Addicted for Five Hundred Years -- Addictive Substances and the Formation of the Modern World

Author: David Kertzer (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This book provides a historical examination and exploration of stimulants such as coffee, tobacco, tea, opium, and cocaine from the perspectives of sociology and biology. It details the entire process of their discovery, utilization, and exploitation, presenting a cultural history of drugs. Addicted for Five Hundred Years: Drugs and the Formation of the Modern World is a rich and engaging work of drug history. Starting with the "branch topic" of "addictive drugs," the author crafts a sweeping world history that opens new horizons. Reading this book offers a fresh perspective on the course of human history and its driving forces. The stimulants analyzed in this book include legal substances like tobacco, alcohol, tea, and coffee, as well as non-mainstream, 20th-century illegal drugs such as opium, cocaine, and marijuana.
First, the author explores the origins of these stimulants and how they spread and converged through European maritime trade and colonialism. Next, he discusses how these substances were marketed and disseminated around the world. Whether it's the process of drugs moving from medical use to abuse or the rise of American cigarette tycoons, the book vividly portrays these developments. Finally, the author examines the relationship between drugs and power, including how national drug policies are shaped by consumer desires, tax revenues, social costs, and public health considerations. He also analyzes how imperial powers and multinational corporations manipulate the stimulant market, as well as the struggles between prohibitionists and drug users, offering thought-provoking insights.
The book argues that the immense influence of stimulants stems from both human biological evolution and historical forces like trade, politics, and culture, with a significant role played by chance. While these substances certainly have physiological effects, their prevalence is also deeply intertwined with social and cultural factors. For example, the pursuit of maximum profit in capitalism and the cultural emphasis on instant gratification have driven the production and sale of drugs while also motivating their consumption. Alcohol, tobacco, and opium have even become effective tools for ruling classes—such as high-ranking officers and colonial plantation owners—to control and exploit lower groups like indigenous peoples, slaves, and laborers.
Beyond economic and cultural discussions, the author cites research from ecological history, highlighting the severe environmental damage caused by the widespread use of these substances. The cultivation of coffee and tobacco has led to deforestation and soil degradation, while the extensive use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides has caused pollution. The illegal production of cocaine in Central and South America has not only fueled serious crime but has also devastated valuable rainforests and threatened the survival of numerous endangered species. These ecological impacts are important aspects often overlooked in past discussions of drugs.
The author's writing is lively and humorous, combining rigorous analysis and commentary with solid statistical data (some of which is quite striking, such as the fact that in early 20th-century China, the number of smokers was comparable to Russia's consumption of hard liquor). He also includes many vivid details and anecdotes, such as the extraordinary methods of smugglers and the remarks of writers and politicians, making the book engaging and never dull. This historical writing skill serves as an exemplary model for future scholars.
The book covers a vast scope and time period, and while it is difficult to find gaps in its breadth, two points are worth noting: First, the book's discussion of the creative role of stimulants in modern culture—such as their significant influence on literature, painting, music (like 1960s rock music)—is somewhat weak. Second, the book's arguments remain centered on Europe, although it does touch on the "non-Western" drug use in the Kertzer region and India's cannabis culture. However, its discussion of the role of drugs in non-Western societies, such as the chewing of coca leaves in indigenous cultures of Central and South America, is still insufficient. This also makes us wonder about Taiwan's betel nut culture—when will there be a similar historical analysis?
The translation is smooth and includes some excellent passages, but there are still areas for debate. For example, translating "ganjacomplex" as "" may not be entirely appropriate, as the term refers not only to psychological effects but also to clothing, daily necessities, diet, and medicinal uses, encompassing multiple layers of ritual, medical, and material culture. The psychological connotation of "" is too narrow. Additionally, the rich notes, bibliography, preface, and useful index in the original book were completely omitted in the Chinese translation.
A cigarette, a cup of coffee, a can of soda, a bottle of hard liquor, an ecstasy pill, a moment of self-narcosis—the history of stimulants. How much power do the drugs shunned by the virtuous hold in history? Why are some drugs legal while others are illegal? What forces drive the proliferation of stimulants into large-scale, diverse commercial trades? This book examines stimulants such as coffee, tobacco, tea, opium, and cocaine from the perspectives of sociology and biology, tracing their historical discovery, trade, and exploitation. It traces the path of mass stimulants into global trade and reveals the conflicts and compromises between drug use autonomy and national economic systems, social norms, and cultural factors. It is one of the most comprehensive works on the cultural history of stimulants to date.
The author's intention in writing this book is to remind us that the development of psychotropic drugs and the revolution of stimulants could lead humanity to an extreme realm of hallucinatory dreams or, conversely, to an inverse utopia. The book delves deeply into the subject, balances perspectives, and is written with elegance. It is a must-read masterpiece that spans both world history and drug history. It provides a broad exploration, rational judgment, and a playful yet serious humor for a topic that is often poorly informed or overly heated.