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Puff Piece
- Narrated by: John Safran
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
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Puff Piece
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Publisher's Summary
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.
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What listeners say about Puff Piece
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-09-2021
Much Needed & Hilarious
I’ve dug so deep for info about vaping and the industry since it helped me kick my 25 year cigarette addiction over 6 months ago. I’ve searched podcasts, articles, you name it. This is really the best resource I’ve found and it all makes more sense since listening. Bonus: I discovered John Safran who is pretty rad!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Samantha
- 02-09-2021
Filthy tactics of Big Tobacco!
AMAZING BOOK exposing the lies and deceptions of Philip Morris and the big tobacco industry players.
It was simultaneously captivating and disgusting to hear about the rotten crooks and the layers of horrible trickery that is taking place in such a fatal and dangerous industry. There’s is no level that they will not stoop to deceive anyone endangering their massive profits.
John did a fabulous job of maintaining my attention and intrigue while exploring and delivering a wealth of information and interviews.
Congratulations on such a great book and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who has smoked or knows a smoker, or values the principles of honesty and integrity. Enjoy!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- thereadaholic
- 25-11-2021
A must read (hear) wild ride
"Philip Morris always wins." This phrase and the full title of the book (Puff Piece: How Philip Morris set vaping alight and burned down the English language) is the most accurate, succinct, summary of this book that takes you through a wild ride, shining a light on how the biggest cigarette company in the world employs misdirection and subterfuge, co-opting others, to ensure its business model that kills eight million people each year continues to burn brightly.
The most paranoid conspiracy theorist can't come up with a more insane (and successful) plot than that Safran unearths as he dives down the Philip Morris rabbit hole. The sheer complexity of the language and science and corporate structures and funding is too much for any person to conceive, let alone fight, providing a very successful smokescreen that enables Philip Morris to continue its very (financially) successful business, despite their product killing off half of all users and tobacco being directly responsible for 14 per cent of all deaths in the world every year.
With smoking now banned in virtually all public places in Australia, it's easy for non-smokers to think that the problem has gone away. But as Safran finds out while writing this equal parts hilarious and terrifying book, the tobacco stained fingers of big business have no intention of getting out of the deadly game.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rosemary Baker
- 06-06-2022
Thought Provoking and Funny
A great listen, it makes you realize how big companies are incredibly sneaky and conniving. Guess that’s why they are successful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 19-07-2022
Very insightful
I loved this book. Very conversational for such an informative piece of work. The narration is perfect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- bill bolton-wade
- 30-07-2022
A delightful exposé of a manipulating monolith
John Safran weaves his story beautifully. He is a wonderful investigator, both curious and cunning. His narrative style allows the listener to identify with his struggles, as he openly includes his inner conflicts and insecurities (genuine or not).
Eye-opening and maddening. Puff Piece manages to humanise all the players, good and bad, but leaves you with no doubt as to the villain in this story. Clever and engaging.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-10-2021
Fantastic and recommended
I’ve never smoked anything, yet this had me intrigued from the get-go!
I’ve loved John’s work since his Triple J days with Father Bob and his narration of his own book was amazing, I’m not good with words, I just cannot recommend this book enough, john’s intelligence and investigation into this subject blew me away! I’ve said enough, just listen to it!
Thanks John, I loved every second of it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-10-2021
Very good
Safran does a great job in making a complex issue entertaining and enlightening. Very good insight into the subtleties. John is also an entertaining reader. Don’t miss this one!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-10-2021
Corporations don't care about you
Loved it. Well told and never boring. Journalist Safran makes us understand the issues well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chris Williams
- 09-09-2021
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD IT SHOULD BE SOLD IN BIG W
I watched an interview where John said that he had hoped to one day be so mainstream that his book could be sold in Big W. This is that book.
Wonderfully written, hilariously funny and extremely insightful. It is as important as it is fun.
The only question that goes unanswered is how much he paid for those 3 bottles of wine. Fess up Safran.
The best book this year.
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