null
Loading…
Skip to main content

Holiday gifts by Fri, Dec 18? Order by Fri, Dec 4. Plan gifts

Free shipping works great on most orders over $95 in the contiguous US

Specialists Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–5 pm PTSpecialists Mon–Fri, 8:30–5 PT866-522-6657

Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World book cover by David Blistein, John H. Halpern
Paperback

Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World

by John H. Halpern and David Blistein

$11.79 / copy at 25+ copies As low as $9.80 at 1,000+Your best volume price

Paperback · 352 pages Grand Central Publishing · 2020

Format

Paperback
Volume pricing

The more copies, the less each one costs

Applied automatically in your cart. No code needed.

More than a box of books

Built for school and campus orders

PDF quotes, purchase orders, tax exemption and multi-site delivery, handled by one account manager.

School-friendly ordering

PDF quotes, purchase orders, tax exemption and help with vendor setup.

For schools
Ship to every reader

One address, many sites or individual recipients' homes, in the US and abroad.

Fulfillment options
About the book

Opium

From a psychiatrist on the frontlines of addiction medicine and an expert on the history of drug use comes the "authoritative, engaging, and accessible" history of the flower that helped to build (Booklist) -- and now threatens -- modern society.

Opioid addiction is fast becoming the most deadly crisis in American history. In 2018, it claimed nearly fifty thousand lives -- more than gunshots and car crashes combined, and almost as many Americans as were killed in the entire Vietnam War. But even as the overdose crisis ravages our nation -- straining our prison system, dividing families, and defying virtually every legislative solution to treat it -- few understand how it came to be.

Opium tells the "fascinating" (Lit Hub) and at times harrowing tale of how we arrived at today's crisis, "mak[ing] timely and startling connections among painkillers, politics, finance, and society" (Laurence Bergreen). The story begins with the discovery of poppy artifacts in ancient Mesopotamia, and goes on to explore how Greek physicians and obscure chemists discovered opium's effects and refined its power, how colonial empires marketed it around the world, and eventually how international drug companies developed a range of powerful synthetic opioids that led to an epidemic of addiction.

Throughout, Dr. John Halpern and David Blistein reveal the fascinating role that opium has played in building our modern world, from trade networks to medical protocols to drug enforcement policies. Most importantly, they disentangle how crucial misjudgments, patterns of greed, and racial stereotypes served to transform one of nature's most effective painkillers into a source of unspeakable pain -- and how, using the insights of history, state-of-the-art science, and a compassionate approach to the illness of addiction, we can overcome today's overdose epidemic.

This urgent and masterfully woven narrative tells an epic story of how one beautiful flower became the fascination of leaders, tycoons, and nations through the centuries and in their hands exposed the fragility of our civilization.

An NPR Best Book of the Year
"A landmark project." -- Dr. Andrew Weil
"Engrossing and highly readable." -- Sam Quinones
"An astonishing journey through time and space." -- Julie Holland, MD
"The most important, provocative, and challenging book I've read in a long time." -- Laurence Bergreen


The book, Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World [Bulk, Wholesale, Quantity] ISBN#9780316417679 in Paperback by David Blistein, John H. Halpern may be ordered in bulk quantities. Minimum starts at 25 copies. Availability based on publisher status and quantity being ordered.

Details

Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
Authors
John H. Halpern, David Blistein
Language
English
Format
Paperback
Published
Nov 3, 2020
Pages
352
ISBN-13
9780316417679
ISBN-10
031641767X
Carton quantity
20 copies
Buying for a group

Opium in bulk: pricing

Volume pricing applies automatically in your cart. No codes, no account needed.

CopiesPrice per copyYou save
25 – 99 $11.79 41% off list
100 – 249 $11.19 44% off list
250 – 499 $10.59 47% off list
500 – 999 $10.19 49% off list
1,000+ $9.80 51% off list
Ways groups use it

Popular for

1
Course and classroom adoption

A copy for every student in the class or section.

2
Faculty and staff book studies

Shared reading for professional development.

3
Orientation and campus events

Common reads and first-year programs.

How fast can I get copies of Opium?

Arriving in 4-10 business days. Need them by a specific date? Request a quote and we'll confirm timing before you pay.

Can you ship to several locations or people's homes?

Yes. We ship in bulk to one address, to multiple sites, or to individual recipients, in the US and internationally. See fulfillment options.

Can I get a formal quote for approval before ordering?

Yes. Request a quote and we'll send a PDF you can forward for approval.

Do you accept purchase orders and tax-exempt orders?

Yes. We accept purchase orders upon approval, as well as cards, PayPal, ACH, wire transfers and checks. BookPal is a tax-exempt supplier in all 50 states. See purchase orders and sales tax exemption.

What if I find a lower price?

Send us the link. We match prices from other bulk booksellers and distributors on a new copy in the same edition, available to ship in the quantity you need. Clearance sales and pricing errors are the exception, and we'll tell you quickly if that's the case. Start a price match.

Customer reviews

What buyers say

Be the first to review
Complete the program

Groups also order

Flora Culture: How Flowers Shape Our World Christin Geall List $45.00
Mathematics: How it Shaped Our World David Rooney List $60.00
Honest Signals: How They Shape Our World Alex Pentland List $17.95
Mythocracy: How Stories Shape Our Worlds Yves Citton List $29.95
Send for approval

Get a yes from your approver

Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned Our World
Email it to my approver

Your approver gets a link to this page with the quantity set and an "Approve and order" button. Nothing is sent until you press send in your email app.
!
Compare (0)
Log In
Review Your Cart
Your cart is empty Your cart is empty Your cart is empty

Menu

Holiday gifts In hand by Fri, Dec 18? Order by Fri, Dec 4.
Request a quote
Reorder Sign in Cart

Specialists Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–5 pm PT

Call 866-522-6657
Search Close Close
Top Trending

Product results (0)
View All Products

Recent Viewed Products

Sorry, there are no products. Sorry, there are no products. Sorry, there are no products.
Recently Viewed Recently Viewed
Back to top Back to top