"Smoke, ineffable yet perceivable; real yet illusionary; present yet transient; breathable yet intoxicating. It was smoke that captured the Europeans' imagination. It was an experience for which they had initially no vocabulary and to which they sought (and continue to seek) to give meaning." This excerpt from, Smoke: A Global History of Smoking aptly sets the stage for what is to follow in this compilation of essays dedicated to the history of smoking.

Gilman and Xun's preface presents a sociological account of smoking, and how it has transformed through the years, crossing cultural, socioeconomic, and gender boundaries. From Christopher Columbus' "discovery" of tobacco to the hookah-smoking caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, Gilman and Xun comprehensively detail smoking through the ages. Along the way, the role of smoking in politics, art, and religion is discussed. Although tobacco is the primary focus, the authors also offer glimpses into the opium dens of France and Victorian London and crack houses of the US, and explore the cultural use of ganga in Jamaica.

Smoke consists of thirty-four essays, divided into four major topic areas: 1) Smoking in history and culture, 2) Smoking in art and literature, 3) Smoking, gender, and ethnicity, and 4) Smoking: The burning issue. The contributing authors hail from a variety of disciplines, including political science, history, and literature, as well as a self-professed "avid pipe smoker and collector." Covering a myriad of topics, with titles such as, "Smoking and all that jazz," "Women and smoking," "The physiology of smoking," and "Ritual smoking in South America," the text is quite readable. Little attention, however, is given to the consequences of smoking, in any context. Iverson's essay, entitled, "Why we smoke" is one of the few times that nicotine addiction and health risks associated with smoking are not presented merely as an afterthought. Brandt also nicely depicts the not-so-subtle advertising techniques employed in the tobacco industry in his essay, "Engineering consumer confidence." Unfortunately, more often than not, the authors portray smoking as if it were an innate human behavior. Smoking is repeatedly characterized as glamorous, sexy, etc, with such statements as, "smoking remains one of life's continuing personal pleasures." Isenberg's "Cinematic Smoke: From Weimar to Hollywood," goes on to praise tobacco as a "vital prop and cultural icon- a fundamental device for romance and rebellion." Such comments made me begin to wonder what I had missed going through life as a non-smoker.

What the book lacks in acumen, it makes up for in visual appeal, with hundreds of unique and colorful images depicting smokers and accoutrements of smoking sprinkled throughout the text. The illustrations complement the text well, and allow the reader to more fully appreciate the role of smoking in history.

Although fascinating at times, this book is more likely to interest smokers and those employed in the tobacco industry than the general public. If you're looking for a light read that's aesthetically pleasing and liberally exercises the use of "smoke and mirrors" in its depiction of smoking, this book may be right up your alley. A word of caution to ex-smokers- grab a nicotine patch before reading this book, as it is likely to elicit cravings.

About the Author: Dr. Keyser-Marcus is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, Virginia.