A valuable resource for any student majoring in the health sciences, Dr. Grilly's text examines human drug use from historical, societal, and biological perspectives. This scholarly overview provides a rich foundation for understanding drugs and their usage. In addition to describing basic pharmacological principles, Grilly discusses the general factors behind and approaches for dealing with drug tolerance, dependence, and abuse. By using the most up-to-date research, and by presenting data in concise, jargon-free prose, the author has created one of the most comprehensive and accessible books on the subject. Information is organized from the general to the specific, beginning with a historical perspective and subsequently moving through drug classifications, approaches to drug tolerance, dependence and abuse, psychological and behavioral effects, pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of action, common side effects, and current issues regarding drugs and their uses.