Aspirin or The GI Made Simple

Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug

Author: Diarmuid Jeffreys

Diarmuid Jeffreys traces the story of aspirin from the drug’s origins in ancient Egypt, through its industrial development at the end of the nineteenth century and its key role in the great flu pandemic of 1918, to its subsequent exploitation by the pharmaceutical conglomerates and the marvelous powers still being discovered today.

Library Journal

Aspirin is a drug of apparently endless secrets. Research has continually uncovered new health benefits, from the first mention in ancient Egyptian scrolls of willow's medicinal uses to the more than 750 studies in the first half of 2004. It is now accepted as a tool in fighting heart disease and is showing potential for preventing or treating cancers, dementia, and a wide range of other conditions. Jeffreys (The Bureau: Inside the Modern FBI) traces aspirin's history by looking at the scientists, businessmen, and hucksters whose lives were entwined with the drug's rise, fall, and rise again, as well as the corporations and governments, most prominently Bayer and Nazi Germany, drawn into the story. The book covers much of the same ground as Charles C. Mann and Mark L. Plummer's The Aspirin Wars: Money, Medicine, and 100 Years of Rampant Competition but brings the story up to date. Recommended for medical, public, and academic libraries. Richard Maxwell, Penrose-St. Francis Health Svcs. Lib., Colorado Springs Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The extraordinary history of the little white pill found in just about everyone's medicine cabinet. Justifiably labeling aspirin a wonder drug, British journalist Jeffreys (The Bureau: Inside the Modern FBI, 1995) reminds us that its history dates back to around 3000 b.c., when the ancient Egyptians recorded the medicine value of willow, a source of salicylates. Germany's Bayer Company developed acetylsalicylic acid and gave it the brand name Aspirin in the 19th century, but Bayer's assets were seized by the US during WWI. Jeffreys sorts out the complicated story of the company's subsequent struggle to regain its markets and protect its patents and trademark around the world. Taking a "for the want of a nail" approach, the author attributes to aspirin a significant role in the rise of Nazi Germany, asserting that if the drug had not made Bayer such a strong company, it would not have been able to consolidate German chemical firms into the giant cartel IG Farben, major financial backer of the Nazi party. Competition from other makers of aspirin and from Anacin and Bufferin (painkillers containing aspirin) first challenged Bayer's supremacy; the later introductions of acetaminophen and ibuprofen further divided the analgesic market. Aspirin seemed to have reached the end of its glory days, but the pill got a surprising new lease on life in the 1980s, when research revealed its ability to inhibit platelets in the blood from clotting, which reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Jeffreys also looks at studies suggesting that aspirin may be effective in preventing many forms of cancer, reducing the risk of Alzheimer's and ameliorating less serious conditions such as migraines andperiodontal disease. Some 26,000 scientific papers have already been published, and 2,000 aspirin research projects are in the works: who knows what new uses may next be uncovered?A well-told and intriguing story with surprising twists and turns. Agent: Anthony Sheil/Aitken & Stone

Table of Contents:

1	If you examine a man ...	5
2	The bark of an English tree	17
3	The puzzle takes shape	35
4	The birth of a wonder drug	56
5	Patents, patients, and sell, sell, sell!	77
6	The chemists' war	97
7	Civilization could disappear ...	123
8	The aspirin age	143
9	A moral collapse	168
10	Soluble solutions and costly competition	195
11	So that's how it works!	219
12	Affairs of the heart	235
13	A twenty-first-century wonder drug	258

Look this: Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy or Rediscovering God in America

The GI Made Simple: : The proven way to lose weight, boost energy and cut your risk of disease

Author: Sherry Torkos

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scientifically proven tool that will revolutionize your approach to weight loss. Forget fad diets, depriving yourself, and counting calories-a low glycemic diet is simple to follow, satisfying, and it will give you results that you can see and feel. Sherry Torkos, a pharmacist, fitness instructor, and natural health expert has created an easy-to-follow action plan that will help you to lose weight, reduce food cravings, control appetite, and boost energy while you improve your health. In this book you will learn about: Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease: how to lower risk using the GI, The impact of blood sugar and insulin on weight loss, aging, and sexual function, How stress, sleep, and hormone imbalances affect body fat, Holiday and restaurant survival strategies, Smart supplements for blood sugar control and weight loss, Tips on creating an effective exercise program. The GI Made Simple is a valuable resource for everyone. Whether you want to lose weight, have more energy and greater vitality, or cut your risk of chronic health problems, this is a must-have book.