Publisher's Synopsis
A scientific debate about tobacco would presumably take place in medical research or health policy, but this luxury good is especially intriguing from a historical perspective. An analysis of the cultural treasure tobacco provides a more specific insight into cultural and social changes of a Europe and the world. Brought to Europe's high classes and known as brown gold' it determined the culture of delight for many generations. Today it is more and more stigmatized and depicted as a scourge of humanity. Nevertheless the cultural history of tobacco is manifold and more complex in numerous ways. In this volume the history of tobacco is scrutinized from social, cultural, economic, and political perspectives and a more sublime comprehension is established.
