Thomas De Quincey, Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1821, reprinted in 1998. This book is considered a literary masterpiece because of its vivid and fascinating account of the pains and pleasures of opium use as well as an autobiographical account of De Quincey's youth.

Barbara Hodgson, Opium: A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1999. This is a short yet beautiful book filled with photographs, sketches, paintings, engravings, and other artwork featuring opium-related scenes and paraphernalia.

This book is an excellent starting point for understanding the history and effects of opium.

Dean Latimer and Jeff Goldberg, Flowers in the Blood. New York: Franklin Watts, 1981. The authors provide a history of opium, from its earliest uses through its medical phase and finally its use by addicts as a narcotic. This is one of the few books that explores possible cures for...