I Have America Surrounded: A Biography of Timothy Leary


J.M.R. Higgs - 2006
    Few People have divided opinion as strongly as Dr. Timothy Leary. Leary, a brilliant behavioral psychologist, persuaded millions to tune in, turn on, and drop out. His influence was so wide-ranging that he had enormous impact on shaping the post-modern 21st century world.

Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City’s Struggle with Addiction


Travis Lupick - 2017
    Fighting for Space follows the lives of two women—Liz Evans, who founded the Portland Hotel Society, and Ann Livingston, who co-founded the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users—and the extraordinary lengths they went to help their community weather a crisis.Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, this group of residents from Canada’s poorest neighbourhood organized themselves in response to a growing number of overdose deaths and demanded that addicts be given the same rights as any other citizen.But just as their battle came to an end, fentanyl arrived and opioid deaths across North America reached an all-time high.It’s prompted many to rethink the war on drugs. Public opinion has slowly begun to turn against prohibition, and policy-makers are finally beginning to look at addiction as a health issue as opposed to one for the criminal justice system.The previous epidemic in Vancouver sparked government action. Twenty years later, as the same pattern plays out in other cities, there is much that advocates for reform can learn from Vancouver’s experience. Fighting for Space tells that story, with the same passionate fervor as the activists whose tireless work gave dignity to addicts and saved countless lives.

The Quality School Teacher: Specific Suggestions for Teachers Who Are Trying to Implement the Lead-Management Ideas of the Quality School in Their C


William Glasser - 1993
    Based on the work of W. Edwards Deming and on Dr. Glasser's own choice theory, it is written for teachers who are trying to abandon the old system of boss-managing, which is effective for less than half of all students. William Glasser, M.D., explains that only through lead-management can teachers create classrooms in which all students not only do competent work but begin to do quality work. These classrooms are the core of a quality school. The book begins by explaining that to persuade students to do quality schoolwork, teachers must first establish warm, totally noncoercive relationships with their students; teach only useful material, which means stressing skills rather than asking students to memorize information; and move from teacher evaluation to student self-evaluation. There are no generalities in this book: It provides the specifics that classroom teachers seek as they begin the move to quality schools.

Can't Find My Way Home: America in the Great Stoned Age, 1945-2000


Martin Torgoff - 2004
    In Can't Find My Way Home, journalist and filmmaker Martin Torgoff chronicles what a long strange trip it's been as the American Century became the Great Stoned Age. Weaving together first-person accounts and historical background, Can't Find My Way Home is a narrative vast in scope yet rich in intimate detail. Torgoff tells the stories of those whose lives became synonymous with the drug culture, from Charlie Parker, Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, and John Belushi to ordinary people who felt their consciousness "expanded" or who plumbed the depths of addiction. He also examines the broader impact of drugs on society and politics, from the war on drugs to the recovery movement, and the continuing debate over drug policy. A vivid work of cultural history that neither demonizes nor romanticizes its subject, Can't Find My Way Home is a provocative and fascinating look at how drugs have entered the American mainstream.

Like Mother Like Trick


Dannaye Carter - 2013
    With each penetration they gain a sense of sexual maturity. Then later decide, their sweet pea is like treasure and should be discovered with gentle anticipation. By time they realize what it’s really worth, their sexual juices have been ran dry. Get well acquainted with the main character Erin, of “Like mother, Like Trick”, as she unfolds her truth of her mother’s expectations of a woman’s Hustle. Erin, a young girl, recently graduated out of high school is given 2 choices by her biological mother, Nicole Grey. Either hustle to make it, or die thinking about it. Erin referred to her mother as “Lady” She felt no neutering connection to her mother. They were more like sisters sharing the same dwelling space. Lady explained to Erin, “The fastest way to money is through your Pussy. Every man wants some, and will pay great money for it. You better know what it’s worth and use for the better good!” Lady would explain to Erin confusing the concepts of self worth. Erin was taught Lady’s value of sex at a very young age. Middle school lunch spent in the faculty parking lot for 100-dollar blowjobs. High school study hall spent in the Embassy suits for lunch rush pussy, for her clients working on corporate exchange Blvd. Lady exposed Erin to a very lavish lifestyle, and instilled in her the importance of money over everything, including morals and self- respect. Lady insisted that Erin help with the bills as well as feed clothe and finance her own dues from the money Erin received from clients. That was her way of teaching Erin Value of a dollar. By Erin’s freshman year of high school, she had known very well what she was into. She had maintained a very big clientele, and had become a very known and skillful trick expert. Erin felt she mastered her craft, and it still didn’t fulfill her desires. She hated her hustle and absolutely fell disgusted with the thought of engaging in sexual intercourse for income,. She needed a way out. Quick,, fast, and in a hurry. She needed help and knew that there was only one person that could help her. Erin gained the respect of her mother’s current boyfriend Kahlief. In Kahlief’s eyes, Erin was ambitious determined. He could sense through body language, she hated what she was doing. Often times Kalief would introduce Erin to his well known friends in the modeling industry, photographers and agents all over the city, but those small gigs wouldn’t last too long. Well aware of what was taking place with his girlfriend and her daughter. He didn’t give a damn. He was more obsessed with the fact that, to his old hood, his bitch was the baddest; she had bread, and was upgrading his finances on a regular. And to top it off Lady didn’t give a damn what anybody had to say.Erin became very close to Kahlief. When this Double trick Empire was at its best, He knew more than anybody, she was in search for something worth much more. Something not even the highest paying customer could finance. Something that would make her stop this lifestyle and come from up under Lady’s dirty schemes and diversions. She was looking for Love. Real love, that best friend love, that I’m “sorry ladies, I have to be in by 9” love. She was determined to find it. Get involved with this twisted tale as Erin finally finds Mr. Right and falls in love with a man who has everything but only wants to be with her. Just when Erin decides she doesn’t have to resort to her sexual encounters for money, she is soon devastated as she finds Lady lying lifeless in a pool of blood

Loving A Dopeboy Through It All 2


Prenisha Aja' - 2018
    
 With death on the table, we all hope that Rohan is able to save Tiyanna’s life and show her what it feels like to have some love you without inflicting pain or causing emotional damage. 
 Will love win? That is one thing that many of us are wondering as we sit back, watching something so toxic take place and unfold. 
Will Tiyanna be able to escape Charles’s wrath and explore love with Rohan, or will Loving a Dope Boy Through It All cost her everything?

The Little Victoria


Ursula Bloom - 2016
     It follows little "Vikki" from childhood as she blossoms into a formidable young woman who becomes queen, and falls in love with Albert, the cousin who will be her prince. The story begins with the intriguing circumstances surrounding the marriage of Victoria's parents, and her own birth. A fascinating novelisation of a great woman's life, The Little Victoria is set in Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, and other royal residences. It lifts the curtain on the political intrigue, royal gossip, family feuds and romances that played a part in the destiny of the little girl who would one day be queen. Perfect for fans of the British Royal Family, historical fiction and TV historical dramas such as Victoria, War and Peace and Poldark.

The Gift At Sugar Sand Inn


Leigh Duncan - 2021
    

Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction


Maia Szalavitz - 2016
    But despite the unprecedented attention, our understanding of addiction is trapped in unfounded 20th century ideas, addiction as a crime or as brain disease, and in equally outdated treatment.Challenging both the idea of the addict's "broken brain" and the notion of a simple "addictive personality," The New York Times Bestseller, Unbroken Brain, offers a radical and groundbreaking new perspective, arguing that addictions are learning disorders and shows how seeing the condition this way can untangle our current debates over treatment, prevention and policy. Like autistic traits, addictive behaviors fall on a spectrum -- and they can be a normal response to an extreme situation. By illustrating what addiction is, and is not, the book illustrates how timing, history, family, peers, culture and chemicals come together to create both illness and recovery- and why there is no "addictive personality" or single treatment that works for all.Combining Maia Szalavitz's personal story with a distillation of more than 25 years of science and research, Unbroken Brain provides a paradigm-shifting approach to thinking about addiction.Her writings on radical addiction therapies have been featured in The Washington Post, Vice Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, in addition to multiple other publications. She has been interviewed about her book on many radio shows including Fresh Air with Terry Gross and The Brian Lehrer show.

Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine


John Abramson - 2004
    Before you see a doctor, you should read this book.” —Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food NationUsing the examples of Vioxx, Celebrex, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, and anti-depressants, Overdosed America shows that at the heart of the current crisis in American medicine lies the commercialization of medical knowledge itselfFor twenty years, John Abramson, M.D., cared for patients of all ages in a small town north of Boston. But increasingly his role as family doctor was undermined as pressure mounted to use the latest drugs and high-tech solutions for nearly every problem. Drawing on his background in statistics and health policy research, he began to investigate the radical changes that were quietly taking place in American medicine.At the heart of the crisis, he found, lies the changed purpose of medical knowledge—from seeking to optimize health to searching for the greatest profits. The lack of transparency that has become normal in commercially sponsored medical research now taints the scientific evidence published in even our most prestigious medical journals. And unlike the recent scandals in other industries that robbed Americans of money and jobs, this one is undermining our health.Commercial distortion pervades the information that doctors rely upon to guide the prevention and treatment of common health problems, from heart disease to stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, and osteoarthritis. The good news, as Dr. Abramson explains, is that the real scientific evidence shows that many of the things that you can do to protect and preserve your own health are far more effective than what the drug companies' top-selling products can do for you—which is why the drug companies work so hard to keep this information under wraps.In what is sure to be one of the most important and eye-opening books you or your doctor will ever read, John Abramson offers conclusive evidence that American medicine has broken its promise to best improve our health and is squandering more than $500 billion each year in the process.

To Die in Mexico: Dispatches from Inside the Drug War


John Gibler - 2011
    John Gibler looks beyond the cops-and-robbers myths that pervade government and media portrayals of the unprecedented wave of violence and looks to the people of Mexico for solutions to the crisis now pushing Mexico to the breaking point."Gibler is something of a revelation, having been living and writing from Mexico for a range of progressive publications only since 2006, but providing reflections, insights, and a level of understanding worthy of a veteran correspondent."-Latin American Review of Books

Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana - Medical, Recreational and Scientific


Martin A. Lee - 2012
    Martin A. Lee traces the dramatic social history of marijuana from its origins to its emergence in the 1960s as a defining force in a culture war that has never ceased. Lee describes how the illicit marijuana subculture overcame government opposition and morphed into a dynamic, multibillion-dollar industry. In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 215, legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes. Similar laws have followed in more than a dozen other states, but not without antagonistic responses from federal, state, and local law enforcement. Lee, an award-winning investigative journalist, draws attention to underreported scientific breakthroughs that are reshaping the therapeutic landscape. By mining the plant’s rich pharmacopoeia, medical researchers have developed promising treatments for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, chronic pain, and many other conditions that are beyond the reach of conventional cures.Colorful, illuminating, and at times irreverent, this is a fascinating read for recreational users and patients, students and doctors, musicians and accountants, Baby Boomers and their kids, and anyone who has ever wondered about the secret life of this ubiquitous herb. Smoke Signals is the winner of the American Botanical Council's James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award for 2012

Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves Into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription Drugs


Melody Petersen - 2008
    They pitch drugs with video games and soft cuddly toys for children; promote them in churches and subways, at NASCAR races and state fairs. They've become experts at promoting fear of disease, just so they can sell us hope. No question: drugs can save lives. But the relentless marketing that has enriched corporate executives and sent stock prices soaring has come with a dark side. Prescription pills taken as directed by physicians are estimated to kill one American every five minutes. And that figure doesn't reflect the damage done as the overmedicated take to the roads. "Our Daily Meds "connects the dots for the first time to show how corporate salesmanship has triumphed over science inside the biggest pharmaceutical companies and, in turn, how this promotion driven industry has taken over the practice of medicine and is changing American life. It is an ageless story of the battle between good and evil, with potentially life-changing consequences for everyone, not just the 65 percent of Americans who unscrew a prescription cap every day. An industry with the promise to help so many is now leaving a legacy of needless harm. Melody Petersen covered the pharmaceutical beat for "The New York Times "for four years. In 1997, her investigative reporting won a Gerald Loeb Award, one of the highest honors in business journalism. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles. A Finalist for the Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction


Gabor Maté - 2007
    Diligently treating the drug addicts of Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside with sympathy in his heart and legislative reform in mind can't be easy. But Maté never judges. His book is a powerful call-to-arms, both for the decriminalization of drugs and for a more sympathetic and informed view of addiction. As Maté observes, "Those whom we dismiss as 'junkies' are not creatures from a different world, only men and women mired at the extreme end of a continuum on which, here or there, all of us might well locate ourselves." In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts begins by introducing us to many of Dr. Maté's most dire patients who steal, cheat, sell sex, and otherwise harm themselves for their next hit. Maté looks to the root causes of addiction, applying a clinical and psychological view to the physical manifestation and offering some enlightening answers for why people inflict such catastrophe on themselves.Finally, he takes aim at the hugely ineffectual, largely U.S.-led War on Drugs (and its worldwide followers), challenging the wisdom of fighting drugs instead of aiding the addicts, and showing how controversial measures such as safe injection sites are measurably more successful at reducing drug-related crime and the spread of disease than anything most major governments have going. It's not easy reading, but we ignore his arguments at our peril. When it comes to combating the drug trade and the ravages of addiction, society can use all the help it can get. --Kim Hughes

Righteous Dopefiend


Philippe Bourgois - 2008
    For over a decade Philippe Bourgois and Jeff Schonberg followed a social network of two dozen heroin injectors and crack smokers in the San Francisco drug scene, accompanying them as they scrambled to generate income through burglary, larceny, panhandling, recycling, and day labor. Righteous Dopefiend interweaves stunning black-and-white photography with vivid dialogue, oral biography, detailed field notes, and critical theoretical analysis to viscerally illustrate the life of a drug addict. Its gripping narrative develops a cast of characters around the themes of violence, racism and race relations, sexuality, trauma, embodied suffering, social inequality, and power relations. The result is a dispassionate chronicle of fixes and overdoses; of survival, loss, caring, and hope rooted in the drug abusers’ determination to hang on for one more day, through a "moral economy of sharing" that precariously balances mutual solidarity and interpersonal betrayal.