George Ponderevo, a student of science, is enlisted to help with the promotion of Tono-Bungay. Tono-Bungay is a harmful stimulant disguised as a miraculous cure-all, the creation of his ambitious uncle Edward. As the tonic prospers, George experiences a swift rise in social status, elevating him to riches and opportunities that he had never imagined, nor indeed desired. Meanwhile, George ricochets romantically between his unsuccessful marriage to Marion, his affair with the liberated Effie and his doomed relationship with the Hon. Beatrice Normandy, a childhood friend. But the Tono-Bungay empire eventually over-extends itself and George must try to prop up his uncle's finances by stealing the radioactive compound 'quap' from an island near Africa...