Book Review: The Least Of Us

Book Review: The Least Of Us
by Sam Quinones
Bloomsbury Publishing (2021) 432pp

We all know of people who have died as a result of using Fentanyl and/or Meth. “The Least Of Us” is an amazing narrative that explains why so many are dying. The book is organized according to watershed events that have contributed to the rise of drug addiction. The Sackler Family’s very deliberate efforts to increase opioid dependency among the masses is clearly laid out. Chinese chemists, Mexican cartels and small-time drug dealer, who are lured by huge sums of easy money, all play a significant role in the Fentanyl-Meth killing machine. This book also offers in-depth information about the neurological effects of drug addiction, which explains why it is so easy to become an addict. Until I read this book, I had no idea that the latest iterations of Fentanyl and Meth were intentionally created to speed the process of becoming addicted. Nor was I aware that every new iteration of Fentanyl and Meth is deadlier than the drugs’ previous incarnations. The epidemic is alarmingly pervasive among cities, towns and rural outposts. In fact, no area of the country is exempt from the scourge of addiction. By setting forth all of the factors that have contributed to the current epidemic of drug addiction, Sam Quinones connects the dots, so that we can understand much more about the depth and breadth of addiction that has beset America. Not to be entirely pessimistic about this raging tragedy, Quinones also offers us the success stories of individuals and groups who were able to combat addiction and thrive. We can all take a lesson from those who won the war against addiction to do whatever we can to replicate those successes in our own communities.