John Mann
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999; £19.99
ISBN 0198500939

I wonder, what sort of books do you like to read? Textbooks perhaps? Well, probably not. Or novels? Books to transport you into fiction land, removed from exams, hard work, and indeed, those textbooks.

As new drugs are forever being sought, John Mann has written an account of the discoveries of the past that have brought us to the pharmacological understanding of the present day. He narrates a chronology of significant breakthroughs in drug treatments, from the 16th century physician Paracelcus and his rather toxic treatments for syphilis, through the discovery of penicillin, and eventually on to discuss the contemporary strategies in cancer treatment. The stories behind the discovery of each drug are told. The tale of how Sir Alexander Fleming could quite easily have not discovered penicillin might not interest you, but the details of his research, the clinical trials, and the commercial problems he faced might.

The style is not taxing. It is pitched at a level that is accessible to the interested lay person, yet not too simplistic to those with a background knowledge of the science. Two strands to the book could be identified. Firstly, there is the story of the pioneers; about the people themselves, and their path to discovering the various new drugs. Secondly, there are more scientific passages; for example, the structure of penicillin is described. We are even informed of all the drugs' generic names and chemical names. Although the author's explanations of the science are clear and simple, they have the effect of interrupting the flow of the otherwise gentle history.

It is an informative book, however. Above all, the historical context we are given helps bring alive long lists of drugs with confusingly similar sounding names. To know why rifampicin is so named may not be important, but the accumulative effect of such "useless" information might help bring to mind individual drugs and better to understand the subject as a whole.

So, are you going to read The Elusive Magic Bullet? It is, after all, neither a concise textbook, packed full of knowledge to help you pass your exams, neat summarising tables, and useful diagrams, nor is it a witty, plot thickened, twist enhanced story to divert your overcrammed mind. If medical history is of interest to you, then you need to be hesitant to read this book. But if it is not, then view this book generously. It is both educational and a diverting history; a history of pharmacology, of medicine, of some of the politics involved, and also of the extraordinary nature of discovery-a history of human achievement.