Review by Lily Green -- The United States of Opioids

Lily Green · Post by **Lily Green** » 06 Jul 2020, 17:37

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

4 out of 4 stars

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The book, “The United States of Opioids” written by Harry Nelson is a fascinating, yet educational book about the struggles of those who struggle with opioid addictions and what usually creates the addiction which includes being prescribed the drugs because of severe pain or after surgery. Another reason is that it was introduced to them after running after their regular drug, or they just wanted a better feeling after taking said substance. The author also explains how opioid addictions do not just affect those involved, but it affects companies and the government as we know it. That being said, This book has earned a 4 out of 4 stars, because it not only focuses on the cause of the problem but ways in which it could be solved. This topic matter and the way that they present it is directed toward a mature audience such as college students who are doing research papers or adults who just want to educate themselves on the issue at hand.

The reason that this book is fascinating is that it uses many facts to back up everything that is presented to the reader, and each source is credible. Also, what makes this book an interesting read is the author brings up many ways to solve the issue that are very well thought out and have evidence to work if implicated properly would work out well. This book is not just straight forward with facts but also includes personal stories from families who dealt with the loss of their loved one to opioid addiction. Thus making the understanding of the issue at hand and its importance easier. This being said, as already stated before the recommended readers should not be any younger than college-level or adults to understand and find this read educational. Though that is not strict, it just seems like the correct group that would not find the read tedious. They should also recommend this book as a tool for research papers or projects.

All this being said, the key reasons aside from the ones stated before, that “The United States of Opioids” is a 4 out of 4 stars is because it is edited properly and a lot of research and work was put into this. We can say this because the author uses a lot of evidence to back up what they are presenting and has a dedicated page for all their data and graphs that they used to explain the situations. Also, they left a lot of resources for anyone to use if they or a loved one needs help to fight opioid addiction. Another thing that made this book earn the rating that it earned was because there were not any grammar, spelling, or typos within the book. Also, the author does not write the book in a manner that is biased or making those with addiction seem awful or monsters, but in fact, takes on a voice that sees both sides of the story. This was one thing that the author did extremely well.

That being said, the author did a lot of stuff extremely well, but what was the best was the unbiased voice that was used when telling the personal accounts and any information that had to do with organizations or government officials. The author instead used a very formal voice within the book and kept that voice throughout the entire book. This is important because it makes it to where the reader does not feel as if they have to lean one way or change their way of thinking to understand where the author is coming from, instead with the voice that the author used it makes it to where the reader can keep their opinions but also take in the information presented to them and the evidence and do/believe as they please. They did very well with this book and the tone of it, making it the most enjoyable part.

This book is a great read and should be recommended for anyone looking to learn more about the opioid addiction problem and how it affects not only people and their families but also organizations and the government and what money goes into what.

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The United States of Opioids
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