Description

A fascinating guide to the history of drugs and medicines, the science of how they work, and the way they’ve shaped healthcare and society

Today, drugs are a ubiquitous tool in all our lives, from the highly specialised gene therapies used to treat hitherto incurable disease to the common painkillers we take to relieve fevers and headaches. But healing plants and herbs have been revered since time immemorial, and have been used for as long as people have experienced illness. Over the last century our understanding of these therapeutic wonders has developed at astonishing speed, and so the science of pharmacology was born.

Esteemed scientist Rod Flower guides us through the fascinating history of the discipline and shows us how drugs really work. How are medicines developed, and what gives scientists the confidence their therapies will function as intended? What happens inside our bodies when we ingest these mysterious chemicals, and how have they shaped the progress of societies across the world?

This accessible introduction to the science of drugs reveals their intriguing inner workings and celebrates their remarkable healing power.

Publisher Review

“Flower guides us through every aspect of drugs from aspirin to zolpidem, with intriguing asides on curiosities including poison darts and James Bond’s spiked martini.”-John Trowsdale, author of What the Body Knows

“An excellent account of the history and business of pharmacology, from pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism to drug discovery and Big Pharma. Ambitious in its coverage, and pulled off with aplomb.”-Antony Galione, Statutory Professor of Pharmacology, University of Oxford

“A real tour de force. Flower thoroughly explains the history of the development of medicines, and the vital role pharmacology plays in ensuring our health.”-Clive Page, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology, King’s College London

“This delightful and engaging book brings alive the wonder of drugs and the power of pharmacology as a scientific discipline.”-David Nutt, author of Psychedelics