Book excerpt: Ice. Methedrine. Crank. Crystal. Whatever its guise, the social and political contexts of methamphetamine share a certain uniqueness. Nicholas Parsons chronicles the history and mythology of methamphetamine in the United States from the 1940s¿when it was hailed as a wonder drug¿to the present. In an intriguing analysis, he also makes an important contribution to our understanding of the social construction of social problems.