Allen M. Hornblum

When I finally got this book into my hot little hands, I couldn't WAIT to start it. I had seen it during a few trips to the Eastern State Penitentiary, and was quite interested. The price, however, was kind of steep ($32.00) and I hoped it would be worth it.
The first few chapters were exactly what I was looking for: details on the experiments done to prisoners, their reactions, their side effects, their own words. Towards the middle of the book, it slowly moved from lurid details to the dry recounting of Dr Kligman's hubris, his battles with the FDA and the government, and scads of paragraphs rehashing the "I knew it was important research so I did it" opinion. Also looming large in the rather dull second half of the book is the "Maybe we shouldn't experiment on prisoners, who is going to do something about it?" and the constant refrain of money, cash money, being the reason for the quick compliance of the inmates.

Hornblum has written another book, "Sentenced To Science" which is the story of one particular inmate and his experience with these drug trials. I'm interested, but I may get it from the library. I was a little too disappointed with how "Acres of Skin" ended up to invest my money right now.… (meer)

More interesting and gory than Hornblum's other book, this gave more of an insight into what prisoners actually went through during their stint as test subjects for pharmeceutical companies. I felt sorry for Butch at the start, but as he continued to abuse drugs and backslide again and again, my emotions turned to annoyance and frustration. Very interesting, though, how these prisoners kept complying for the trials, even though the side effects were horrific. This book was also a scary insider's view at what goes on in our jails.… (meer)

I'd read other works which briefly touched on the subject matter found in Against Their Will, so I was looking forward to an investigative treatment offered her. Unfortunately, I have to agree with another reviewer who was disappointed by the lack of objectivity the authors displayed. They seemed to let their own revulsion at the events described get in the way of a more robust exploration of the subject. At times, I felt as if I was being preached to about the moral evils being committed. While I certainly concur about the horrible things done, I wanted much more of a documentation history than a screed.… (meer)