This book is a history of medicines and the commercial actors that make and sell them, covering the 140 years since the modern pharmaceutical industry came into being. It is written in a lively and accessible way, aiming at a general audience that combines historical narrative with fascinating case studies on drug discovery and commercialization, from the rat poison that became warfarin, to a cardiovascular treatment that was turned into Viagra. In a non-partisan way it also examines some of the less noble manifestations of corporate behavior, concluding with an agenda for reform.It is hard...