Although a bit dated (statistics were pulled from the early 2000's), Angell nonetheless presents a damning critique of the pharmaceutical industry and its business practices. While, not entirely in agreement with some of the solutions she has offered to combat the corruption, the book does an excellent job in bringing to light issues that consumers have remained ignorant on for far too long.

Very repetitive.

If I could give it no stars, I would. What a rag. Worthy of something by Hannity or Coulter, with convenient Republican-esque "fact-finding." Ironic that it's supposed to be leftist. Any liberal, avid reader who knows an ounce about this industry will have a good, but annoyed, laugh.

I had to read this for a class... I am about 30 pages into it and the biases of the author are already overwhelming. Unless you are a big government loving, business-hating liberal, this book is not for you.

This book teaches you a lot about the flow of money in the Drug Industry. The author, a former editor of the NEJM, knows her stuff but has her own axe to grind -- she wants socialized medicine. The problem with the system now is largely government interference. The government protects and nourishes the drug companies (corporate welfarism) while people demand more care without feeling the cost via govt. services (medicare etc). But this book makes me rethink many of my beliefs simply by overwhelming me with facts -- I love books like that.

Nobody who reads this book will want to take a pill ever again. Dr Angell exposes the modern legal drugs trade for what it is, so deeply rooted in profit lust and political corruption, it's got nothing to do with curing disease and everything to do with making truckloads of money. Drug companies cry poor, yet they charge exorbitant prices for their products, drag out their patent rights as long as possible, and prevent the medicine being distributed more cheaply in poorer countries that desperately need it - all while they make even higher record profits every year. They spend a lot of time developing nearly identical drugs for trivial conditions like colds (because they can sell a lot), but hardly ever produce treatments for rare disorders, on which they might only break even. Despite claiming that they need to charge high prices to conduct research, they do almost none, instead piggy-backing on taxpayer-funded universities and research organizations, so their research is basically free. They pay doctors with "educational" seminars in exotic locations and provide them with misinformation so the medicos choose their drugs every time and even prescribe them for illnesses for which they were not designed, and on which they have minimal effect. Although I have been wary of the drugs trade for many years, this was the book that provided me with the evidence to back up my suspicions. Read it and be informed: despite being a few years old, and American in focus, it's still applicable around the world today - you will understand much better how you get your medicine and make better choices.

This is one fantastically credible book. Written by the former editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, it exposes the Drug Companies for the greedy companies they really are. Written almost 20 years ago you can see that things are worst now by watching the medical TV ads today - which are sickening. They show nice pictures of happy people while listing off all the side effects of taking those drugs. "Markets can be created as well as enlarged...Once upon a time, drug companies promoted drug to treat diseases. Now it is often the opposite. They promote diseases to fit their drugs." Heartburn remedy used to be a glass of milk or an over-the-counter antacid. "But now heartburn is called acid reflux disease." In other words, they invent diseases to fit their drugs.

They make HUGH profits. Spending for Marketing their drugs is at least 3 times what is spent on Research and Development. Bogus drug trials are conducted, sometimes negative results are buried. Billions of dollars of expense are disguised as administration and medical education and these millions are actually profit. Their control over the government and the laws being passed is HUGH. Imagine passing a bill saying that Medicare cannot negotiate drug prices. How sick is that.

Drug companies develop very few new effective drugs. They take the results of developments from hospital and government research and market them.

If you are concerned about health care and rising prices you must read this book.

It's a bit outdated since most of the concerns expressed in the book is connected with the US policies in 2002, under Bush administration. It's worth a try to understand that the truth is far from what people believe, from the price of R&D in pharmaceutical industry to the FDA_the most modest agency in the world.

This book is a true eye opener about the corruption of the pharmaceutical industry. Jaw dropping at times, it sure does shed some light on America's medicine and the drug company money that the government is protecting.

Big Pharma "is taking us for a ride," Angell contends. "And there will be no real reform without an aroused and determined public to make it happen." This expose may arouse readers, but will it help the larger cause? Critics agree that Angell's passionate, well-researched indictment of the industry's practice raises important questions. The lack of new insight doesn't diminish its power, but some critics who applaud Angell's suggested reforms also see them as unrealistic. Only Dr. Miller of The Wall Street Journal

Dr. Angell writes a take-down of the pharma industry based on her deep experience as editor of the New England Journal of Medicine. The pharma industry is so fascinatingly complex and fraught with ethical dilemmas. Dr. Angell argues they are overly focused on profits and marketing; the industry can and should be doing much more to help patients and control health care costs. I don't agree with all her points (are me-toos really so bad if they provide options and competition?) but every one of them made me think.

This book is 10 years old with a lot of reforms in the intervening decade. I would love an update on her thoughts.

Marcia Angell’s painstaking account of big pharma’s shenanigans is a sobering read. Even people in the healthcare field will be surprised by the sheer extent of big pharma’s reach and the multiple means the industry employs to fatten its profits and prolong monopolies that impose huge costs on society.