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In Search of Justice

Name: In Search of Justice
Author: Christine E. Driscoll-O'Neill
ISBN: 978-1481238359

A WHISTLEBLOWER'S FIGHT FOR THE TRUTH

by Christine E. Driscoll-O'Neill Dina Gerdeman ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2013

An engaging memoir by a tenacious whistle-blower.

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In her debut, Driscoll-O’Neill documents the long, exasperating experience of exposing a pharmaceutical company’s greed-driven illegal activities.

In 1996, the author became a representative for pharmaceutical company Serono, which developed a drug, Serostim, to treat “wasting,” a symptom of AIDS in which a patient’s overall musculature, strength and virility decline. According to Driscoll-O’Neill, the company gave tacit approval to some shady backroom dealings to boost sales, including offering money and incentives to doctors who agreed to prescribe their drug. One scheme required the doctor to prescribe 30 regimens of the drug, at a cost of $20,000 to $30,000 for a three-month supply; in return, the doctor would be handsomely rewarded with new medical equipment. The author describes several of her own life’s trials and tribulations—including a difficult childhood, the loss of her business, being passed over for promotion, and losing bonuses and eventually her job—and readers will likely admire her ability to overcome adversity. Interestingly, she had been a whistle-blower once before (against Blue Cross), but she received no compensation because she hadn’t been the first to file a suit. She didn’t make that same mistake again and eventually won a lawsuit against Serono, resulting in a substantial settlement payment. This financial gain hangs over the story at times, as if the book were trying to justify the award. For example, Driscoll-O’Neill writes about how she used some of the cash to set up a non-profit, One Life at a Time, to help laid-off workers find jobs. In the end, it’s unclear if the lawsuit had any effect in curbing the corporate greed and corruption that prompted it. That said, the author delivers an intriguing story of her tireless fight against the pharmaceutical colossus.

An engaging memoir by a tenacious whistle-blower.

Pub Date: March 15, 2013

ISBN: 978-1481238359

Page Count: 240

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.