I pride myself on being "aware" (that´s the old fashioned version of "woke"), but I know next to nothing about the world of drugs outside my meds. Nothing. Don´t even smoke. So this book came as a revelation. It addresses not only about the effects of drugs on health but molecular chemistry, international relations, organised crime, politics...

Since the British empire, perhaps even much, much earlier, drugs have been weaponised and used as a form of waging war, wielding influence and gaining economic dominance, at the expense of the most vulnerable segments of the target´s population. And, if anything, this book is a report from the battlefront of that covert war.

Having said that, comparing opium to Fentanyl is like comparing a blunderbuss to an AK 47. The insignificant amount required to take human life blew my mind.  It is ironic (or is it some form of twisted historic justice?) that the major provider of Fentanyl is the party on the losing side of the opium war. Oh for sure they banned the drug but based on a precise chemical formula, tweak the formula by a molecule and violà! No longer banned.

Fentanyl and the dark web were made for each other, one is the snake that can slither anywhere, even into the halls of the powerful, and the other is the vemon delivering the coup de grace...

I am writing this in lockdown. In these benighted days the world may believe we have bigger (or smaller) fish to fry but once the most immediate enemy is vanquished, we need to concentrate on demolishing or at least curtailing the more subtle beast, otherwise one catastrophe will inevitably piggy back on the saddle of another.

How do we do this? This book suggests knowledge, tolerance, co-operation and better universal medical systems. I already hear the scoffing of the ur fascists and the populists, well, let´s see they cope with Covid-19 first... The truth is we are all in this together and together we need to find a way out or at least a way to cope and co-exist.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me access to this most illuminating text.

A tough subject to cover but Ben Westhoff does it with ease. Fascinating, compelling, frustrating and heartbreaking - the opioid crisis is one affecting many (every?) community in America. This comprehensive book is one everyone should read.

A comprehensive analysis about one of the worst crisis in America, Fentanyl, Inc. does extensive research into cases of people affected by one of the worst drugs of the 21st century, how it came to land on our shores, and the corrupt forces behind its production.

A fascinating. Overview of fentanyl a  learning  guide to the drug it’s components it’s history and very importantly the effects on people,communities.Answered all my questions an important read.#netgalley#groveatlantic,

I became fascinated with opioids, particularly in the US after watching some documentaries on the subject. So when I saw this listed, I knew I needed it immediately. 

The book started out really well, discussing the history of the drug and what has led to the current epidemic. 

For me however, the book spent an awful lot of time looking at ‘analogues’ which I found a little disappointing. 

An interesting book for anyone that has a want to know more about drugs in general, but for me, I wish the author spent more time on Fentanyl itself. 

I’m also still a little unsure about the way the book was structured and found it a little wishy-washy for my tastes.

I read and reread parts of this book, because it really helped me understand.  The author has the finger on the pulse of what the issues surrounding the fentanyl epidemic are and really did his homework over a lengthy period of time.  Stunning, shocking and educational.  Must read for college classrooms in toxicology, psychology, or sociology classes.  I even took some notes.  I am glad several area libraries purchased this for their collection.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me preview an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nice feel good book. It flowed very well. was easy to read. Nice characters. Good storyline. What’s not to love.

This book is an education in the manufacture and distribution of Fentayl. As someone who works in law enforcement, I found it to be quite insightful and have recommended it to several colleagues.

This book was exactly what I was looking for in non-fiction. It mixed story-telling, statistics and investigative journalism in cohesive way that always made me want to learn more. The chapters were short and to the point and everything that was said was important or new so at no point did the book drag. I honestly devoured this book and it felt like I was reading a fiction book. I received my copy for free from NetGalley and my opinion of the book is not influenced by that fact.

The topic was what brought me into the novel, as I am always interesting in fiction that is related to current events. This book was about the history of current drugs with a special emphasis on synthetic drugs made in labs rather than grown in fields. The first three parts were focused on the drug trade, with different chapters focused on different parts, while the final part expressed the authors opinion on how we can solve the problem and how other countries/people are helping/hindering. I believe this format is really well suited for this type of book and it definitely added to my reading experience.

That being said, I believe that if you did not believe in the authors original thesis, then you probably will not like the book as much, due to its one-sided nature. I agree with its overall philosophy, but many people especially people in the United States, where the author is from, will disagree with it. The purpose of the book is to inform people who may not know about different issues and with that purpose this book flourishes. I really feel like I know more about the issue and it was so accessible for the general public.

The narrative portions of the book were really well done, and they were interspersed with facts adding crediablity to the author’s opinion. The investigative parts were the best by far and I found myself anticipating each part as it went on. It was really harrowing to read about his infiltration of different drug organizations. It was also interesting to read about the logistics of how the drug trade works and how the author went about his investigation of it.

I had such a good time with this book and I hope that my next non-fiction read, Blowout by Rachel Maddow is just as interesting. Leave a comment if you have any interesting non-fiction reads. Happy Reading!

5 stars

Well written, interesting, insightful, full of facts.  About that terrible epidemic, from drug names to how they were manufactured, where, the history, the evolution, people who've died from fentanyl or other drugs, how it's affecting everyone, how it's about everywhere, not just music festivals or celebrities... 

This is sad, tragic, dark... it's real! 

I can say I knew some about it as I have read several books on the subject but this one is good, about 80 % I didn't know.  I feel better informed now.  

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC of this book.  This is my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Excellent overview of the opioid crisis, explains the chemicals and chemical compounds, where those compounds come from in the global economy, how the war on drugs has harmed rather than helped people with addictions. Also includes interesting interviews with people who have used, sold, and make the chemicals in these illicit forms of the drugs.

Fentanyl, Inc. was well researched and followed all the facets of Fentanyl:  how it began, how it’s made, and the path it took to became America’s next drug epidemic. I instantly connected with this book as a former law enforcement officer from North Dakota and really appreciated the stories of people directly impacted.

I felt like I lost some interest in the middle but appreciated circling back to the individuals mentioned previously and the concept of harm reduction. The only other issue I had was using a quote from Donald Trump, it’s possibly just a personal thing but I don’t think of him as a credible source when talking about opioid addiction.

*** I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review ***

You like drugs? Public health? Policy? Politics? Interested in the current opioid epidemic? This is a good fit to itch those likes.

I was expecting a book more focused on personal stories of drug users and fentanyl, but what I got instead was an interesting telling of the drug situation not only in the United States but around the world as well. The history around designer drugs is told in length. 

The international politics, especially between the US and China, is discussed and made me think about whether there were some historical reasons around China’s current lax attitude about the drug labs. 

I found this to be very educational, especially as I start taking classes on population health and societal health issues. Would recommend. It’s not a dry read like some other drug books I’ve picked up recently.

Informative, educational, real, stunning.

This book is an excellent reference, and educational material on a very difficult topic for the United States. It covers historical data with respect to major drugs and how they have impacted the people in United States of America.

Shocking to say the least and extremely important for everyone to know. This book should be a mandatory read for middle school students. It's filled with accurate references in the end of the book for each source quotation. I was shocked to learn about this new drug Fentanyl and how it's killing millions of people, plus the dealers like using it to enhance what they already have. I also like how the book provides the chemical makeup of the drugs and how the interact with the human body in addition to how they are being used to this current date. 

After reading this book it's clear to me that the drug problem with have is an epidemic, needing to be addressed immediately. This book is a must have for every person, "knowledge is power" and this is what Fentanyl, Inc gives as a wonderful gift. Power to learn about something that can kill you and take away everything you have and love. Don't do drugs. 

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eread Kindle copy to review.

I was amazed at the facts about Fentanyl. The book was very informative. I had to chuckle when I saw Vice as a reference in the material though. I would have thought the references would have been more creditable. than that. (keeping in mind I watch Vice as well but the topic needs more serious creditable sources)  It was heavier in formulary than I think the average reader expects or wants. As an addiction therapist I thought it was great.

Very insightful book into the world of synthetic drug abuse. I administer drugs (fentanyl, oxycontin) to my patients at my work so I'm always interested in learning more about them. I never knew there was a whole different world out there with these drugs centered for recreational use instead of pain killing!

This book is pretty heavy on the facts and can be a little confusing with all of the drugs names. It's very interesting if you're interested in drugs and abuse, but don't pick it up if you're just expecting to read user stories. The author tries to find out where the drugs and compounds are made and travels to China to talk to the people selling and producing them, which is very interesting to read. So, great book for those looking to learn about the origin of recreational drugs and how "common" pain killers can also be abused.

The author has certainly done his homework. This book describes the history, causes, mitigation attempts and novel potential solutions. Prior to reading this I was somewhat versed in the topic via a podcast I listened to, but I still learned plenty. On the other hand, the book can read a bit slowly and if you aren't interested in the depth provided it might be too much.

I don't think this was the point of the book, but I learned about synthetic compounds in general. I have sleep issues and synthetic non mind altering compounds (including some of the jwh ones) held some interest for me. I now am rightfully terrified of unvetted compounds.

I also think every parent will probably need to discuss/lend a book like this to their children. I can imagine fake marijuana and other legal highs being something that every parent should know about. I now feel that anything that is bought outside of an online vendor with hundreds of ratings (or at least a COA) is subject to adulteration and this is probably considerably worse for vendors selling illegal products.

Absolutely superb read on the roots, causes, and affected individuals of the opioid epidemic namely Fentanyl. Ben Westhoff has crafted an important read!

I have been interested in the opioid  epidemic and now this scary drug called Fentanyl for the last 2 years.
The author does a great job at describing why Fentanyl is a problem now and who is supplying the American Market.
I thought that the book got bogged down with the other drugs. The other NSPs. 
I really did not care to learn about the drug derivatives that could be made in a chemistry lab or that China was supplying these alternatives.
I felt that the 30 to 40% of the book devoted to derivatives should have been its own book.
As it was, Fentanyl only contributes to about 25% of the book. I wish that the author had spent less time in China and more time interviewing resources (the police, social workers, foster care,) on the front line of the addiction. 
If you are interested in learning about drug derivatives, this book is for you.
If you want to learn more about opioids and fentanyl, this book is really not for you.