Owning the Sun
A People's History of Monopoly Medicine from Aspirin to COVID-19 Vaccines
Alexander Zaitchik
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On Sale: 03/28/2023 | $17.95
9781640095908 | Paperback 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 | 304 pages Buy it Now
On Sale: 03/01/2022 | $26
9781640095069 | Hardcover 6 x 9 | 304 pages Buy it Now
Book Description
For readers of Bad Blood and Empire of Pain, an authoritative look at monopoly medicine from the dawn of patents through the race for COVID-19 vaccines and how the privatization of public science has prioritized profits over people
Praise For This Book
“An arresting provocation . . . Zaitchik persuasively argues that [the drug industry has] single-mindedly pursued profit maximization by engaging in price gouging, blocking the availability of cheaper generics, and exploiting the patent and regulatory systems to harass and suppress competition.” —Daniel J. Kevles, The New York Review of Books"Argument starter, thought-provoker, question-asker, Owning the Sun is a book you need to read now." —Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Goshen News
“The history of the rise of patented and monopolized medicine is extremely complex, but Zaitchik manages to effectively weave that history together to show just how much institutional science and medicine has changed since the beginning of the twentieth century.” —Nicholas Greyson Ward, The Progressive
"Part history lesson on intellectual property and part damning critique . . . Zaitchik’s book is highly informative and deeply troubling reading." —Library Journal
"A brave and timely reminder . . . A trenchant study of the dangers of turning medical knowledge into private intellectual property." —Kirkus Reviews
"Journalist Zaitchik (The Gilded Rage) takes readers through the labyrinthine history of medical patents in this expansive study . . . Zaitchik covers a remarkable amount of ground and never gets lost in the weeds. The result is comprehensive and illuminating." —Publishers Weekly
“With so many Americans unable to afford ever soaring drug prices, Zaitchik’s important [and] insightful history of the rise of Big Pharma demonstrates the urgency of restraining pharmaceutical monopoly power.” ––U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair
"Riveting. Owning the Sun masterfully explains how Big Pharma methodically gained global control over the largely public-funded 'intellectual property' required to manufacture new therapies (like the COVID-19 vaccines). A must read for those wanting to understand how this unfolded." —John Abramson, M.D., author of Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It
