Smoke: A Global History of Smoking Review

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(More customer reviews)SMOKE: A GLOBAL HISTORY OF SMOKING is an entertaining, informative and absorbing book that describes and illustrates the international human preoccupation with smoking over the past six centuries, beginning with Columbus in 1492.
The introduction, written by Sander L. Gilman and Zhou Xun, draws the reader into tobacco's story from the first paragraph. The large, black, beautifully bound and richly presented 400-page volume contains hundreds of illustrations (both in black & white and in color). The artwork is employed to enhance and clarify the multiple essays provided by a variety of qualified writers.
The first several chapters are devoted to smoking in history and culture. These encompass the Middle East, Far East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and other portions of the globe, accompanied by many unusual photos, paintings and lithographs. "The Pleasures and Perils of Smoking in Early Modern England", "The Opium Den in Victorian London" and "The Cocaine Experience" are among the chapters included in this section.
"Smoking in the Arts" is especially enjoyable and explains how the use of tobacco products has been incorporated into various forms of entertainment including art, music, opera, theater and movies, punctuated by photographs of famous actors and actresses.
As the reader continues, "Smoking, Gender and Ethnicity" explores the relationship between social attitudes and smoking. This section shows the ways tobacco art and advertising reflected on women, African American and Native Indian stereotypes in the nineteenth-century and promoted anti-Semitism in Europe.
Although the entire book supplies informative and interesting content in an entertaining manner, I found myself devoting my undivided attention to "Smoking: the "Burning Issue", addressing current smoking issues. Four of the five chapters included are excellent.
Only the essay, "Why Do We Smoke: The Physiology of Smoking" presents a biased, anti-smoker viewpoint by referencing many overused and unproved statistics from previous anti-smoking studies and publications. The author has increased the "annual number of premature deaths attributed to smoking", commonly referenced by anti-smoking organizations, from 400,000 to 500,000 and describes the advantages of smoking cessation aids including the anti-depressants Bupropion and Prozac.
"Smoking, Science and Medicine" and "Engineering Consumer Confidence in the Twentieth Century" are very interesting, informative and unbiased. "Marlboro Man and the Stigma of Smoking" explores the attitude of society toward smokers in the present day. "Smoking & Advertising" follows the innovative marketing techniques developed by the tobacco industry. Smokers and non-smokers alike will recognize the social engineering techniques described and being used today to influence society, de-normalize smokers and spread smoking bans. These essays definitely rate five stars.
"Smoke: A Global History of Smoking" is unique, well organized and an excellent reference source. Also, among all the unique illustrations and beautiful photos, the smoking Santa Claus (Santa Smoking Lucky Strike at Christmas - 1936) is an absolute MUST SEE!
Garnet Dawn
Illinois Smokers Rights

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Human beings have always smoked, and they probably always will. Every culture in recorded history has smoked something, whether as a cure or for pleasure, whether as part of a ritual or as an aspect of popular culture. It is curious, then, that no history of smoking has been written based on the assumption that smoking – in all of its forms and products – is a cultural phenomenon common to all human societies.Smoke: A Global History of Smoking examines the culture of smoking in different traditions and locations around the world. From opium dens in Victorian England to tobacco in Edo period Japan, and from ganja and cocaine to Havana cigars, Smoke encompasses the subject as no book has before.Based in cultural history, it employs a large number of images as part of its evidence: around 300 illustrations document smoking and smokers of many substances including tobacco, scented cigarettes, marijuana, opium and cocaine. The various essays examine the changing role of smoking in high and popular culture, ranging from images used in advertising to the legal and moral critiques of smoking, and from opera to the internet. Smoke will appeal to all those who smoke, all those who used to smoke, and all those who have tried, and failed, to give it up.

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