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Puff Piece

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( 964 ratings, 116 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Puff Piece by John Safran delves into the complex and often contradictory world of the tobacco industry. With his trademark wit and investigative style, Safran explores how a cigarette company is attempting to rebrand itself with a "healthier" image. The book invites readers to question corporate narratives and consider the ethical nuances of marketing and public health in this thought-provoking journey.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the intersection of science, business, and ethics. It offers a humorous and critical exploration of the tobacco industry and the surprising twists in their quest for survival amidst health scrutiny. If you appreciate investigative journalism with a satirical edge, this read will likely captivate you.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Wild, hilarious and thought-provoking, Puff Piece is a probing look into Big Tobacco and the vaping industry, and how words can be literally a matter of life and death.

The folks that bring you Marlboro – Philip Morris – are wheezing, slowly dying. Cigarettes are out of favour with everyone, from world governments and investors to, increasingly, smokers. So, what's their plan?

Prepare to be dazzled. Or, at the very least, befuddled.

Philip Morris has announced they will shut down as a cigarette company, and relaunch as a health enterprise, dedicated to convincing the one billion smokers of the world to quit.

The ever-curious John Safran leaves his apartment to find out what on God's green earth is going on. As he starts digging away he discovers a company up to brand new shenanigans, wangling their way into unexpected places, desperately trying to keep their tobacco business alive by brandishing a mysterious new doohickey called an IQOS.

And not only that, now they're upending language itself, changing the meaning of words. Will they slip past bans by convincing governments they don't sell 'cigarettes' but rather 'HeatSticks', and that these don't emit 'smoke' but 'aerosol'? Can John get the real story out of them without his life catching fire?

Wild, hilarious and thought-provoking, Puff Piece is a probing look into Big Tobacco and the vaping industry, and how words can be literally a matter of life and death.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Puff Piece by John Safran is a curious exploration into the tobacco industry, blending investigative journalism with Safran's characteristic humour. Readers often commend his engaging writing style, which makes a potentially dense subject accessible and entertaining. The book's thorough research and Safran's knack for uncovering ironies within the industry are widely appreciated.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781760890162

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 August 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 279g

Pages: 368

About the Author

John Safran is a writer and filmmaker who always gets in too deep for his own good. His debut book, Murder in Mississippi, won the Ned Kelly Award for best true crime. His follow up, Depends What You Mean by Extremist, found him lost among radicals and was shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards. His wild and hilarious documentaries, such as 'John Safran vs God' and 'Jedis & Juggalos', have received accolades from the Australian Film Institute and Rose d'Or Festival. His latest book is Puff Piece- How Philip Morris set vaping alight (and burned down the English language).

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