A number of books critical of the pharmaceutical industry have recently been published, but none has been an expose written by a senior executive of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. "The Whistleblower" is at once an unmasking of how corporations take care of malcontents and a gripping story of one man's fight to maintain his family and his sanity. Starting in 2003, the book details the illegal, even criminal business practices the author witnessed at his corporation, as well as his crusade to legalize the reimportation of drugs. It also explains how in this post-Enron world whistle-blowers can't simply be fired, and what the author's corporation did to coerce and silence him. A story of a battle that continues today, one which any American who takes or will take prescription drugs has a stake in, "The Whistleblower" is a powerful testimony.

What are the consequences of telling all? Rost, a medical doctor and former vice president of marketing for a substantial pharmaceutical business, found the answer to this question when his company was swallowed by an industry giant. After enduring the brutal business culture change, he spotted such anomalies as weird bonus calculations, marketing that encouraged off-label and inappropriate usage, sales figures that made no sense, reimportation, and questionable pricing. , Despite the protection afforded by law his life turned over when he testified, and the resulting narrative of treatment by his employer is deeply disturbing. The result is not only a detailed description of the unethical practices of the pharmaceutical industry, but also a blow-by-blow narrative of what it feels like to be beaten to the ground for doing the right thing. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)