| View Larger Image | The Health Benefits of Tobacco | Paperbackby William Campbell Douglass (Author)
| List Price: | $33.99 | | Price: | $30.59 | | You Save: | $3.40 (10%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Paperback | | Publisher: | Rhino Publishing S.A. | | Page Count: | 396 Pages | | Publication Date: | March 01, 2004 | | Sales Rank: | 68,921th |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
The benefits of smoking tobacco have been common knowledge for centuries. From sharpening mental acuity to maintaining optimal weight, the relatively small risks of smoking have always been outweighed by the substantial improvement to mental and physical health. Hysterical attacks on tobacco notwithstanding, smokers always weigh the good against the bad and puff away or quit according to their personal preferences. Now the same anti-tobacco medical establishment that has spent billions demonizing the pleasure of smoking is providing additional reasons to smoke. Did you know that many of the countries the smoke the most, have the longest life span? This controversial books will have you thinking and talking for quite some time. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 6 reviews)
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The Health Benefits of Tobacco by Jredheadgirl  5 Stars
November 17, 2009
Dr. Douglass is an anomaly in what is now deemed to be modern medicine. In an age where it takes great courage to stand apart from the orthodoxy of the now familiar anti-smoking movement, he demonstrates that he is willing to take a social and professional risk by remaining true to the ethics of science, no matter what the cost. By questioning the rationality, science, and ethics of the quit or die movement that has recently gained the ear of so many legislators, lobbyists, and do-gooders in the Western world, he points out the idiosyncrasies of what has now become a modern prohibitionist movement. You can say that he is a rebel of sorts, one with a cause.
He begins by questioning the selective studies of the establishment, which try with much tenacity to blame almost every disease of modern man on the evil weed tobacco. Everything from heart disease, to cancer, to the "dangers" of 2nd hand smoke, he suggests that other factors, such as infection and bacteria for example, might also be overlooked accomplices in the war on modern disease. This is blasphemy of course, but so was the solar system to the clerics in the days of Galileo. By no means does he deny or discredit the "relationship" between the use of tobacco and disease. What makes Dr. Douglass different from the rest is that he urges that we must look at the whole picture. He also urges us to take notice of the political activism that is attached to the issue of tobacco. This is something that he warns has distorted the very premise of science itself. Activism is indeed dangerous to the progression of science. The world is not flat after all.
The issue of a dose response relationship is strongly addressed; if you smoke more, you increase your chances of illness. This is true with alcohol, sugar, salt, and most anything that we humans enjoy. He is the only doctor (that I can think of) that speaks outside of the box by saying, go ahead and enjoy your 5-6 cigarettes ( or 3-4 cigars) a day; and by the way, don't worry about it; sounds like my kind of doctor.
Daring to go where no one will, he bases the thesis of his book on the benefits of tobacco. That's right, the BENEFITS OF TOBACCO. He gives examples like how moderate (emphasis on the word moderate) consumption can protect against what he calls "Senile Brain Disease" (ie., Alzheimer's Disease), Parkinson's Disease, Tourette's syndrome, and Eclampsia, and Atopics Disorders.
He also takes into consideration the social and economic impact of tobacco prohibitionist movement; not only in the Western World, but in the developing world, where believe it or not, tobacco is responsible for feeding and employing many of the world's people in developing nations. Hence, not only do smoking bans put bartenders and entertainers out of work in the 1st world, but they also upend the world economy. The WHO should take note. I won't go into too much detail; there are many interesting tidbits of information that have the potential to make even the most ardent anti-smoker think just a bit differently about that ancient weed called tobacco.... We should all just go out and purchase the book.
Individualists and rebels alike will be intrigued and entertained alike.
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Worth a Read For Sure! by L. A. (Milwaukee, WI) 5 Stars
March 22, 2009
I was skeptical at first. But after reading this book, and all associated sources, Dr, Campbell Douglass makes his case for the health benefits of tobacco. The book is easy to read. I read it in two days. It was so interesting, I could not put it down. He does not advocate heavy smoking, but moderate smoking of pure tobacco, without additives. He is also not inviting non-smokers to become smokers. He is merely citing flaws in numerous studies and proving the benefits of pure tobacco when used properly. Great read for open-minded people. If you are closed-minded or swayed by media/government, don't bother with this book. You won't be able to see the truth. You've already been too brainwashed.
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As a non-smoker I have a different view by Richard Moore (Miami, Florida) 5 Stars
March 04, 2009
As a non-smoker, I was not looking to find reasons to support any pre-existing view that I had. I just read this book becasue I have read other books by this author, and always found great results with the health ideas that he discussed.
After reading this book, I realized the extent the whole smoking issue is filled with lies and dis-information.
I still might not take up smoking, but after reading this, I know there is a great deal of good we can get from tobacco.
If you are a smoker, you really DO need to read this book, so you can find out the how to make tobacco assist you - reather then making some poor health choices.
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There are benefits. But... by Ralph Sumner (MT, USA and Japan)  3 Stars
February 04, 2009
Dr. Douglass is known for his anti-establishment hyperbole, and it serves him well in creating his saleable persona. While there are very good benefits of limited use of the natural tobacco leaf, this should not cause us to ignore the very real dangers of cigarettes and their additives. Not to mention the stench.
That said, my guess is that the previous one-star reviewer has not read this book. Dr. Douglass does a good job of presenting some of the fallacies of the anti-tobacco lobby and benefits of tobacco. Read the fine print and you'll find that he also does not approve of cigarettes and their additives or over-use of tobacco. He is quite harsh on the tobacco companies.
Benefits of smoking include the well-known protective effect from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. However, sometimes Dr. Douglass can gild the lily, such as pointing to the combination of higher smoking and lower specific disease rates in Asia compared to the U.S. Even though he ignores the fact to gild his hyperbolic lily, I am sure Dr. Douglass must be aware of the reason: green tea. Even the staid NCI (National Cancer Institute) has reported on the protection that green tea catechins offer from cancer. Investigations have borne out the fact that here in Asia green-tea-drinkers who smoke have lower cancer rates than American smokers, but Asian non-green-tea-drinkers who smoke do not have lower cancer rates.
All in all a good book, and it is good to have a doctor willing to stand up to the fascists, but you will have to overlook the hyperbole.
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A Challenge to the anti-smoking fascists by John Aherne 5 Stars
January 30, 2009
It's nice to see a prominent physician challenge the anti-smoking fascists. Bravo Dr Douglass !
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