SMOKING: The Artificial Passion by David...

SMOKING: The Artificial Passion by David Krogh (W. H. Freeman: $10.95; 176 pp.) . Science reporter David Krogh admits to being puzzled by a habit that offers “the worst of both worlds: drug addiction without drug euphoria.” Instead of simply condemning the noxious habit that causes two million preventable deaths every year, he explains the physiological and psychological effects of smoking, including the complex reactions of human tissue to nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke. Drawing a parallel to the immediate high of crack cocaine, Krogh notes that inhaling is the most effective way of delivering a nicotine fix to the body: Within 20 seconds of lighting up, the chemical has literally reached the smoker’s toes. This fascinating study makes smoking more comprehensible, but no less repellent.