Search - Acceptable Risk

Prozac-like drugs are being prescribed not only for their original purposes but increasingly to alter individual personalities to currently valued norms. With dead-on accuracy and the prescience of tomorrow's headlines, Robin Cook explores the perilous intersection where fame and unfathomable lucre waylay and seduce the very best and brightest of those sworn to do no harm. When neuroscientist Edward Armstrong begins dating Kimberly Stewart, a descendant of a woman who was hanged as a witch at the time of the Salem witch trials, he takes advantage of the opportunity to delve into a pet theory: that the "devil" in Salem in 1692 had been a hallucinogenic drug inadvertently consumed with mold-tainted grain. In an attempt to prove his theory, Edward grows the mold he believes responsible from samples taken from the Stewart estate. In a brilliant designer-drug transformation, the poison becomes Ultra, the next generation of antidepressants with truly startling therapeutic capabilities. Acceptable Risk is a story of quest: a researcher's quest for the ultimate drug and a woman's quest for self-understanding. Unbeknownst to either person, the two seemingly separate quests collide with devastating consequences.

A bit disturbing in parts, to be perfectly honest. Could be a cautionary tale against letting ambition blind a person to the very real potential risks. It was fast paced and exciting and I really didn't want to put it down

Great book!! I really enjoy Robin Cook's writing. If you like medical thrillers this is it. I was amazed by what people (or at least fictional characters) will do in the name of science!

Personality-altering drugs and the complex moral questions they raise are the topic of this novel. Who can be sure the drug is safe for consumers? Who defines the boundaries of "normal" human beharior? This drug has truly startling therapeutic capabilities, so how far will the medical community to alter their standards of....ACCEPTABLE RISK?

Excellent read. Very interesting. Great job relating to the Salem Witch Trials!

Neuroscientist Edward Armstrong has managed to isolate a psychotropic drug whith a strange and dark history-one that may account for the public hysteria during the Salem witch trials. In a brilliant designer-drug transformation, it is developed into an antidepressant with truly startling therapeutic capabiliteies.

This book follows the typical Robin Cook formula. I do like how this ties modern day medical issues with the Salem witch trials.

A great Cook read. Lots of adventure and a little romance.

Predictable Cook novel.

Story begins with Salem "witch" then moves on to modern times and a new chemical isolated from her old Salem home. Chemical developed into new psych drug... Strong characters and science background.

Neuroscientist Edward Armstrong has managed to isolate a psychotropic drug with a strange and dark history-one that may account for the public hysteria during the Salem witch trials. But who can be sure it is safe for human consumers? How far will the medical community go to alter their standards of acceptable rish?

Neuroscientist Edward Armstrong has managed to isolate a psychotropic drug with a starnge and dark history...one that might account for the public hysteria that occurred the Salem Witch Trials...in a brilliant designer-drug transformation, Armstrong develops it into an antidepressant with startlingly efective therapeutic capabilities...but who can be sure if the drug is safe for consumers? And if the side effects prove dangerous, even terrifying..how far will the medical community go to stop it?

Robin Cook has always been on the cutting edge of the latest medical controversies. In this book he confronts one of the most provacative issues of our times; personality-altering drugs and the complex moral questions they raise. Neuroscientist Edward Armstrong has managed to isolate a psychotropic drug with a strange and dark history--one that may account for the public hysteria during the Salem witch trial. In a brilliant designer-drug transformation, it is developed into as antidepressant with truly startling therapeutic capabilities. But who can be sure the drug is safe for consumers? Who defines the boundaries of "normal" human behavior? And if the drug's side effects are proven to be dangerous--even terrifying--how far will the medical community goto alter their standards of Acceptable Risk.

Robin Cook confronts one of the most provocative issues of our time --- Personality-altering drugs and the complex moral questions they raise.

a race to capture the patent on a new antidepressant drug, how far will the medical community go to alter their acceptable risk?