I have always been skeptical to prescription drugs and knew that they often cause much more harm than good, which is what drew me to this book in the first place. After reading this book I will do my research before introducing any drug into my body over-the-counter or prescription.

Critser writes about the beginning of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of pharmies on television and how it was once frowned upon. Now with pressure from big companies like ELILILLY and Plaxo doctors are being urged to write prescriptions for drugs that have had next to no real testing, and are often advertised before they have received approval by the FDA. We, as a population, are willingly allowing ourselves, and even more importantly, OURCHILDREN, to be the guinea pigs of ‘modern medicine’.

The stories about adolescents and anti-depressants are truly startling. Children with no history of suicidal tendencies have ended their own lives without leaving so much as a note after being put on well known drugs such as Zoloft and Prozac. Indication that they were quite suddenly, and fatally compelled to end it all.

On less pressing fronts are OTC medicine that people don’t even think about, such as antacid medication. Supposedly you should take this to prevent acid reflux which is in actuality a rare medical phenomenon. When most people should eat a couple tums or ::gasp:: change their diet! they instead pop these antacid pills which actually more times than not reduce the acid in your stomach to dangerously LOW levels. Your stomach does need some acid in order to function properly.

This read is very, very informative. Do you own research and find out what is right for you. That is the moral, every human body is different and when you introduce the same chemical into 100 different people it isn’t impossible to have 100 different effects. So many factors can take a place in how a drug will react with you; genes, diet, setting, lifestyle, other drugs, ect ect.

Please take this book as a warning to the very pressing issue of over medication. Don’t forfeit your life or well being for some promise of the perfect cure. It is truly amazing how much a good diet, some choice vitamins, exercise, and a good mood will go for fixing what ails you. We, as a culture, need to step back to basics and start trying to fix what is causing our symptoms instead of trying to mask them with meds. The body can do amazing things when it isn’t in a drugged up haze and I’m not talking about getting high.

I recently got this from the library, I had been having a hard time trying to find a non-fiction book and sort of picked this one up on my way out. I finished it in about a day as it isn’t the most intense read. I found the introductions (as there 4) to be rather long winded and not that interesting. However, the narrative that goes along with the pictures is far more entertaining. I would say that the best thing about this book is the pictures. They are amazing. Some of them are from as far back as the 1840s. If you’re a nerd who enjoys looking at old pictures then you’ll probably enjoy this book.

I picked out this quick, little novel from the library with no prior knowledge of the story. The title caught my eye and figured it would be worth it to read the short story.

Within the first chapter I read that the main character was going to die. I have to admit that I was a little put off, what a spoiler within just a few paragraphs! Well, I soon realized that though I knew what the outcome of the story was I could not help but become attached to the protagonist and though I knew the fate did not expect such emotion from so few pages.

I would certainly suggest this book as one of those stories that makes you appreciate life in the non-sappy sort of way. Definitely, worth the three hours you’ll spend reading it.

Everybody knows Sylvia Plath through The Bell Jar. A classic novel comparable to The Catcher in the Rye. Both books I cherish in my book collection and bring me back to my strange, confusing youth. Oh how they capture the young’s sense of hopelessness and epiphany’s.

Why I recommend Johnny Panic & The Bible of Dreams is different from why I would recommend The Bell Jar to someone. Her short stories and journal entries in JP to me reach a far deeper resonance. I feel they are even more honest then TBJ, some stories and journal entries are heart wrenching and I felt that I could really connect with her writing. She writes how I feel, with an innocence and eloquence that I wasn’t expecting.

If you’ve read The Bell Jar and enjoyed it but were left wanting more I would definitely suggest Johnny Panic. It is a collection I plan on reading time and time again.

This book begins well, is interesting, and had a good premise. His message is pretty simple: everything we need to know and feel is within all of us, and always has been. He gives some interesting insight to his view of spiritual humanity. He also does a good job at exposing government corruption and dabbles in talking about the Illuminati… however, take this book with a grain of salt though considering that he also believes satanic shape shifting reptiles are controlling the earth……