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Art & Books

Psychotropic sensation

In the 1940s and 50s, pharmaceutical companies were on the brink of failure. Psychotropic drugs saved them. McGill medical historian Andrea Tone tells how tranquilizers became mainstream – and at what cost – in her fascinating new book, The Age Of Anxiety: A History Of America’s Turbulent Affair With Tranquilizers (Basic, $28.95). Sample tidbit: In 1978 alone, nearly 2.3 billion Valium tablets were sold globally, enough to medicate half the world. Geez.

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