We all know about Summer Reading Lists, as this upcoming season is one of the most popular times for book purchases. Publishers are certainly aware of this too, which is why we schedule high-profile releases during the months of May through September. On that note, two of the more prominent nonfiction releases actually touch on addiction and a rising trend that is impacting teens across the country. We are, of course, talking about vaping, which is expected to get a prominent spotlight over the next several weeks.
The two books referenced are called Big Vape by Jamie Ducharme and The Devil’s Playbook by Lauren Etter. Both received features on Time and Newsweek’s summer reading recommendations and we are glad they did.
Big Vape is probably the more prominent of the two and digs into the notorious vaping company Juul. We have certainly covered that brand before and the criticisms it has received about its marketing tactics (purposely going after teens and high schoolers). The book makes a point to emphasize that fact, delving into their advertising practices and the lawsuits that got filed because of them.
Ducharme, Big Vape’s author, is actually a staff writer for Time and that mag put out a full fledged story on the book. In it, preview sections are shared which touch on Juul’s trademark vaporizer products and the colorful flavors that they market to young people. There are also chapters about the addictive nature of vaping and the severe damage it can cause to developing lungs.
And the truth of the matter is, Juul is generating some very big business. In an excerpt from the Time article, Ducharme explains just how massive this empire has become. “Juul, with a sleek design and satisfying nicotine delivery, could be particularly appealing,” the piece states. “Millions of teenagers have used its products. In 2020, about 20% of high school students and 5% of middle-school students said they had vaped some sort of e-cigarette in the past month.”
Bloomberg made a point to cover The Devil’s Playbook. This expose touches on Juul, as well as other big players in the vaping industry. It also devotes some chapters to big tobacco and the continued addiction concerns for Generation Z. It makes a point to connect a lot of the companies involved in these practices, calling out that Juul was built upon investments from tobacco brands, such as Altria.
In our opinion, these will both make for some compelling summer reads and we highly recommend them.
