First published 1991
Mann chronicles the remarkable journey of aspirin from its discovery to its dominance as the world's most enduring pharmaceutical success. The book examines how this single drug weathered a hundred years of fierce market competition, deceptive advertising campaigns, and ruthless business maneuvering. Mann reveals the strategies companies employed to maintain market share for what became a commodity product, exploring the tension between scientific merit and commercial manipulation. Through detailed research, he shows how aspirin manufacturers navigated patent wars, regulatory challenges, and consumer skepticism while the drug itself remained essentially unaltered. The narrative exposes the gap between aspirin's genuine medical benefits and the often dubious marketing claims surrounding it. Mann demonstrates how corporate interests shaped public perception of this wonder drug, creating a complex legacy of both legitimate therapeutic value and commercial exploitation.
Genres: science, 20th-century, business, non-fiction, history-of-medicine, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: corporate-exploitation, scientific-merit-vs-commercial-manipulation
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
420 pages · Hardcover · Knopf