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Puff Piece

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Puff Piece

By: John Safran
Narrated by: John Safran
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About this listen

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.©2021 John Safran (P)2021 Penguin Random House Australia
Business Ethics Smoking Tobacco Business Witty Funny Thought-Provoking

What listeners say about Puff Piece

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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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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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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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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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my eyes have been opened

I really had no idea how fucked the tobacco industry is.
Thanks for opening your eyes to Philip Morriss grip on the world.
This is the true pandemic

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John Safran vs heat sticks

Very John Safran. Who knew tobacco companies were so conniving...

Loved it as per usual.

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Fascinating, well written!!

Once again John Safran delivers the goods with his unique prose and journalistic style. The facts he uncovers about Big Tobacco and his storytelling made this thoroughly enjoyable. I would highly recommend this.

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Another excellent read/listen from John Safran

Safran explores a seedy corporate giant with his signature style that we’ve come to love and lean on over the last couple of decades. Sincere, succinct and sassy, this was an addictive audiobook.

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Safran (Lucky) Strikes Again

As a long time fan of John Safran, I found this title to be an outstanding change of pace in terms of subject matter while still staying true to his roots. It's got Father Bob, it's got Raspberry Cordial, it's got John's classic self doubt despite his being, to my mind, well established in his credentials. While I hope he never loses that charming angst, the quality of this book challenges the validity of his concerns.

An utterly shocking piece diving deep into Philip Morris and their seeming invulnerability through manipulation of language and seeming involvement in every aspect of our society. Don't be fooled into thinking this is just a take down of why smoking is bad for you, this is about corporate conspiracy and it's happening right now (written 2021).

John's shock at the lack of media coverage of what has gone on is surely shared by us, dear listeners, by the time the book is through. Actually way before that, but definitely by the end.

I've listened to all John's books and while I've enjoyed them all, this is by far the most important. Fundamentalists and Murders in Mississippi have nothing on big tobacco.

Read by the man himself, this is the only way to really enjoy anything by John in my opinion. The man with the golden lisp. If you love John, you've already got this book - if you're new then this is a fantastic place to start.

As a side note, I weirdly found myself wanting to vape after the first hour or so of the book, and I'm not a smoker, vapist or juicy fruiter. Maybe I'll suck my thumb instead.

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Philip Morris: International Juul Thief

Relatives of Edward Sapir may not like this book; however, Bob redeems linguistic merit where necessary. Thanks John.

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