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David Nutt
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Drugs without the hot air: Making sense of legal and illegal drugs Hardcover – 16 Jan. 2020

by David Nutt (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 422 ratings
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The dangers of illegal drugs are well known and rarely disputed, but how harmful are alcohol and tobacco by comparison? The issue of what a drug is and how we should live with them affects us all: parents, teachers, users – anyone who has taken a painkiller or drunk a glass of wine. Written by renowned psychiatrist, Professor David Nutt, Drugs without the hot air casts a refreshingly honest light on drugs and answers crucial questions that are rarely ever disputed. What are we missing by banning medical research into magic mushrooms, LSD and cannabis? Can they be sources of valuable treatments? How can psychedelics treat depression? Drugs without the hot air covers a wide range of topics, from addiction and whether addictive personalities exist to the role of cannabis in treating epilepsy, an overview on the opioid crisis, and an assessment of how harmful vaping is. This new expanded and revised second edition includes even more details on international policies, particularly in the US. David's research has won international support, reducing drug-related harm by introducing policies that are founded on scientific evidence. But there is still a lot to be done. Accessibly written, this much-awaited second edition is an important book for everyone that brings us all up to date with the 'war of drugs'.
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  1. Part of series
    without the hot air
  2. Print length
    448 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    UIT Cambridge LTD
  5. Publication date
    16 Jan. 2020
  6. Dimensions
    2.54 x 2.54 x 2.54 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    0857844946
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0857844941
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

Engaging, informed, contemporary and wise: David Nutt's new edition will inform anyone touched by the myriad psychoactive chemicals we call drugs. That's everyone. --Peter B Jones, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge

Drugs without the hot air is a highly readable and informative survey of the current state of play on recreational drug use and abuse by one of our leading clinical psychopharmacologists. David Nutt confronts the many controversial issues concerning both legal and illegal drug use, including its political regulation, with a combination of common sense, evidence-based argument and passion. --Trevor Robbins, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge

Professor Nutt takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the history and science of psychoactive substances - legal and illegal - and explores the disconnect between the science and policy. He effectively tackles media scare stories deconstructing the evidence and challenging dominant narratives around drugs. Most importantly Professor Nutt highlights the damage done by the War on Drugs and considers alternative approaches to reduce the harms of the illicit drugs trade. This book is for anyone interested in learning about drugs and drug policy - it is accessible, engaging, thought-provoking and there is definitely not a hint of hot air. --Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director of Release, Centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law

About the Author

David Nutt is a psychiatrist, founding chair of DrugScience and the Edmund J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology in Imperial College London. The Times Eureka science magazine voted him one of the 100 most important figures in British Science, and the science journal Nature and Sense about Science awarded him the John Maddox Prize for Standing up for Science. David hosts The Drug Science Podcast, and his writing has featured in numerous publications, including The Guardian, the Lancet and BBC Science Focus. David is a former President of: the European Brain Council; the British Association of Psychopharmacology; the British Neuroscience Association; and the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and he holds visiting Professorships at the Open University and University of Maastricht. In 2016 the University of Bath awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ UIT Cambridge LTD; 2nd edition (16 Jan. 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0857844946
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0857844941
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 2.54 x 2.54 x 2.54 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 422 ratings

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David Nutt

David Nutt

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
422 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very readable and understandable. They say it provides useful information and insights into the facts about drugs. Readers describe the book as excellent, brilliant, and worth every penny. Additionally, they mention it contains real scientific data on the physical and social effects of drugs.

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ReadabilityEnlightenedValue for moneyHarmSenateSuspenseful
16 customers mention ‘Readability’16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very readable and understandable. They say it's a must-read for policy makers and anyone interested in or involved with the issue. Readers also mention the book is informative and brilliant.

"...In spite of its thoroughness and basis in science, it is very readable, being aimed at the general reader...." Read more

"Very accessible but scientifically and intellectually thorough account of all areas surrounding the issue of drugs...." Read more

"...Very readable, enlightening and a useful book for everyone, since almost everyone uses drugs of some kind...." Read more

"Good approach to a subject which is riddled with double standards the approach taken gives a perspective which is clear in its aims whilst offering..." Read more

15 customers mention ‘Enlightened’15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enlightening and useful. They say it provides real scientific data on the physical and social effects of drugs. Readers also mention the book is thought-provoking and well-written. They appreciate the details about history, chemistry, and international/UK laws.

"...It is comprehensive in that it includes information on all drugs; recreational, medicinal, legal and illegal, everything from coffee to crack...." Read more

"Very accessible but scientifically and intellectually thorough account of all areas surrounding the issue of drugs...." Read more

"...Facts without hype or hysteria, and a lot of useful information and suggestions that could save lives and reduce harm of all kinds - not least from..." Read more

"...It provides plenty of detail about the history, chemistry, effects of drugs, international/UK laws, statistics, research, etc in order to enable the..." Read more

10 customers mention ‘Value for money’10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book excellent, brilliant, and informative. They say it's worth every penny.

"This is an awesome book by one of the world's leading authorities on drugs and addiction...." Read more

"A remarkable scientist. Highly recommended. Book is worth every penny. All you need to know about legal and illegal drugs. We'll written." Read more

"Most definitely recommended reading. For those who want a breakdown of how & why the war on drugs has failed & continues to fail...." Read more

"It's a good read, although I had probably read pretty much everything professor Nutt had said on the matter already." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Harm’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's potential for harm to be true.

"...Their origins, their effects, the dangers and the benefits, the distorted way in which they have been looked at in political terms - to put it..." Read more

"...useful information and suggestions that could save lives and reduce harm of all kinds - not least from what is currently society's most harmful..." Read more

"...Nutt does a great job of describing the history, pharmacokinetics, risks and cultural ties of most common drugs...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Senate’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the senate very sensible, unbiased, and likeable.

"...I see him as a genuine likeable person who does his job without a hidden agenda. He speaks facts, not propaganda...." Read more

"Iv always liked david nutt, he seem like a very sensible unbiased person, he speaks sense and sadly the government are too bloody stupid to listen..." Read more

"Informative and Sensible..." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Suspenseful’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful, accessible, and engaging. They also appreciate the latest scientific information and lack of scaremongering.

"...Nutt did a brilliant job at explaining, in a very accessible and engaging manner, the latest scientific evidence there is on drugs and the..." Read more

"No more scare mongering...." Read more

"More thrilling than a thriller!..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

John Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and common sense
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 September 2013
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This is a comprehensive and well written book on all aspects of drugs. It is comprehensive in that it includes information on all drugs; recreational, medicinal, legal and illegal, everything from coffee to crack. It covers everything from the prehistory of drug taking to the present day 'war on drugs', with particular emphasis on drug policy in the UK, pointing out some of the unintended negative side effects of this policy, and also some of its inconsistencies. For example, he points out that tobacco and alcohol are drugs that are much more dangerous than many illegal drugs. I found his analysis of the place of tobacco and alcohol in our drug culture particularly engaging. Nutt strives to be scientific and factual. He calls for policy to be based on science and the facts, and for the public, young people and their parents to be armed with accurate information about the risks and benefits of drug taking. The last chapter - on what to tell our children - is particularly useful. The book is well researched and referenced, and also has a useful index with definitions of the words indexed. In spite of its thoroughness and basis in science, it is very readable, being aimed at the general reader. No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed, and a well motivated teenager should be able to read it without difficulty. So there you are, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, read this book!! If only..........
18 people found this helpful
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Miles
5.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking and comprehensive insight into drugs and the war on drugs.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 December 2023
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Very accessible but scientifically and intellectually thorough account of all areas surrounding the issue of drugs. Their origins, their effects, the dangers and the benefits, the distorted way in which they have been looked at in political terms - to put it mildly - and a brilliant polemic for a change in the existing misconceived as well outdated drugs laws. The author also suggests a plethora of new methods of dealing with drugs socially which are imaginative, practical and flexible. Goes into a lot of fascinating details about neuropharmacologist also. As it stands, it looks like the current drugs legislation has done nothing to ameliorate the supply, the demand for and the harm done by these drugs. In fact they’ve only made matters worse for numerous reasons. A must read for policy makers and anyone interested and/or involved with the issue.
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Trish C
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read. Sense without hype, backed up by research
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 October 2014
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This should be required reading for policy makers. Facts without hype or hysteria, and a lot of useful information and suggestions that could save lives and reduce harm of all kinds - not least from what is currently society's most harmful (overall) drug: alcohol.

Very readable, enlightening and a useful book for everyone, since almost everyone uses drugs of some kind. You may not think so, because we arbitrarily divide drugs into those that are legal and those that are illegal. You may not even think of the legal ones as drugs, (e.g. alcohol, tobacco, caffeine), but they are. And you could be forgiven for thinking that the legal drugs must be much less harmful than the illegal ones. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn the truth about what they put into their bodies and the true potential for harm (or otherwise) to self, loved ones and wider society.
6 people found this helpful
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MR R HUGHES
4.0 out of 5 stars Informative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 September 2013
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Good approach to a subject which is riddled with double standards the approach taken gives a perspective which is clear in its aims whilst offering an alternative narrative in relation to current policy. Set out in easy read format
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Friday
5.0 out of 5 stars More thrilling than a thriller!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2012
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I have been following Professor David Nutt, that is his work and contributions in the media, for a few years now. I see him as a genuine likeable person who does his job without a hidden agenda. He speaks facts, not propaganda. After all, that is what one would expect from a scientist. This book is a real page-turner and a must-read for anyone who is interested in the topic of legal/illegal drug use. It provides plenty of detail about the history, chemistry, effects of drugs, international/UK laws, statistics, research, etc in order to enable the reader to appreciate the correct perspective BUT without being 'too heavy.' Expect to read some trully sad life stories and to find out why the war on drugs is complete madness. The muppets in the present and future governments should read this book before wasting another day in the office. In fact, parents and teenagers should read it, too, in order to get a proper overview of the topic.

I found the chapters dealing with tobacco and alcohol to be the most fascinating. Where scaremongering and prohibition don't work, a commonsense approach is needed. This book will answer a lot of your questions and will urge you to ask some more.
One person found this helpful
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Candida
5.0 out of 5 stars My 80 year old dad loved it!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 January 2023
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My dad is not a leftie...(like me) he is a scientist and curious about everything. He really really enjoyed this book said it was thought provoking and well written.
2 people found this helpful
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Ant
5.0 out of 5 stars Does what it says on the tin :-)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 November 2013
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This is a great book containing real scientific data on the physical and social effects of drugs, in the real world. It's very understandable and easy to read, without shying away from the science. Most importantly, it's book about the real world, where some people do take drugs (some even enjoy it!) and policies that rely on stopping all drug use (except alcohol and tobacco, which somehow don't count), simply aren't going to fly.

Anybody involved in drugs policy should read this book to get some proper evidence on which to base their opinions. Anyone taking (or considering taking) any kind of drug (that included alcohol and tobacco) should read this book to get an idea of the relative risks of different drugs.
3 people found this helpful
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A Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Sensible
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2019
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What better person to write a book on drugs than one of the world's foremost authorities in the subject? Prof. David Nutt did a brilliant job at explaining, in a very accessible and engaging manner, the latest scientific evidence there is on drugs and the disconnect between this evidence and drugs legislation, particularly in the UK.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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gravel
5.0 out of 5 stars Enfin un esprit scientifique!!
Reviewed in Canada on 4 September 2024
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David Nutt.
Pierre couture (moteur roue Hydro-Québec)
Pierre Langlois (physicien)
Nicolas Tesla.

Trop peu d'humains ont un esprit critique et scientifique.

Que ce soit les nouvelles ou le gouvernement (pour des raisons idéologiques, religieuses ou financière) vous mentent régulièrement et vous amène de fausses statistiques sur la réalité du terrain.

Il est regrettable de voir à quel point le gouvernement est une piètre source d'informations fiables et que dire des nouvelles...

Je le savais déjà mais il n'en fait la démonstration d'une façon si élégante que cela devient un délice à lire.

Pouvons-nous rêver un jour de loi fait pour protéger le citoyen et non la prochaine campagne électorale? ( J'en doute )

Pourquoi l'orthographe de marijuana a été changé?
Pourquoi les États-Unis ont-ils mis la marijuana sur leur liste d'interdiction?
Pourquoi on a souvent une idée fausse sur la dangérosité de certaines drogues?

Les réponses à ces questions et bien d'autres figure dans ce livre. À vous de vous en délecter.
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Salar Abed Morad
3.0 out of 5 stars Bra bok
Reviewed in Sweden on 12 October 2024
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Bra bok
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Der Telefonmann
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein aufschlussreiches Buch zur Entmystifizierung von Drogen
Reviewed in Germany on 29 December 2023
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"Drugs Without the Hot Air: Making Sense of Legal and Illegal Drugs" von David Nutt ist ein fundiertes und aufschlussreiches Buch, das den Nebel rund um das Thema Drogen lichtet. Nutt, ein renommierter Neuropsychopharmakologe, liefert eine sorgfältige und wissenschaftlich fundierte Analyse sowohl legaler als auch illegaler Drogen und ihrer Auswirkungen.

Das Buch ist sowohl für Fachleute als auch für Laien gut lesbar und verständlich. Nutt stellt komplexe Themen klar und unkompliziert dar und liefert dabei tiefgreifende Einblicke in die Welt der Drogen. Er erläutert die Wissenschaft hinter den Wirkungen verschiedener Drogen auf das Gehirn und den Körper und beleuchtet auch die sozialen und rechtlichen Aspekte.

Besonders schätze ich Nutts nüchternen und ausgewogenen Ansatz. Er scheut sich nicht, gängige Mythen und Missverständnisse zu entlarven und bietet einen unvoreingenommenen Blick auf die Vor- und Nachteile verschiedener Drogen.

Insgesamt ist "Drugs Without the Hot Air" ein empfehlenswertes Buch für jeden, der ein besseres Verständnis für das komplexe Thema Drogen gewinnen möchte. Es ist informativ, gut recherchiert und vor allem äußerst aufschlussreich.
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VERONIQUE LITTEL
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Book!
Reviewed in France on 7 November 2021
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Nothing more to say, than read it.
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Bryan
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Information on Drugs
Reviewed in the United States on 11 September 2013
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While the author is anything but unbiased, he doesn't bias his facts. In fact, his bias is against sensationalism and the media determining drug policy - that is to say, he's not biased towards or against drugs, he is biased towards using facts and evidence to determine policies rather than impressions from unreliable sources. Whether or not you agree with the policy suggestions he has, the information on various drugs and how drugs interact with the human body is valuable, and he clearly separates his opinions on policy from the facts on drugs.

All in all, one of the most reliable sources of information you can get on this topic.
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