literature, history, and music. The author reaches an intriguing set of conclusions linking our attitudes about people who want to alter consciousness, the ever-present desire to continue a consumerist culture, and growing ideas about multiculturalism. The tone is very friendly-- the sort of prose that makes you want to sit down with the author over a beer. I particularly like that he draws distinctions among different illicit drugs and shows an appreciation for their varied effects.

One of the most compelling books I've ever read. I couldn't put it down.

Mark Pearlman San Ramon, CA

The life and times of the Rogers' family is a cautionary tale for anyone
who has had a lapse in judgement and lived to tell about it.
Mr. Harveys attention to detail, excellent research and a smooth-flowing
narrative gives you much to reflect upon.
"One Moment Changes Everything" was a very satisfying read.
Looking forward to the author's next book.

"One Moment Changes Everything" is one of those books you can't put down. Sean Harvey has written the story of the Rogers family in a way that touches everyone, sports fan or not. The decision Don Rogers made that evening before his wedding has proven that even the decisions we make in our seemingly private moments, can have far reaching effects beyond our own lives. Mr. Harvey, through obvious painstaking research, manages to paint the Rogers family in a good light. This even when anyone familiar with the family's tragic past and present might cast them in dark shadows. I feel for the family, and that is because of this book. "One Moment Changes Everything" pulled emotion out of me, the sign of an excellent book. Buy it and read it! You will be glad you did.

This was my first experience with Jean Cocteau many years ago. It is a perfect read. This book provides you with a mix of Cocteau's personal history, philosophies, artwork, and overall poetic view of life. This is the best launching point into this well known and complex artist that everyone has heard of but far fewer have experienced.

regardless of its presentation, this is among his most amazing works. I am not familiar with this edition, so... can someone tell me if the illustrations are included during the text or do they follow the text at the end. the former is preferred. thankyou.

Cocteau is a genius. In Opium, Diary of a Cure, he recounts the experience of his recovery from opium addiction in 1929. He gives an account that sometimes touches on his moment to moment experiences of drug withdrawal, sometimes remarks on his current thoughts about other people and things in his world. Since he lived in the world of avante-garde French culture, his comments include Picasso or Satie. His descriptions and criticisms include references to his own works or to the climate of the period and offer a stunning look at his own thoughts in this extraordinary moment.

I think this book offers a valid and awesome alternative to the traditional methods. You need to have a good ammount of discipline to implement this, but it should help greatly.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I deal with a majority of clients who are either court ordered or desire to change their substance (inc'l alcohol)use behaviors. I have been practicing some level of harm reduction by my own intuitive sense of helping people reach their own goals. But, this book has brought me to a new level of understanding what harm reduction can really look like and how it can be put into practice in my office. Realize though, that this book is written for the user and not the clinician; I still see it as highly useful for the clinician to read. It is an easy and engaging book that I hardly wanted to put down. I have so many clients this might be useful for. However, know that even if you are already harm reduction friendly, that this is still a revolutionary approach; it will take a while to really wrap your mind and practice around this philosophy in the way its prescribed in this book. If you are a user who wants to make changes in your substance use but aren't ready or willing to quit, then this is the best book you could possibly buy for yourself. It gets past all the shame and judgement associated with traditional therapies and gets to the heart of why you use, how you can make changes or not make changes, and who you are in relation to your drug of choice. Heck, I think this can help anyone with ANY behavior they are thinking about changing. I have already recommended it to some of my clients and am begining to incorporate these ideals into my practice already.

Anyone troubled by drug or alcohol use but not interested in cold turkey, all or nothing approaches to such problems, really ought to take a good look at Dr. Patt Denning's "Over the Influence: The Harm Reduction Guide for Managing Drugs and Alcohol." Denning and co-authors Jeannie Little and Adina Glickman address substance use in terms of the interplay between the individual and a variety of social, emotional and biochemical factors. The complexity of this framework does much to influence the kind of relationship that same individual might have with substances considered terminally toxic in other treatment circles.

At the heart of this mode of treatment is the notion that people use drugs for particular reasons that may well be obscured in recovery programs where complete cessation of drug use is a condition of treatment. Denning and other harm reduction therapists adhere to the principle that people who use are capable of doing so sensibly, modifying conduct in ways that reduce harm to themselves and others.

Drawing on forty years of clinical experience and addressed to the general public, "Over The Influence" offers a valuable discussion of drugs and other substances along with a review of various psychological and social considerations that enter into patterns of usage. This revolutionary book presents new options in thinking about drugs. It is a must-read for those involved in legal, educational, and personal questions of substance use or misuse.

Anyone troubled by drug or alcohol use but not interested in cold turkey, all or nothing approaches to such problems, really ought to take a good look at Dr. Patt Denning's "Over the Influence: The Harm Reduction Guide for Managing Drugs and Alcohol." Denning and co-authors Jeannie Little and Adina Glickman address substance use in terms of the interplay between the individual and a variety of social, emotional and biochemical factors. The complexity of this framework does much to influence the kind of relationship that same individual might have with substances considered terminally toxic in other treatment circles.

At the heart of this mode of treatment is the notion that people use drugs for particular reasons that may well be obscured in recovery programs where complete cessation of drug use is a condition of treatment. Denning and other harm reduction therapists adhere to the principle that people who use are capable of doing so sensibly, modifying conduct in ways that reduce harm to themselves and others.

Drawing on forty years of clinical experience and addressed to the general public, "Over The Influence" offers a valuable discussion of drugs and other substances along with a review of various psychological and social considerations that enter into patterns of usage. This revolutionary book presents new options in thinking about drugs. It is a must-read for those involved in legal, educational, and simply personal questions of substance use or misuse.

In language as compelling as the importance of the topic, Dr. J. reveals well-guarded secrets about coronary disease, its usual treatment and important options such as ECP. Unless "Passing on Bypass" becomes required reading for all cardiology fellows and practitioners, it may represent the best "second opinion" anyone (faced with angina or a failed treadmill test) can obtain. Courageously written, this book could easily save thousands from making an unnecessary journey to cardiac surgery. After reading this book, the intelligent layperson will generally understand the various options somewhat better than the average cardiologist in practice...so beware.

Dr. George Juetersonke has been my doctor for the last 10 years. His new book "Passing On Bypass" is an excellent example of how his mind works toward helping his patients. This book will give you plenty of information to make an educated decision about whether to have surgery or not. I personally would have the External Counter Pulsation. You lie comfortably on a table and the machine does all the work for you. This is a great breakthrough for heart patients!

This book should be in every cardiologist's office. I'll go even further, it should be required reading before visiting a cardiologist's office. It provides information that is well written and easily understood, quoting "medical studies" that would otherwise remain unavailable and unknown to the average patient. I think everyone, as I was, will be amazed at the results of these "studies". While it doesn't discard bypass surgery, it certainly will open your eyes as to the dark side of this over-performed procedure. I really think that this book will result in saving a lot of people's lives and I know it will help preserve a quality of life that could otherwise be lost. I have bought every book that I can find that has as it's subject matter, Bypass Surgery. This one, by far, is the best and most understandable, while providing more information to equip you in making this most important decision as to the type of treatment you may desire for yourself or a loved one.

Heads up!! You need to have this pediatric guide in your possession when you're out battling the peds world. This is a fantastic, "flip-to-the-page" guide that instantly gives you EVERYTHING you want based on the peds weight. If I hear that my next case is a kid, I immediately pull out THIS guide. *****5 STARS to the author of this pocket manual!!

Eric Cipcic,
CRNA, MSN, NREMT-P

This pocket guide to pediatric anesthesia is an absolute must have, especially during my peds clinical rotation. It provides quick references to pediatric weights, drug dosages, ETT sizes, set-up, etc. all at your fingertips. There is also an abbreviated section on pediatric anomalies. Simply put, don't do pediatric anesthesia without it.

This book is the BEST pediatric reference book that I have seen. It is designed to be a book for use in the OR and it excels at this. The individual tables are indexed by weight and the exact dosages are listed. It is simply superb and all you need for the peds set-up.

Like a cool caribbean breeze,the knowledge to be gleaned from the pages of this book provides the foundation for advanced insight into a realm of science that will forever enhance man's keen sense of discovery.

I used this book in a practical course in medicinal chemistry. Although we had a series of other suggested texts, this was by far the best book we used. Its written clearly and would be fine for a beginning student. The sample problems are nicely worked out and they don't assume that you know everything already. It doesn't do the most thourough job of explaining the theory behind the experimental approaces, but it would suffice for a beginning course in med chem.

Being worked with the author myself I am maybe a bit too partial to write this review. However, since the book has had no review so far, I felt compelled to write something. This book is full of good practical examples of instrumental methods applied to pharmaceutical analysis, writen by someone who had taken the time to actually DO most of the experiments from which the book is based. Not deep into theory, but very good for those seeking practical and sound advice.

Like Donna M. Fenske, who also rated this text, I had purchased many expensive Pharm Texts before buying the 1st edition of this text. At the time I was a PA-C Student at Stanford School of Medicine and this was the best text for successful completion of the program and certification as a PA-C. I am about to take my re-cert (PANRE) and will buy the second edtion. It is straight forward, no fluff and to the point. I think, at my suggestion, this is the current textbook for Pharm at my Alma Mater.... as it Should be! Thank you Virginia and Andrew, well done!

Pharmacotherapeutic for Advanced Practice: A Practical Approach by Arcangelo & Peterson is an excellent resource book with in depth descriptions of medications, herbal products and their uses, as well as dosages, including information on adverse reactions and drug interactions. An excellent resource!

I just completed my Family Nurse Practitioner Program. I have purchased several EXPENSIVE pharmacology books over the past three years, all which made the pharm complicated and difficult to understand. This book is the best, easy to carry and easy to read. The cover is wimpy so am going to take it to a graphics place and have a binder put on it so it does not fall apart.