New York Times Bestseller

It is now one hundred years since drugs were first banned in the United States. On the eve of this centenary, journalist Johann Hari set off on an epic three-year, thirty-thousand-mile journey into the war on drugs. What he found is that more and more people all over the world have begun to recognize three startling truths: Drugs are not what we think they are. Addiction is not what we think it is. And the drug war has very different motives to the ones we have seen on our TV screens for so long.

In Chasing the Scream, Hari reveals his discoveries entirely through the stories of people across the world whose lives have been transformed by this war. They range from a transsexual crack dealer in Brooklyn searching for her mother, to a teenage hit-man in Mexico searching for a way out. It begins with Hari's discovery that at the birth of the drug war, Billie Holiday was stalked and killed by the man who launched this crusade--and it ends with the story of a brave doctor who has led his country to decriminalize every drug, from cannabis to crack, with remarkable results.

Chasing the Scream lays bare what we really have been chasing in our century of drug war--in our hunger for drugs, and in our attempt to destroy them. This book will challenge and change how you think about one of the most controversial--and consequential--questions of our time.

Reader Reviews

Perry

(4/5)

Nov 21, 2024

Engrossing Exploration of Drug War Failures "I've seen the needle and the damage doneA little part of it in everyoneBut every junkie's like a settin' sun.""Needle and the Damage Done," Neil Young, 1972An engrossing exploration of the failures of the "war on drugs." The narrative tracks through the war's czar in the U.S., users and abusers, peddlers, law enforcement, the poor souls who have been "collaterally damaged" (family members and innocent bystanders), current policy makers, as well as

Ana

(3/5)

This is a good introduction into how the drug war took over America. I still think Carl Hart's High Price is a more engrossing and scientific read, but this book condenses over 100 years of history for us non-drug users and I like that the desire to write it came from a place of compassion.

Michael Flanagan

(5/5)

Every now or then a book comes along that leaves you breathless and changes the way you look at the world. Chasing The Scream is one of those books a profound read that has made me rethink the war on drugs on made me look at how I carry out my own work.The war on drugs whether you know it or not has changed the very nature of the society we live in. It has turned a health issue into one of crime and by doing so encouraged more crime and violence. The evidence gathered in this book is overwhelmin...

Josh Johnson

It's quite ironic that this is probably the most addictive book I've ever read. Harrowing and emotional but something everyone should read!

Paul

(1/5)

I have always been very anti-drug war, and so I am very much the "choir" that Hari is preaching to, but I cannot in good conscience recommend this book. From a policy perspective it seems like it could be very persuasive, so from an "ends justify the means" point of view, maybe I am a bit happy that it's out there, but it embodies almost everything I hate about popular journalism. I think that this New York Times review gives a good idea about many of this book's problems.The absolute stand-out

MichelinaNeri

I only read the first third of this book before I made the mistake of Googling the author. There are too many books in the world I want to read without wasting my time on a disgraced journalist who betrayed the trust of his readers with plagiarism, fabrication and lies. Why should I ever trust anything he says? How can I trust anything in this book? Lying in journalism is a betrayal that I cannot forgive. Also, the unnecessarily sensationalist style of his writing, with the breathless and clunki...

Barry

A very worthy, well-researched and well-written book. It should, I hope, come to be regarded as an important book. I don't like the title, and I don't like that there are whole classes of drugs he ignores - concentrating on cannabis and heroin with a nod to cocaine, but largely ignoring the others, except to assassinate Timothy Leary. What he does cover though, he covers sensibly, intelligently and with touching humanity.

Melissa

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time and should be a must read for anyone who works in the field of substance abuse/ addiction. It is well researched and offers a valid alternative to the failed war on drugs in the USA. I have always advocated for the legalization of drugs and a total overhall in our drug policies - this book provides evidence on why legalization is the way to go. It is compelling and fascinating. Seriously, just read it. Even if the topic doesn't appeal to y...

Alice Lippart

Excellent at gathering information and facts as well as adding humanity to the topic by telling different people's stories, but overall not as revolutionary as I thought it was going to be.

Kevin

Chasing the “War on Drugs”…--I immediately jumped on this book after being blown away by Hari’s Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions (and I avoid popular psychology books!). I’ve encountered pieces of the “War on Drugs” from various angles (race, political economy, medical); Hari has synthesized these various dimensions and narrated it into an engaging tapestry.Highlights:1) The War’s archetypes :--I suppose “war” and “tragedy” have much overl...

Heath

Johann Hari sets out to answer some of our most pressing questions about “the war on drugs” in his book Chasing the Scream. Within the pages of this book, you will find out how and why the “war” began, how it impacts people from all walks of life, and how cities and countries across the world are changing the way they deal with both drugs and drug users. Chasing the Scream is an absolute gem, and I honestly feel that it's one of the best examinations of drug policy that I've read. Hari examines

J. Ewbank

That noise you just heard are the flying away of my presuppositions about the drug war. i have been naieve in the area of drugs and so have been pretty anti ddrugs. The things I hard about were scarry and awful. Though much of this remains true, I can see where legalization of some of the drugs would certainly hurt the drug trafficers and we could use the money to much more humanely work with those who are and weil become addicted. Johann Hari has asked and worked years to answer many of the que...

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