Greenwood Publishing Group, Drugs are pervasive in American culture. Over-the-counter medications, herbal remedies, prescription drugs, and illegal drugs sum up to medicine cabinets filled with drugs in almost every American home. This book is a valuable and usable resource for anyone who reads. Professionals, not trained in medications or drugs, who encounter situations where knowing about a drug or class of drugs can be important, will find this book very helpful. It is well written, includes discussions of classifications of types of drugs, summaries of relevant research for each drug listed, street names and chemical identities, and references for further information about each specific drug. There is a succinct and helpful discussion of addiction, what it is, what it means, and what may be done about it. An illustration of its usefulness is a case where the drug Adderall® was a potential factor. The drug is identified by the name in the index. The drug is a stimulant and the section on stimulants is useful to understand the use and potential benefits and dangers of the drug. The specific discussion of Adderall includes summaries of any research, populations where it is used, and what is important to know about it. In this case, it can be addictive for some individuals. Further references provide a way to get more detailed and further information about it. This is the pattern of resources and information for each specific drug listed. This book is recommended for anyone who has a need to know about drugs and their effects. It is more useful than many other books on drugs and shows the effort of the author to provide solid and reliable information about the drugs. It does that very well. Reviewed by Ralph Underwager, PhD,, Institute for Psychological Therapies.
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