Book Reviews

Midwestern Book Review 6-16-21

Review by: Able Greenspan

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/mbw/jun_21.htm#ablegreenspan

Synopsis: With the rush to legalize marijuana for recreational and/or medicinal use, it has been lost in the haze that marijuana is a psychoactive drug. A drug that can lead to serious health problems, in some people. Most vulnerable are adolescents, young adults, and pregnant women, but heavy or chronic use of Weed can also lead to dependence and health complications for people at all ages. The scientific evidence clearly shows effects of Cannabis and Cannabis products on Cognition, Memory, and IQ as well as influencing Psychosis, Anxiety, Depression, Cardiovascular problems, and other health and behavioral problems.

“Whoa Dude!Think on these things before getting too deep into smoking Weed*: *or what the science of marijuana is telling us about the harmful effects for you, your friends, or your kids.” by Kevin Becker leads the reader directly to and through the science of Marijuana and the deleterious medical effects on our health.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, “Whoa Dude!” is an impressively informed and informative contribution to our current national discussion concerning the use and legalization of marijuana — making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to high school, community, college and university library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Marijuana supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that “Whoa Dude!” is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49).

Editorial Note: Kevin G. Becker received a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1989 in Molecular Biology and Genetics. He spent 30 years as a scientist in the Intramural Research Program of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This included postdoctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and The National Human Genome Research Institute. He was a Staff Scientist at the National Institute on Aging for over 20 years. He has published on a broad range of topics including aging, autoimmune disease including multiple sclerosis, autism, bioinformatics, gene expression, genetics, immunity, metabolism and neuroscience. He is an author or co-author on over 300 peer reviewed scientific publications.

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Review by Vincent Dublado: Review Rating: 5 Stars – Congratulations on your 5-star review!

Reviewed By Vincent Dublado for Readers’ Favorite

Upon a first look at its cover, this book may seem like a hippie’s guide to weed smoking. However, upon reading its title and dipping into its contents, Whoa Dude! Think on these things before getting too deep into smoking weed by Kevin G. Becker Ph.D. is a highly informative caveat that you need to heed if you ever consider smoking weed for recreational purposes or if you are simply concerned about its long-term effects. As a sourcebook, it is not limited to providing information about peer-reviewed scientific evidence of the harmful effects of weed, but it also sheds light on that common misconception about weed never hurting anybody. It is not your typical ‘not-another-anti-marijuana’ guidebook, but rather a well-researched and open-minded look at what you need to consider before you even dare to flirt with Cannabis sativa.

As a concerned scientist, brother, and father, Kevin G. Becker Ph.D. hits all the right notes in his efforts to curb misinformed societal attitudes on cannabis use. While the Internet is teeming with information about marijuana use, not all of it is reliable, and you can easily fall into the trap of misinformation. Becker applies the rule of ‘show, don’t tell’ by showing you research-based facts that hopefully will help you come up with a sound decision at the end. It does not tell you to avoid weed at all costs, for such dense cautionary bidding does not help you exercise careful assessment that is necessary for an issue that puts your well-being on the betting table. As the legalization of marijuana largely contributes to the common belief that weed is safe, Whoa Dude! provides that much-needed vigilance in letting you know as much as possible about what you put in your body. It is an honest discussion that similarly advises how marijuana research is an ongoing process. The author lets you rethink if those who are pushing for the rapid commercialization of weed have your best interests at heart. This is the sourcebook that you need to be truly informed on the subject.