Pill Head: The Secret Life Of A Painkiller Addict (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
A strange mix of straightforward statistics, stories from current and former addicts and the author's own battles with prescription-drug addiction. His sexual exploits take up too much of the narrative and could scare off potential readers who might otherwise benefit from the information included. His jokes often fall flat and his smugness is a major irritant but, to his credit, he identifies the key question that decades of physicians and regulators have failed to address: how does one separate a person with legitimate needs for pain management from the recreational users? The answer has eluded the medical establishment for years. With 50 percent fewer self-aggrandizement, this might have been a great book. As it is, it's a good but deeply flawed look at this epidemic. I only read about the 1st 2 chapters in this book to realized it isn't really my cup of tea. The author annoyed me and it seems like he used drugs or his writing to get drugs to better his career. Ended up getting addicted and I am sort of annoyed I enabled him further by purchasing his book. Perhaps it would have gotten better, but with so many books out there I want to read, I didn't want to waste my time with reading the rest of this one. One more note - it also wasn't as personal as I would have like for high-interest non-fiction too many stats etc.
What do You think about Pill Head: The Secret Life Of A Painkiller Addict (2009)?
has some interesting insights on the nature of addiction, but not much else
—freehuqs
I can only hope to have the kind heart of the author.
—Beth
