Murder, Magic, and Medicine
From the hardback:'it has the readability of a detective story and is very difficult to put down ... Professor Mann has successfully interwoven strands of history, botany, chemistry and pharmacology into a fascinating and compelling narrative. It is the sort of book that even the most sophisticated phytochemist will enjoy; at the same time it is recommended reading for students embarking on a natural product research programme.' Jeffrey B. Harbornme, University of Reading, Phytochemistry, Vol. 33, No. 3, 1993'wonderful book ... read Mann's wonderful book for the way it explores and brings to life the significance, the challenge, and the promise of medicine within our chemical heritage.' Arnold Thackray, University of Pennsylvania, Chemistry and Engineering News, November 1993'This is an entertaining book that is very well crafted by an author who has a talent for story telling. His style of writing provides both information and entertainment. The author has a very well developed low-key sense of humor that I found refreshing. I found this book to be both informative and entertaining, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know something about how drugs are discovered. The book should be a pleasant surprise to those who take the time to read it.' Joseph E. Knapp, University of Pittsburgh, Journal of Natural Products, Vol. 57, No. 1, January 1994'For anyone interested in the origins of modern medicine, this is a fascinating book. Apart from its intrinsic interest, this is a compelling account of the valid reasons for preservation of our natural heritage - before it's too late!' Lifewise, Sept '93'sure to be a source of entertainment ... for a wide audience, ranging from teenagers to eminent professors of science ... For the university lecturer, it provides a cornucopia of fascinating information to enhance courses in chemistry or related fields ... This book is a great investment and can be enthusiastically recommended for anyone.' J.C. Vederas, University of Alberta, Natural Product Reports, Issue 3, Vol. 11'Excellent and competitively priced study of the way modern medicine grew out of traditional, folk medicine. Professor Mann reveals the importance of traditional, herbal remedies in the development of many modern, high technology drug therapies.' European Medical Journal, No. 14, Autumn 1994'an entertaining, but selective, collection of anecdotes encompassing pharmaceutical, ethnopharmacological, and toxicological history ... would be useful to pharmacists in academic settings who want material to spice up otherwise ordinary pharmacology lectures ... must reading for people preparing for the Toxicology Quiz Bowl at the American Association of Poison Control Centers annual meeting. Beginning pharmacy students will find the historical perspective on their profession enlightening. Finally, any pharmacist interested in discovering the derivation of common pharmaceutical names ... will be delighted to find this information and more.' Susan C. Smolinske, American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, April 1994`the book is packed with historical information, as well as modern pharmacological information.  It is recommended on that account to all who are interested in medicines ... The value of the book lies ... in its appreciation of the actual case histories of drugs ... He is to be congratulated for condensing centuries of drug lore into one small volume while at the same time reviewing the latest scientific ideas of how drugs work.' William C Campbell, Drew University, Madison, Journal of the History of Medicine, Vol. 49, Jan 1994an entertaining, but selective, collection of anecdotes encompassing pharmaceutical, ethnopharmacological, and toxicological history ... a book that would be useful to pharmacists in academic settings who want material to spice up otherwise ordinary pharmacology lectures.  This book is must reading ... Beginning pharmacy students will find the historical perspective on their profession enlightening. s