Everybody believes that corporations are corrupt, but we usually don’t know the specifics behind that hunch. No More Tears give us an inside look on the terrible, shady and dangerous ways Johnson and Johnson has managed their company. From the 1982 Tylenol murders to the COVID vaccine, we’re showcased all of the most disturbing ways J&J has avoided responsibility for their actions, as well as taking care of their consumers. It’s eye-opening in ways that I couldn’t even begin to tell you. What makes Johnson and Johnson so much more disgusting in the lack of care and empathy towards their consumers has to be the fact that they’re marketed as a family company. The way they’ve allowed talc and asbestos to be sold in their baby powder and the multiple medications they’ve allowed children to consume with tragic side effects (that they were aware of for years) without even a warning label is absolutely disturbing. Overall, an amazing read that I cannot recommend enough.

This expose on the many harms done by Johnson & Johnson products, from pharmaceuticals to cosmetics to medical devices, traces the billion-dollar company’s indefensible shift from a credo of service, high quality products, and fair profit to falsifying data, bribing physicians, and lying to the FDA. Gardiner details lawsuits pertaining to baby powder, opiates, hip replacement devices, vaccines, and other dangerous, deadly drugs and devices that were peddled as safe/non-addictive, and were anything but.

Organized by major events, Gardiner offers a biography of the company, their mission, and behaviors inconsistent with that mission by focusing on four significant things: Baby powder, Tylenol, prescription pills and opiates, and vaccines. J&J knew for YEARS that the baby powder was dangerous to inhale and contained asbestos, as it grows enmeshed in many talc mines, and is nearly inseparable from talc, and ingestion and absorption of asbestos over time leads to deadly cancers. The jury is still out on whether talc in and of itself causes significant harm. Tampered Tylenol laced with cyanide after production that ended up on store shelves and killed a dozen people in the 1980s, leading to a huge recall to the loss of millions of dollars which is still studied in business schools as the right way to deal with disaster, and they have been dining out on it ever since.

Tackling big pharma is not for the faint of heart.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #NoMoreTears via #NetGalley courtesy of #RandomHouse in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A terrifying expose. . .I've had daily contact with this company since I was born.

Starting with baby powder - my mother was a fan to her dying day fluffing it about herself and our baby selves, and our babies' . . .didn't matter your age. . .dampness of every kind was powdered. That's just the beginning of what Gardiner Harris has to say, pulling the walls down to show what's been happening these many, many years.

A dark warning, and I don't usually listen to those (I'm the one with my hands over my ears, shaking my head and singing lalalalalalala). I read this through to the very end. All I can do is put my most intense, full eye contact stare out to all with eyes to see and ears to hear this simple recommendation: Read this. Then walk through your life and see where J&J has been.

Terrifying.

*A sincere thank you to Gardiner Harris, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #NoMoreTears #NetGalley

I had no idea how shady Johnson and Johnson was until reading this book, but it's horrifying. An incredibly interesting read!

I received a Kindle copy of this from Random House via Netgalley and very much appreciate the opportunity to give this a read. For those inclined towards NF with an investigative journalism orientation and focus on corporate malfeasance and/or the dark side of a well-known American company and brand, this is definitely iin your ballpark.

This is a highly readable book that organizes and distills decades of material and articles. It’s well-researched, written, and sourced. The writing is accessible, neither dumbed down, nor pretentiously academic. The buzz and recognition it’s gotten are rightfully deserved.

I am one of the ones taught in b-school that J&J represents the pinnacle of corporate ethics in America (and globally) - a trusted and respected company with a mission to put people over profits. I had heard rumors and whispers; but, before now, any negative press I came across on J&J has been a slow drip. This lays out the case against J&J through several J&J products and brands and in the aggregate, it’s damning.

Even so, the level of corruption and corporate depravity shocked me. That J&J was able to operate this way for so long and that many of the brands and products presented in this book are still on the market and in wide use is a failure of many people (including medical “experts”) who consumers trust to comprise a product safety net, J&J knowingly and repeated lied under oath, falsified documents and research studies, and intentionally operated outside the purview of regulatory bodies. They did so knowing with certainty their products were harming patients and increasing death rates and - for money - chose to do it anyway.

They didn’t act in a vacuum, either. They were aided and abetted by doctors/nurses, pharmacies, surgeons, medical educaiton and institutions, medical research journals, the FDA, lobbyists, lawyers and judges, journalists, ad and PR execs, and many others who took cash to become a J&J shill or were paid to just turn away.

I'm glad I read it, but I don’t think I’ve every been so enraged, outraged, and revolted at the scope of injustice combined with the lack of responsibility and accountability. J&J was a criminal enterprise run by amoral sociopaths.

One more thing: Although I’m glad it was published, I can’t help but wonder why now, and why this way. Once again, as seems to be a pattern, the jounalistic standard seems to be hide until the coast is clear and the risk is lessened to come out with a story. This seems to pat itself on the back ’better now than never’-style, but that shouldn’t be the bar, and it’s cold comfort to those who lost loved ones.

I have no words.

In No More Tears, Harris details the years of deception, lies and blatant disregard for safety and human life that drives the sales and marketing at Johnson and Johnson.

This was an infuriating read that made me realize I need to be a more conscious consumer.
I was originally interested in reading more literature involving the pharmaceutical industry after reading Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keeffe. Surprise surprise.... it turns out J&J was also involved in the making of the opioid crisis in the U.S.

If you are interested in picking up No More Tears you will learn about the deceptive practices Johnson and Johnson employs from their over the counter medications like Tylenol , to influencing the misuse of Risperdal in elderly patients, to knowingly selling faulty metal-on-metal hip implants that were linked to severe complications.

For fiction readers, this is a relatively easy read. It is comprehensive and well researched albeit a bit repetitive. If you're not used to reading non fiction, some chapters may read a bit dry. There are lulls in the story however it is such an important topic that I highly recommend you read if you are interested.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an advanced reader's copy of No More Tears.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this title, but unfortunately it didn’t quite capture my interest. While the premise was promising, I found it difficult to stay engaged. That said, I’m sure it will find its audience with readers who connect more strongly with the writing style or pacing.

This is a hard-hitting exposé on corporate abuse that left me feeling both informed and outraged. The book dives deep into systemic problems, and the author’s straightforward style made it accessible without sugarcoating the issues. It’s not an easy read emotionally, but it’s an important one if you want to understand how these systems fail people. A valuable and impactful read for those interested in justice and accountability.
Rating: ★★★★☆

📚 DNF Alert: No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson and Johnson by Gardiner Harris 💧

I really thought this one would grab me — a deep dive into the Johnson & Johnson scandal sounded like a must-read. But unfortunately, it just didn’t deliver. The writing was too focused on the science and never really drew me in. I kept waiting for the juicy, behind-the-scenes details… but they never quite showed up (or took way too long to get there).

It might work for someone else, but this one just wasn’t for me. On to the next! 👋

#dnf #bookreview #readinglife #bookthoughts #notforme #nomoretears #gardinerharris #johnsonandjohnson #nonfictionreads #bookstagram #readersofig #nonfictionbookreview #bookcommunity #bookshelflife #bookdnf #readerproblems #truthbetold #corporategreed #scandalstories #bookrecommendation #booksandopinions #nonfictionfail

This book was very well-written and it was obvious that the author has done a lot of through research on each topic and the corruption in the medical industry.

Some of the topics like the clot jab (if you know, you know) I knew and had researched a lot about, but there were a few things that I didn't know about at all.

Kudos to the author for tackling a tough issue and doing it so well.

I received a complimentary e-book to review from Random House Publishing Group to review through Netgalley.

I was not required to write a positive review, and the thoughts above are my own.

No More Tears is an unflinching investigative exposé of historical machinations and skullduggery by the Johnson & Johnson corporation, written by Gardiner Harris. Released 8th April 2025 by Penguin Random House, it's 464 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is another well written exposé about corporate skullduggery in the international pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. The author has arranged a rogues' gallery laundry list of dirty and underhanded deeds, from unethical marketing for consumer products and health and beauty items, to prescription drugs, medical devices, opiates, and mishandling during the covid epidemic. The book is scrupulously annotated throughout, and often shocking. Where there was market share to be won and profit to be made, J&J just Did. Not. Care. about ethics or safety, where they could get away with it.

The chapter notes are extensive and will provide readers with many hours of additional reading material. Although it's not academically rigorous and is written in layman accessible language, it is often drily factual and intentionally not written in inflammatory language. The straight, unadorned telling is even more chilling and direct. It's an effective technique.

Four and a half stars. The corporate culture and executives have a lot to answer for. The book would be an excellent choice for public or secondary/post-secondary school library acquisition, as well as for nonfiction readers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book made me so angry. In the beginning the author said that Johnson & Johnson made the Sacklers look like pikers. They knew that there was dangerous asbestos in the baby powder causing ovarian cancer but they kept hiding the fact and it was never taken off the market until 2023. Unfortunately that wasn't the only time the company exhibited greed. There was Risperdal that was no better than an older antipsychotic Haldol. It had no benefit for children and nursing home patients but was pushed to be prescribed anyway. They reacted quickly when Tylenol was tampered with and laced with cyanide but they never did make it clear how the drug could damage the liver. They didn't do all bad things. They had some wins but the bad was really bad. Is Johnson & Johnson unique in the drug industry because of this? I have to say probably not. One think I know for myself is that I will never take a drug I see in a TV commercial until it has been around a long time.

The book is a hefty 464 pages but in reality about a third of that is devoted to acknowledgements and notes. Sometimes it was dry and text booky but it was very well researched and eye opening.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House - Random House for providing me with a digital copy.

Reading no more tears, gave me tears! There is a lot of information about the Johnson and Johnson company, which are all facts. It took five years for this journalist to put everything together, all backed by evidence. The book is well researched and it has all the credible sources in it. This book left a disturbing impact on me. It was very well written and thought provoking. Throughout the book, I had experienced several emotions while reading this. I felt angry, upset, mad, confused and frustrated. I have heard things about Johnson and Johnson in the past, but I had no idea on what all was going on. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, author and journalist Gardiner Harris, and Random House Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is set to be published on April 8, 2025!

This deeply researched expose peels back the blindfold on the myth of Johnson & Johnson as a benevolent healthcare company. Harris details decades of corporate gaslighting, fraudulent research, and nefarious advertising practices, all in the name of profits. J&J is a masterclass in how a family-friendly brand weaponized public trust, science, and regulatory loopholes to prioritize shareholder profits over human lives. From asbestos-laced baby powder and J&J's casual role in the opioid crisis, to promoting detrimental treatments for cancers and faulty total joint implants, this company has a long track record of sacrificing human health for profits. Highly recommend this book!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I need to preface my review with this; this is an important book, in that it calls out a "trusted" company and all of the choices that that company have made [good, bad, and in some instances, downright evil] for the general public, and I need to applaud the author for that. You can tell that this took years of research and interviews that really add to the overall story.

That said...

Much of this book is a very hot mess. There are sections that are so dry and boring, I found myself doing A N Y T H I N G but listen to this book. Which brings me to the narration [which I absolutely do not recommend], which unfortunately, was deeply unpleasant; the saying "just because one can doesn't mean one should" absolutely applies here. This might have been better had I been able to read read this [it was,regretfully, impossible for me at this time], but I am not really sure. Even the parts that WERE interesting [and there were enough to keep me from DNF'ing this book] were made difficult due to the narration that was filled with awkward pauses, mispronounced words [over and over and over again], and a rather flat delivery. I do not know the last time I was so thrilled to have a book be finished.

While there were good/interesting parts of this book [and I lived for those], some of the problem was that there was just SO MUCH INFORMATION, with many extraneous details [this book could have 100% been edited better] that should have been culled as they didn't add to the overall story at all, bogged it down, and in the end, all the good of this book is lost in that "oversharing". Add in the writing [which is mostly good] that sometimes devolved into "locker-room" speak that made want to quit more than once, which was really frustrating.

I DID learn a lot [I will say that finding the nuggets of gold amidst the extraneous details was difficult at times], and I cried over many of the absolutely heart-breaking stories of real people scammed by this company [and I am not looking at ways to rid and replace anything by J&J in my own home], but overall, I am just left disappointed.

I was invited to read/review this by the publisher [Random House Publishing Group - Random House], and I thank them, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed No More Tears. I thought it was an easily readable non-fiction title despite having so many court cases and names to remember. I think this will be popular as a "I don't usually read non-fiction but loved this!" title for our readers.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this read. When I started hearing buzz about this book, my interest was instantly piqued. An expose on the unethical business practices of a big pharmaceutical company? It’s givingggg, the next Empire of Pain?? One line that stood out to me in the promo of this book was: J&J is not a drug company, but rather a “law firm that happens to sell drugs.” Sounds juicy!

But at some point in the narrative the tone shifted from investigative digging to anti-government conspiracy theories. Unsettled, I paused my reading at the halfway mark to do more research about the author. I was disturbed to learn of his connection to the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement and anti-vaccination spokespeople. One of the big “reveals” of this book is that the former head of the FDA was allegedly bribed to turn a blind eye to J&J’s wrongdoings– an allegation which Harris says he has proof of but cannot reveal his source (out of legal and ethical concerns).

If true, those allegations are obviously alarming. And as a nonfiction reader and lifelong learner, I’m all about healthy skepticism and challenging the status quo. But in these contemporary times when mistrust of government is at an all-time high and being used as justification to gut our public health infrastructure, I found this line of inquiry and implication dangerous. Harris seems to equate “big business” and “big government” as equally corrupt, rather than using the J&J case study as an example of why government regulations and oversight should be strengthened, not gutted.

this was a really interesting read, I do admit I skimmed over a lot of it because the writing just wasn't really intriguing to keep me entertained but the information is what I was focused on anyway. I've stopped using J&J products (at least the ones directly with their names that I know of) and after reading this I can say I'm glad. This was so eye-opening and honestly. bit scary, definitely recommend checking it out.

I was obsessed with this book. The author did such a good job of writing about the dark underbelly of J&J, a company I’ve long adored. Who knew that a company that touts itself as a baby company would be so corrupt and greedy? All corporations exist to make a profit and I’m never shocked that they lie, but I expect it to be small lie, not ones that knowingly kill or injure people. The absolute lack of a soul of the high ranking officers is mind boggling. This book reads like fiction, it’s so riveting and well written. It is an exceptional piece of journalism. I love the authors writing style and the fact that he so meticulously researched the subject. It made me angry and sad and frustrated over the pharmaceutical and medical companies who take our lives into their hands with so little regard for them. I actually plan on reading this again, I enjoyed it so much. And it’s made me think twice about what I’m willing to take or what I allow doctors to put in my body. Really drove home the importance of advocating for yourself and doing your own research. I received an advance copy and am leaving my review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was an eye-opening and thoroughly engaging read. The author’s investigative journalism skills are evident in every page as they expose the truth about the company and its practices. The writing is sharp, well-researched, and incredibly compelling. I found myself hooked from the beginning, and the author’s thorough exploration of the subject matter kept me turning the pages.

It’s a thought-provoking and enlightening book that sheds light on important issues, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in corporate accountability or investigative journalism.

The cover is the icing on the cake!