Review by mary-annef -- The United States of Opioids

mary-annef · Post by **mary-annef** » 18 Feb 2020, 15:23

[Following is a volunteer review of "The United States of Opioids" by Harry Nelson.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Harry Nelson is the founder of the biggest healthcare and life sciences specialty law firm in Los Angeles. In The United States of Opioids, he details the origin and progress of the opioid addiction epidemic in America. He explains the science of opioids, how they mask pain, and why they are addictive. Each touchpoint of the American healthcare system is examined, the prescribing physicians, pharmaceutical companies, service providers, payers, industry governing bodies, and the FDA. Nelson demonstrates how failures at every level have contributed to the crisis. He investigates alternative treatments for pain and proposes potential solutions to bring the crisis to manageable proportions.

Nelson has taken a complex phenomenon and broken it into components the layperson can digest. Depending on where your interests lie, it's easy to select sections for detailed reading and to gloss over others. Each chapter ends with a summary of key takeaways, which is very useful, especially if you're not used to the medicolegal terminology and pharmaceutical brand names. I hesitate to describe it as an easy read, but considering the subject matter, I think it's as easy as it can be.

The extent of the opioid epidemic is genuinely shocking. But that's the only shock factor in the book. If you are expecting insight into the lives, struggles, and deaths of Nelson's celebrity clients, you won't find them here. He is meticulously professional at all times, and the few real-life stories he provides are of ordinary, unnamed people. Perhaps the one exception to this is where a particular pharmaceutical company is named and shamed for the way they contributed directly and knowingly to the crisis.

What I particularly appreciated about the book, was Nelson's very human, sympathetic, and holistic approach. The broader ramifications of addiction on the addicts' family and society as a whole are considered. He also points out the damage caused when moral judgments underpin the treatment and prevention policies of a disease. In a chapter entitled "Deeper Roots of the Opioids Crisis," Nelson discusses what he feels to be a "deeper and broader crisis in American life reflected in a rising rate of depression and anxiety, suicide…and reports of pain."

I disliked that the data graphics were collected at the end of the book. I feel the text would have been less dry at times if it was broken up by some graphs and tables, but that's a personal preference.

I'm rating The United States of Opioids 4 out of 4 stars because it is exceptionally well researched, written, and edited. It's thought-provoking and quite academic. People with a taste for facts and interest in the subject matter would benefit from reading it. I think it would be of some comfort and education to anyone suffering from addiction or close to someone who is.

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The United States of Opioids
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Letora · Post by **Letora** » 02 Mar 2020, 05:37

I've known so many people affected by opioids. And just about every one of them started off with a back injury and they were prescribed opioid painkillers. Great review! I will have to add this one to my list.

mary-annef · Post by **mary-annef** » 02 Mar 2020, 07:16

Letora wrote: ↑02 Mar 2020, 05:37 I've known so many people affected by opioids. And just about every one of them started off with a back injury and they were prescribed opioid painkillers. Great review! I will have to add this one to my list.

That's such a common story and so sad. I hope you get as much out of the read as I did. Thanks for your lovely comment @Letora

Jyockel08 · Post by **Jyockel08** » 02 Mar 2020, 15:07

This sounds fascinating. Thank you for such a great review!

mary-annef · Post by **mary-annef** » 03 Mar 2020, 03:01

Jyockel08 wrote: ↑02 Mar 2020, 15:07 This sounds fascinating. Thank you for such a great review!

Thanks for commenting.

Roger Glasgow · Post by **Julius_** » 03 Mar 2020, 04:08

A very nice story about addiction, narrated by a professional. I'd like to have a look. Thanks for the review.

mary-annef · Post by **mary-annef** » 03 Mar 2020, 07:01

Julius_ wrote: ↑03 Mar 2020, 04:08 A very nice story about addiction, narrated by a professional. I'd like to have a look. Thanks for the review.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I'm not sure I'd call it "nice" - it is a very disturbing phenomenon and has made many peoples lives a misery. But I think that what is nice in the book is the author's lack of judgement of the addicts. He sees the epidemic as a failure of systems not of people. There is so much shame and guilt wrapped up in addiction that it is very refreshing to have the facts delivered unemotionally but sensitively. I hope you enjoy it.

Gabriel Merêncio · Post by **Gabriel Merêncio** » 05 Mar 2020, 17:08

This is an interesting topic and the author seems to really know what he's talking about, so I might check this one out sometime. Thanks for the review!

MsH2k · Post by **MsH2k** » 05 Mar 2020, 19:14

This is such a devastating issue. This book sounds like it would be a good resource for anyone interested in learning how we got to this point and how we can combat it. Thank you for a great review.

Maria Esposito · Post by **Maria Esposito** » 15 Mar 2020, 08:49

The irresponsible prescription of opioids seems to be a large pitfall of the American healthcare system. I'm glad this was tackled by a professional in this book. Thank you for an informative and well-structured review.