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The Magic Within
| Drug Politics | Ethnobotany | Grow Books | Herbalism | Marijuana | Psychedelics | Shamanism | Shrooms |
 Absinthe : History in a Bottle by Barnaby Conrad Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/8/89: Stuffed with irresistible ancedotes and illustrated with a panorama of drawings, photographs and color reproductions of famous paintings, this vivacious consideration of 19th-century Europe's most popular -- and |
addictive -- drink presents a look at its place in the lives of some of the era's most gifted poets and artists. The bitter green liqueur has been banned in most of Europe and the United States since 1913. New York Times, December 16, 1988: In 'Absinthe: History in a Bottle,' Barnaby Conrad 3d has set out to give equal weight to absinthe as a social phenomenon and absinthe as an imaginative theme. The result is an engaging exercise in cultural history . . . "Absinthe" is a handsome book, too, with nearly 200 illustrations, more than 60 of them in color. This is as it should be, since the figures who play their part in the story include Manet, Degas, Gauguin, Toulouse-lautrec, van Gogh and Picasso. A reader: 'I have been a fan of this book ever since it first came out in 1988. I have since given it as a gift several times and all my friends love it,too. Not just a history of the 'green fairy,' but a sociological history of 19th century France. Every page in this glossily produced, gorgeous book has either an old photograph, advertisement for absinthe or reproduction of art from the artists who were fans of absinthe. Really an art book, it is for anyone interested in art and history.' Paperback - 172 pages, $19.95 |
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Acid
Dreams The Complete Social History of LSD: The CIA, the Sixties, and Beyond by Martin A. Lee & Bruce Shlain This book is the complete social history of LSD and the counterculture it helped to define in the sixties. Acid Dreams provides an important and entertaining account that goes to the heart of a turbulent period in our history. From the clandestine operations of the government to the escapades of Timothy Leary, Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg and many others. 345 pages, 6" x 9", $14.00, Less 20% |
 Addicted: The Myth & Menace of Drugs in Film by Jack Stevenson The book treats drugs with the respect they deserve as it vividly describes, in lurid detail, the depths of despair that users and addicts can reach in their quest for the ultimate high. |
It's an image that filmmakers have been trying to capture since the beginning of cinema with varying results, and these efforts take up the bulk of the books opening chapters. We begin with Stevenson's own 'Highway to Hell' an historical overview of the entire genre. Taking in the early propaganda pieces such as 'Reefer Madness' "Dope created Ecstasy avalanching into frightful perversions" and 'Cocaine' "The Thrill that Kills" this section features some wonderful poster reproductions that perfectly sum up the hysteria that this subject matter has always invoked. It was really in the sixties that the drug movie came into its own. Flower Power and psychedelic music was everywhere so Hollywood naturally tried to pull in the masses with movies such as 'Head' and 'The Trip'. These movies featured far out dialogue and groovy effects as the protagonists tried to convey with blissed out grins, how wonderful the results of their substance abuse was. The freewheeling anything goes nature of the sixties influenced the seventies where directors such as Paul Morrisey and Russ Meyer were producing over the top classics such as 'Trash' and 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'. The only way that eighties drug cinema could go was hyper realism and Stevenson's entertaining guide through the years detailing the outcry and consternation that each release caused makes for entertaining reading. Paperback - 256 pages, $19.95 |
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Age of Entheogens and the Angels' Dictionary by Jonathan Ott The legendary scholar's reflections on, and documentation of, history's connection, chronologically, psychologically and linguistically, to sacred plants. 159 pages, paperback, 6x9, $18.00 |
 Altered State : The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House by Matthew Collin, John Godfrey |
Midwest Book Review: 'When the Ecstasy was
first mixed with house music in the 1980s, the reaction triggered the
most vibrant and diverse youth movement ever seen. The shock continues
to reverberate culturally and politically, affecting music, fashion, the
law, government policy, and countless other areas of public and private
life. Altered State is the first book on the history of Ecstasy and House
Culture and the politics surrounding it, a subject that has garnered much
media attention. Appalled by the idea of media lunches but driven by the
desire to create a cultural critique that would live long after the pages
it had appeared on had disappeared from newsstands, Matthew Collin set
about documenting the social history nobody else thought was worthwhile.
Not only a talented editor with a flair for spotting and nurturing young
talent, and a killer instinct for a story about to break, Collin was also
a concerned, informed writer with passion for music and was responsible
for the first articles on milestones like acid house, Detroit techno,
and the new British electronica.'
A reader: 'Excellent, informative history of the rave scene in England... everything is in here: how influential Ibiza was to the scene, MDMA and its history, smiley faces, baggy pants, all the main players and djs... it brought back a lot of happy memories of my raver days in NYC in the early 90s. A must read for those interested in this scene especially the beginning which shows that it all started in America: Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage, Frankie Knuckles's Warehouse parties, Dr. Shulgin and his MDMA studies... Britian took it to the next level in the 80s beginning with the Summer of Love and raves and was then past back to the US in the early 90s: Frankie Bones and the Storm raves, NASA, and the rest. This book tells you all about it!' Paperback - 320 pages, $11.99 |
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Amazing
Dope Tales Stephen Gaskin looks back on the San Francisco scene during the 1960s -- the Summer of Love, the Grateful Dead, and the Merry Pranksters -- and shares his mind-blowing adventures. Paperback - 144 pages, $12.95 |
 The Apples of Apollo: Pagan and Christian Mysteries of the Eucharist |
by Carl A.P. Ruck, Blaise Daniel Staples & Clark Heinrich
Christianity evolved within the context of Judaic and Hellenistic healing cults, magic, shamanism, and Mystery initiations. All four of these inevitably imply a sacred ethnopharmacology, with traditions going back to earlier ages of the ancient world. When the apostle Paul proclaimed the new Christian Mystery to the factious congregation at Corinth, there was no one who would not understand that this Eucharist was meant to replace the pagan Mystery that had been celebrated for over a millennium just a short distance away up the shore at the sanctuary of Eleusis. These essays attempt to uncover the original food of the sacramental communion. 288 pages, paperback, 6x9". $25.00 |
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The
Archaic Revival Speculations on Psychedelic Mushrooms, the Amazon, Virtual Reality, Ufos, Evolution, Shamanism, the Rebirth of the Goddess by Terence McKenna Cited as "the cultures foremost spokesman for the psychedelic experience," Terence McKenna is an underground legend as a brilliant raconteur, adventurer, and expert on the experiential use of mind-altering plants. This book takes you on a mesmerizing journey deep into the Amazon as well as into the hidden recesses of the human psyche and the outer limits of our culture giving you startling visions of the past and the future. 288 pages, 6" x 9", $17.00 |
 Artificial Paradises : A Drugs Reader by Mike Jay (Editor) This sensational anthology features a rich tapestry of voices exploring the powerful role that mind-altering drugs have played throughout history. It brings together a multiplicity of voices to explore the presence--both secret and public--of drugs in the overlapping dialogues of science and religion, pleasure and madness, individualism and social control. Featuring writings by William Burroughs, Hunter S. Thompson, Aldous Huxley, Alice B. Toklas, Charles Baudelaire, Sigmund Freud, etc. |
Times change--who would have thought that we'd ever see a nonjudgmental mainstream anthology of writings about mind-altering drugs? Editor Mike Jay delivers scores of well-selected hits of wild wisdom from Homer and his cronies to William Burroughs in Artificial Paradises. His mild-mannered but insightful introductions and links between pieces prime the reader for a series of expansive trips through other people's minds as they grapple with medical, moral, artistic, and spiritual puzzlers posed by drugs. Hopped-up coke fiend Sigmund Freud rants about his favorite little helper, while painter Henri Michaux complains that mescaline is a poor muse. The pieces are usually amusing and sometimes penetrating. Jay wisely avoids most of the propaganda we've already been oversubjected to in recent decades, instead focusing on the experience and assessment of drugs and their cultural value. Sections include Researches Chemical and Philosophical: Drugs and Science and The Algebra of Need: Drugs and Addiction, with selections from such disparate writers as Jean Cocteau and Thomas Szasz. Most of the pieces are very short--one or two pages--but highly concentrated, giving an immediate sense of the author's intent and attitudes, often inspiring a trip to the library for another dose. When it's time to turn on, tune in, and drop out, prepare yourself with the guidance of Artificial Paradises. A reader: 'I expected a handy reference tome and found something else - a breathtaking and compelling end-to-end read. Excerpts are short and threaded together in sections which raise the central questions about the relation of drugs to art, religion, science and society while illustrating them with an incredible range of perspectives from history and different cultures. I find most 'drug literature' rather boring but this anthology opens the subject out into new dimensions.' Paperback - 400 pages, $14.95 |
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Ayahuasca Hallucinogens, Consciousness, and the Spirit of Nature edited by Ralph Metzner Ever since the "consciousness revolution" in the 1960s, dedicated spiritual seekers and scientific researchers from all continents have explored the world of psychoactive and hallucinogenic plants. In Ayahuasca, objective scientific information and the narratives of ayahuasca users -- shamans and others -- are presented together. Readers will also learn the pharmacology and preparation of this Amazonian plant. 240 pages, 13.95 |
 Ayahuasca Analogues Pangaean Entheogens by Jonathan Ott |
Ayahuasca Analogues is the first book
to explore in detail the human pharmacology of ayahuasca, fabled jungle
ambrosia. After reviewing carefully the ethnobotanical, chemical and pharmacognostical
literature on the Amazonian Amrta, Ott describes more than three dozen
psychonautic experiments designed to elucidate the incredible pharmacology
of ayahuasca potions, ingenious amalgamations of extracts of the ayahuasca
liana, depicted above, which contain enzyme inhibitors, and extracts of
leaves of other plants containing DMT (like Psychotria viridis, depicted
below), a potent entheogen ordinarily inactive orally. Ott boldly characterizes
the discovery of ayahuasca potions by various groups of South American
Indians as 'one of the most sophisticated pharmacognostical discoveries
of all antiquity.'
There follows a review of the literature on the plants containing ayahuasca-type enzyme inhibitors, and on plants which contain DMT and related entheogenic tryptamines. The resulting tables of more than 60 plants in each category document Ott's contention that there are at least four thousand possible combinations of plants which can yield entheogenic potions like ayahuasca. These are the Ayahuasca Analogues of the book's title, and Ott's psychonautic experiments include several with such 'analogues,' as well as with pharmahuasca -- the pure ayahuasca alkaloids in 'ayahuasca capsules.' A thorough index, twenty-one footnotes, nine tables and a detailed bibliography of 418 sources make this a valuable reference book, as well as Ott's personal logbook of psychonautic travels in the universe of the soul' with ayahuasca. paperback - 128 pages, $15.00 |
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Ayahuasca
Visions by Luis Eduardo Luna, Pablo Amaringo The mythologies and cosmology of Amazonian shamanism materialize in fantastic color and style in this unique, large-format volume, representing the fruit of several years of collaboration between a Peruvian folk artist/shaman and a Colombian anthropologist/filmmaker. 160 pages, paperback, $25.00, Less 20% |
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by Barney Hoskyns This electrifying portrait by the acclaimed author of "Waiting for the Sun" recounts the story of the psychedelic culture that galvanized the Bay Area during that mythic time when "The Haight" emerged as the mecca of the counterculture. 150 illustrations, many in full color Print ads.
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A reader: 'If you are like me, the subject
matter of Beneath the Diamond Sky will be quite familiar turf: Haight-Ashbury
in the sixties. In this case familiarity does not breed contempt. It breeds
Love (as in "Summer of"). This bygone pop culture big bang has never been
more concisely or attractively typified as in this book.
I fell in love with this book at first sight. I held it in my hands and yea, it was beautiful. I paged through it's rainbow-hued, lavishly illustrated pages and was filled with Satisfaction. I read the text and it was Righteous, dude. I admired the posters and buttons, rare photos and it was all very far out. This is a very reassuring book, a chronicle of the time when the universe swirled psychodynamically around Haight-Ashbury. It betokens all things Hippie and San Francisco without being sugar-coated. Previous books addressing this topic have not found the right mix of form and content. "Summer of Love" by Joel Selvin, for instance was a pop history document which lacked the design and illustrative qualities of this book. Also, Selvin tended to rewrite things to the chagrin of the psychedelic cognoscenti enough to bring doubt upon the enterprise. "Diamond Sky" tends to neglect revisionism in favor of what is actually known. Hoskyns does an admirable job of running all of the characters across the page for our scrutiny. The quotes, the deeds, the legends are all covered. I can't quibble with any of it, it's there and its familiar and as I stated before, it is beautifully presented. Hello to Jerry, Janis, Skip, Grace, Chet et. al. Barney Hoskyns is a very adept pop music writer whose work appears quite often in 'serious pop music' magazines like Mojo. What I like about him here is that he doesn't seem to intrude upon the luminous subject matter at all. He lets the Haight speak for itself, which it continues to do quite well.' Hardcover, 224 pages, $30.00 |
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The
Boo Hoo Bible The Neo-American Church Catechism and Handbook Art Kleps: "The Boo Hoo Bible, which was written and published at San Cristobal, New Mexico in 1971, is the successor to The Neo-American Church Catechism and Handbook, which was written by me and printed by the Kriya Press of the Sri Ram Ashrama at the Hitchcock estate at Millbrook, New York in 1967 and 1968." 222 pages, $35.00 |
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The
Botany and Chemistry of Hallucinogens Richard Evans Schultes and Albert Hoffman Technical masterpiece from the greatest ethnobotanist in history and the seminal chemist who first refined LSD and psilocybin, as well as ergotamine and numerous other plant isolates now basic to modern medicine. Basic reference for serious scholars. hardcover, 464 pages, $73.95 |
 Buzz : The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine by Stephen Braun From Kirkus Reviews: 'Not many users of the world's two most popular drugs know the details of their chemical or biological effects; here's a good introduction. Braun, a science writer and television producer, begins with alcohol, which was known to ancient Sumerians 5,500 years ago. |
Ethanol (the drinkable form of alcohol) is a waste product of the metabolism of sugar by yeast; it is poison to the yeast that produces it and (in sufficient quantities) to the human beings who drink it. So the body has developed complex ways of defending itself. Braun describes the progress of a shot of whiskey through the body, from the taste buds to the digestive tract, with amusing commentary on the journey. The alcohol's ultimate destination is the brain; scientists believe that it releases endorphins there, as do ether, valium, and morphine.' 'Further chapters discuss alcohol's effects on sexual desire and performance, positive health benefits of moderate drinking, hangover cures, and current theories on the causes of alcoholism. Then caffeine gets a similar treatment, from its introduction into the Western world to its current popularity in forms ranging from espresso to soft drinks. Braun explains the decaffeination process (most of the caffeine removed from coffee is sold to soft-drink manufacturers) and explores such questions as whether caffeine aids mental processes (and which ones), to what extent caffeine is addictive, and how caffeine and alcohol interact (as in Irish coffee). Here, as in the chapters on alcohol, bits of interesting lore--women's protests against 18th-century coffeehouses, Theodore Roosevelt's impromptu endorsement of Maxwell House, the formation of the first Caffeine Anonymous group--add the human dimension to the scientific discussion. In the end, the author admits that caffeine was an indispensable aid to his writing of this book, but he has since moderated his use of both caffeine and alcohol. An entertaining and informative discussion of both the scientific and cultural impact of caffeine and alcohol.' A reader: 'Buzz' by Stephen Braun is one of the best science books I've read in a while. Mr. Braun destroyes popular myths about society's most popular drugs, and he replaces those myths with facts and evidence. Often those facts are just as interesting as the myths! Paperback - 224 pages, $12.95 |
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The
Cacahuatl Eater Ruminations of an Unabashed Chocolate Addict by Jonathan Ott The Chocolate Addict is the only book to treat chocolate first and foremost as a drug, and to suggest the chemical basis for the chocolate habit, a type of drug addiction. The Chocolate Addict is a multi-disciplinary survey of the history of cacao and chocolate, and is the first book to detail: History of cacao, the drug more valuable than gold; Nutritional comparison of chocolate to other foods; The mysterious connection between chocolate and love; and more. 128 pages, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", $9.95 |
 Chaos and Cyber Culture by Dr.Timothy Leary Timothy Leary's Chaos and CyberCulture is his futuristic vision of the emergence of a new humanism. |
with an emphasis on questioning authority ,
independent thinking, individual creativity, and the empowerment of computer
and other brain technologies. This cyberpunk manifesto describes a new breed that loves technology and uses it to revolutionize communication and tweak Big Brother while being successful, achieving political power and having fun. Timothy Leary is a leading figure in the consciousness revolution of the 1960s. Chaos and CyberCulture brings together his provocative, futuristic writings, lively interviews and cogent conversations with a variety of writers and thinkers. Chaos and CyberCulture defines the emergence of the New Breed of the Information Age, who are creating the cyberdelic politics and culture of the 21st Century. Chaos and CyberCulture is a substantial work (over 100,000 words) consisting of over forty chapters and conversations with leading figures. There are eight main sections and a epilogue. 272 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", $19.95, Less 20% |
 Cleansing the Doors of Perception: The Religious Significance of Entheogenic Plants and Chemicals by Huston Smith Cleansing the Doors of Perception is a fresh consideration of the age-old |
relationship between certain psychoactive plants and chemicals
and mystical experience by one of the most trustworthy religious writers
of our time. Author Huston Smith (most famous for his classic The World's
Religions) is the Walter Cronkite of religion scholars. He has long believed
that "drugs appear to be able to induce religious experiences" and that
"it is less evident that they can produce religious lives." At the same
time, he posits that "if ... religion cannot be equated with religious
experiences, neither can it long survive their absence." Therefore, Smith's
basic question about entheogens (a word he defines as "nonaddictive mind-altering
substances that are approached seriously and reverently") is "whether
chemical substances can be helpful adjuncts to faith." Cleansing the Doors
does not offer one sustained argument in response to that question. Instead,
the book collects Smith's many articles about this subject, and connects
them with brief introductory essays. The writings gathered here range
from personal testimony about Smith's own experience with entheogens to
ethnographic work on the use of entheogens in India. Throughout, Smith's
style conveys the wisdom and wonder that has guided his explorations of
this strange, fascinating aspect of religious experience. --Michael Joseph
Gross 190 pages, paperback, $22.95 less 20% |
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Complete
Guide to Prescription and Nonprescription Drugs This newly revised edition of the bestselling reference book from two respected physicians gives leaders the information they need and can depend on. Includes new FDA-approved drugs, plus: Easy-to-use chart format for quick access to data How to avoid dangerous interactions Information on side effects Over 5,000 brand names Over 700 generic names "Outstanding reference source."-American Library Association Paperback - 1104 pages, $16.95 |
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Confessions
of an English Opium Eater by Thomas De Quincey His thirty perilous years of drug addiction both eased his considerable social anxieties and created new, devastating mental and physical torments. Throughout this time he fought a constant struggle against the incapacity and torpor that opium - then as readily available as asprin - incurred. This agonizing confliction is at the heart of the Confessions. De Quincey's powerful evocation of his drug-induced experience gives an insight into the degeneration of a brilliant mind. 227 pages, 5" x 8", $10.95 |
 Consumer's Guide to Psychiatric Drugs by John D. Preston, John H. O'Neal, Mary C. Talaga |
Comprehensive overview of the current medical
treatments for anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders. Discusses diagnostic
issues, biology of mental illness, drug-drug interactions, and addiction
potentials. For consumers.
A reader: 'This is a book that you simply must read. And yes, I will tell you why. In some cases, psychiatric drugs are necessary. And they will be a part of your treatment. I lost it when I gave complete control to my psychiatrists. I'll give you a short example. I said to one psychiatrist, "Could the Valium AND the Prozac cause ill effects?" Answer, "I don't know why it should." Later, I would find out that this answer would not be good enough! If you buy this book while you are taking psychiatric drugs, you will be taking responsibility for your own health care! Should you be taking this medication before bedtime? During meals? Before meals? With aspirin? This book tells all so that you will not become addicted to Valium like I did. Please read it for your best care. Thank you.' A reader: 'Straight talk about psychiatric drugs. Up to date and technical, but written in plain English. Treats psychiatric patients like knowledgable human beings who need to know the facts.' Paperback - 272 pages, $16.95 |
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Dance
of The Four Winds Secrets Of The Inca Medicine Wheel by Alberto Villoldo Dance Of The Four Winds recounts the adventures of the American psychologist Alberto Villolodo as he journeys to Peru to explore the visionary ceremonies of the native shamans. Here Quechua masters use the jungle plant ayahuasca to further their spiritual progress along the four paths of the Medicine Wheel. 265pages, 6" x 9", $14.95, Less 20% |
 Dangerous Drug Interactions by Teresa Graedon, Joe Graedon Every time you combine any kind of drug with another-prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins, minerals, herbs, alcohol, even food-you expose yourself to the risk of a potentially dangerous interaction. |
Dangerous Drug Interactions can help you navigate the hazardous waters
of medicine/vitamin/food combinations with confidence. This life-saving
reference includes: Ingram: In straightforward text, and with dozens of easy-to-read, easy-to-understand charts and tables, the authors cut through drug company fine print to give consumers vital information on the prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies that react in deadly ways--with each other, foods, vitamins, minerals, herbs, and with alcohol. A reader: 'A concise, well-organized review of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and how they may interact. You are lucky if your health care provider knows half of what is in this book. If you are taking medication for a chronic condition, this is a must-buy.' Paperback - 510 pages, $6.99 |
 DMT: The Spirit Molecule A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences by Rick Strassman MD |
Rubert Sheldrake, author of The Presence of the Past "Fascinating
and provocative. A remarkable exploration of the boundaries of science
and consciousness itself." Andrew Weil, author of Spontaneous Healing "Rick Strassman's pioneering research work with DMT raises fascinating questions about the neurochemical basis of experience. Truly adventurous reading!" "This book expounds on varoius theories and experiences with the exciting compound DMT. Unlike Mckenna et al, the hard science is here, giving witness to the prophets like Mckenna. A MUST READ FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN SPIRUALITY, NEAR DEATH /DEATH EXSPERIENCES, DREAMS, VISIONS, AND THE CREATOR-FORCE. A keystone work in the exploration of all phases of consciousness. One of my top ten all-time favorite works on the field of conscious existence." A reader 320 pages, paperback, $16.95 less 20% |
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The
Doors of Perception Heaven and Hell by Aldous Huxley The seminal classics in which Aldous Huxley explores the mind's remote frontiers and the unmapped areas of human consciousness. "For one of the world's most distinguished writers to experiment with a little-known drug would, doubtless, in itself stir considerable interest. Obviously, it makes a vast difference that Mr. Huxley can tell us his experience in language that is a pleasure as well as a profit to read." Greensboro Daily News 192 pages, 5" x 8", $12.50, Less 20% |
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The
Drug User Documents 1840-1960 by Patrick Hehir M.D. A compilation of selections for those interested in drug use by historical figures. Features Anais Nin dropping acid, Sigmund Freud on cocaine, Mark Twain nearly becoming a coca trader, as well as the usual suspects (Hofmann, Baudelaire, Huxley, Ludlow) and others. The Drug User: Documents 1840-1960 includes essays on hashish used by a New York physician (1910) and a clergyman's son (1857) and many more. 240 pages, 5" x 8", $10.95, Less 20% |
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Ecstasy The MDMA Story by Bruce Eisner, Foreword by Stanley Krippner Introduction by Peter Stafford After a decade of use by psychotherapists, MDMA surged into public awareness and has been used by millions, prompting Newsweek to call it the "drug of choice of . . . the New Age movement." Ecstasy The MDMA Story chronicles MDMA, including the flip-flops in its legal status, psychological effects, erotic implications, methods of use, possible future, health risks, chemical structure and a detailed description of its chemical synthesis by leading pharmacologist Dr. Alexander T. Shulgin. This expanded second edition includes updates on the opening of government sanctioned MDMA research in the USA and England. "A remarkably complete, courageous and well-researched work." American Book Review 190 pages, 6" x 9", $17.95 |
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Ecstasy Dance, Trance & Transformation by Nicholas Saunders, Rick Doblin Ecstasy - Dance, Trance & Transformation is the most comprehensive source of information about Ecstasy and the dance culture. This book looks at Ecstasy in the US - laws, music, and users - and the global scene. A valuable book for anyone who uses E or has ever thought of taking it. paperback, 19.95, Less 20% |
 The Ecstatic Imagination |
Author Dan Merkur provides the
first general theory of psychedelic experiences. Merkur refutes several
theories that have been used to explain single categories of psychedelic
experience, and offers instead a unitary theory that is applicable to
all varieties. The book treats self-reports of psychedelic experiences
as a wealth of neglected data which forms the basis to expand the psychoanalytic
model of human imagination. An exhaustive phenomenology of the varieties
of LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin experiences in Western and Native American
cultures is joined together with psychoanalytic theories drawn from the
classical, ego psychological, and object relations schools. Where existing
theories prove inadequate to the discussion of data, original formulations
are offered. The result is a rigorously psychoanalytic approach to the
process of self-actualization. paperback, 218 pages, $19.95, Less 15% |
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Element
Guide: Addictions This guide studies addictions, including alcohol, drugs, food, exercise, sex, religion and gambling. It includes a section on children and emphasizes the links between all addictions and therefore the treatments. It also looks at successful treatment for adolescents and those reluctant to change. Paperback - 160 pages, $9.95 |
 Entheogens and the Future of Religion Robert Forte, ed. Albert Hofmann, R. Gordon Wasson, Brother David Steindl-Rast, Jack Kornfield, Terence McKenna, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, Robert Jesse, Dale |
Pendell, Thomas Riedlinger,
Thomas Roberts, Rick Strassman, and Eric Sterling "This book provides a balanced, thoroughly research and clear account about a topic that has fascinated people for centuries - even millennia - and will be with us, on way or another, for a long time to come." -- Harvey Cox, Ph.D., Professor of Theology, Harvard Divinity School "This book of essays plows new ground.... It is well worth reading. Anything that can bring the human family closer together should be investigated." -- Rev. Dr. Kenneth B. Smith, President, Chicago Theological Seminary "The sensible use of entheogens is one of the most promising paths to deep spiritual insight for many people, and this book shows how that could be done." -- Charles T. Tart, Ph.D. author of Living the Mindful Life "We have long needed this well-articulated, thoughtful, and rational basis for understanding the power of psychedelic biochemicals to stimulate visionary experience. These essays make a strong case for the use of these substances in future religious practice." -- Frank Barron, Ph.D., Sc.D., author of No Rootless Flower: An Ecology of Creativity 183 pages, paperback, 6x9", 14.95 |
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Essential
Guide to Psychiatric Drugs Informative, accessible, and easy to use, The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs has become a classic indispensable resource for the layperson and professional alike. With detailed descriptions of all the psychiatric medications available today, including their uses, side-effects, cost, dosage, and more, consumers can take an active role in their mental health and know what to expect from specific drugs. A reader: 'Dr. Gorman provides the general public and, the medical community, information on psychiatric drugs NOT found in the gazillion other books of this type on the market. I strongly suggest this book to patients currently taking medication or considering it. You will be glad you read it.' Paperback - 416 pages, 4.2x6.8, $6.99 |
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Essential
Substances |
 Flashbacks A Personal and Cultural History of an Era |
by Timothy Leary & William S. Burroughs From planning the psychedelic revolution with Allen Ginsberg, Peggy Hitchcock, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti to discussing Dr. Albert Hoffman's legendary bicycle ride home after the world's first deliberate ingestion of LSD, Timothy Leary's passion affected an entire culture and influenced modern world history. Leary's original, animated, and psychedelic autobiography is now repackaged in an all new edition. With candor and iconoclastic humor he recounts the story of his most extraordinary life, one of the most controversial of the twentieth century. Whether you love him or you hate him, Leary's impact on American culture is undeniable. A symbol of change, adventure, and self-discovery, Leary and his story offer a history of our times. 407 pages, 6" x 9", $16.95 |
 Flesh of The Gods The Ritual Use Of Hallucinogens |
edited by Peter T. Furst For centuries, hallucinogens (nonaddictive narcotics) have been a great significance in the ideology and religious practices of traditional cultures. The ten essays in this collection, all by scholars of worldwide reputation specializing in one or another hallucinogen currently in use in a non-Western society, demonstrate what they have learned about how these powerful substances work, what dangers they involve, and how to control them. Much is to be learned from the glimpses we are given of societies with long histories of sanctioned, and controlled, drug use to achieve recognized cultural objectives. 304 pages, 6" x 9", $12.95 |
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Food
of the Gods The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge : A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution For the first time in trade paperback, the critically acclaimed counterculture manifesto by the wildly popular McKenna. "Deserves to be a modern classic on mind-altering drugs and hallucinogens."--The Washington Post. Photos and illustrations. 311 pages, paperback, 6x9", 16.95 |
 Forest of Visions Ayahuasca, Amazonian Spirituality, and the Santo Daime Tradition by Alex Polari de Alverga |
The story of Santo Daime--a new religion that blends elements
of Christianity with older Amazonian indigenous spiritual practices--and
the ecologically sound and spiritually centered utopian community it has
inspired. Edited and Introduced by Stephen Larsen, author of The Shaman's Doorway A true story of a classical spiritual encounter, as well as an intimate account of the genesis of an important religious tradition that continues to grow worldwide. Alex Polari de Alverga spent years as a political prisoner during the rule of the military junta in Brazil, enduring torture, brutality, and deprivation. On his release from captivity and in search of something to restore his spiritual connection to life, he had a transformative encounter with one of the two revered founders of Santo Daime, Padrinho Sebastiao Mota de Mela. Santo Daime--an Amazonian religion, born out of jungle entheogens, mediumship, and healing, that is a potent and unique synthesis of Christianity and indigenous practices--provided Alverga with an alternative to his disillusionment with modern society. His quest for spiritual initiation eventually led him deep into the heart of the rainforest to Mapia, one of the spiritual centers of Santo Daime, where he became a teacher and leader of the Daime community. Forest of Visions is a story of a classic spiritual encounter comparable to the Tibetan Saint Milarepa's search for his teacher Marpa. It is also an intimate account of the genesis of an important religious tradition that from modest beginnings in Brazil has now spread throughout the world and continues to grow. It provides an inside look at the spiritually centered village of Mapia, a model for communities in the 21st century. 288 pages, paperback, 6 x 9", 8-page b & w insert (17 photograghs), $14.95, Less 20% |
 From Chocolate To Morphine Everything You Need to Know About Mind-Altering Drugs by Dr. Andrew Weil and Winifred Rosen |
From coffee to marijuana, from
antihistamines to smart "medicines", bestselling author/mind-body
healer Andrew Weil has revised and updated his definitive guide to legal
and illegal drugs for the nineties with coauthor Winifred Rosen. Deepak
Chopra calls Weil "a pioneer in the medicine of the future".
This essential, authoritative source book is newly revised and updated
and covers a wide range of substances, from coffee to marijuana, from
antihistamines to psychedelics, from steroids to the new "smart"
drugs. In a way that neither condemns nor condones drug use, the authors
describe the likely effects of each drug and discuss precautions and alternatives,
allowing readers to make informed and intelligent choices. Extensively
illustrated. 256 pages, 7 1/2" x 9", $15.00 |
 Hallucinogens & Shamanism |
by Michael J. Harner |
 High Priest by Timothy Leary |
"A true visionary of the potential of the human
mind and spirit"--William S. Burroughs. High Priest chronicles
16 psychedelic trips taken in the days before LSD was made illegal.
The trip guides or "high priests" include Aldous Huxley, Gordon
Wasson, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Ram Dass, Ralph Metzner,
Willy (a junkie from NYC), Huston Smith, Frank Barron and others. The
scene was Millbrook, a mansion in upstate New York that was the Mecca
of the psychedelia during the 1960's, and of the many luminaries of
the period who made a pilgrimage there to trip with Leary and his group,
The League for Spiritual Discovery. Each chapter includes an i-Ching
reading, a chronicle of what happened during the trip, marginalia of
comments and quotations, and illustrations. |
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Ibogaine
Story A reader: 'Ibogaine, the illegal, boycotted and most effective treatment for addiction known to man. The ibogaine story reveals the behind the scene story of ibogaine and the bogus war on drugs. Ibogaine is a broad spectrum anti-addictive natural substance that has been used for thousands of years by native people. The attempt by the US government and pharmacutical companies to keep it off the market (and information about it from the public) is cruel and criminal. Being safer than asprin and not subject to any abuse potential it does not qualify as a schedule 1 controlled substance with the likes of heroin and cocaine, yet it is so scheduled. Why? Could the government actually want drugs on our streets? Could it be a threat to many billion dollar medications? Read the book for the answers.' Paperback - 352 pages, $20.00 |
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The
Invisible Landscape Mind, Hallucinogens, and the I Ching A thoroughly revised edition of the much-sought-after early work by Terence and Dennis McKenna that looks at shamanism, altered states of consciousness, and the organic unity of the King Wen sequence of the I Ching. 256 pages, 6x9", 16.00 |
 I Want to Take You Higher The Psychedelic Era 1965-1969 by Charles Perry, Parke Puterbaugh, James Henke & Barry Miles |
Readers can celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Summer
of Love with this definitive volume from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
& Museum--an incredible time capsule of the wildest moments from 1965-1969.
200+ photos. In celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Summer of Love, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has launched a major exhibition examining how rock & roll came of age in the late Sixties and influenced everything from fashion and art to politics and literature. I Want to Take You Higher expands on that exhibit, showcasing the infamous icons of the era - from John Lennon's Sgt. Pepper uniform to Janis Joplin's hand-painted Porsche. A host of revealing new interviews offer never-before-published tales from the land of psychedelic wonder. Country Joe McDonald, Allen Ginsberg, Grace Slick, Mickey Hart, Donovan, Bob Weir and members of the influential bands Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Moby Grape and many others contribute fresh perspectives on now-legendary events. I Want to Take You Higher also features posters, paraphernalia and an illustrated time line (just in case you forgot), as well as classic and previously unpublished images from the greatest rock photographers of the era: Jim Marshall, Baron Wolman, Robert Whitaker, Michael Cooper, Herb Greene, Bob Seidemann and others. 208 pages, 24.95, Less 20% |
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Kaleidoscope
Eyes Psychedelic Rock from the '60s to the '90s by Jim Derogatis What began as a musical attempt to recreate the hallucinogenic experience of rock music has evolved into an ambitious approach to rock 'n roll that continues to expand the boundaries of music. More than just a sound, psychedelic rock is a philosophy, a way of creating the "cinematic music of the imagination." Whether readers were present at Ken Kesey's acid trips, or cut their musical teeth on Sonic Youth, this book will be provocative and fascinating reading. 288 pages, Photos, 16.95, Less 20% |
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Kava Medicine Hunting In Paradise The Pursuit of a Natural Alternative to Anti-Anxiety Drugs and Sleeping Pills by Chris Kilham Join botanical researcher Chris Kilham in the South Seas as he searches for kava, the most effective relaxant and stress-reliever in all of nature. A soothing, safe alternative to dangerous tranquilizers, kava naturally eases muscular tension and insures deep, refreshing sleep. Kava-based remedies are used by Europe's largest pharmaceutical companies to treat everything from urinary tract infections to arthritis, as well as nervous disorders of all kinds. 166 pages 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" $12.95, Less 20% |
 Kava, The Pacific Elixir The Definitive Guide to Its Ethnobotany, History, and Chemistry |
by Vincent Lebot, Mark Merlin, and Lamont Lindstrom. The most comprehensive book ever written on nature's most effective stress-relieving plant. This complete guide to kava summarizes the literature and research on a plant that is now considered comparable or superior to anti-stress prescription drugs, and describes its use in the religious, political, and economic life of the Pacific islands for centuries. Beyond its soporific qualities kava is also used throughout the the Pacific as an analgesic, a diuretic, and an anesthetic. There is even evidence suggesting it is effective in the treatment of asthma, tuberculosis, and venereal disease. Exhaustively researched, Kava: The Pacific Elixir offers an extensive survey of this amazing plant from the perspective of the horticulturist, the ethnobotanist, and the pharmacologist. First paperback edition of the classic comprehensive text originally published by Yale University Press. Because of its many beneficial qualities that make it superior to other substances that serve to reduce stress and improve mood, interest in kava is growing worldwide. Vincent Lebot was a research fellow in the department of Horticulture at the University of Hawaii. Mark Merlin is an associate professor in the General Science department at the same university. Lamont Lindstrom is a professor of anthropology at the University of Tulsa. 272 pages, 6" x 9", $19.95, Less 20% |
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Laughing
Gas Nitrous Oxide by Michael Shedlin and David Wallechinsky Laughing Gas: Nitrous Oxide includes: The fascinating 200 year history of gas; Classic writing on gas by William James; An introduction on pharmacological developments; Dangers, precautions and recent discoveries; Wonderful drawings; Accounts of personal experiences; and more. Laughing Gas: Nitrous Oxide belongs in the library of every person interested in psychoactive substances. 88 pages, 6" x 9", $12.95 |
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Legal
Highs A Concise Encyclopedia of Legal Herbs and Chemicals with Psychoactive Properties, by Adam Gottlieb Legal Highs is a concise encyclopedia of legal herbs and chemicals that posses psychoactive properties. Many of these potent substances are relatively unknown to both the general public and the legislatures. Legal Highs includes how they are obtained, how to use them and what their effects are. Finally, this hard to obtain cult classic is once again available. Revised and updated. 64 pages, 4" x 7", $10.95 |
 Little Book of Heroin by Francis Moraes, PH D Many people believe that everyone who uses heroin is addicted. In fact, this is true of only about 20 percent of heroin users. By clearing up common misconceptions like these, this book provides information that can save the lives of people using the drug. |
The author recounts heroin's history, details its chemistry, tells what users need to know to avoid addiction, and demystifies the life of a user: from buying to administering to detoxing and staying clean. THE LITTLE BOOK OF HEROIN is a straight forward look at heroin and who junkies are really. It covers history and the evolution from opium to morphine to heroin; how heroin is procured on the "street" and how it is chemically purified; ways heroin is used and diseases junkies get; methods of detox and the real danger of "sudden death" and much more. THE LITTLE BOOK OF HEROIN replaces myths with solid information useful to the user for reducing harm; and to concerned family, friends and professionals who want to better understand. Francis Moraes, Jr., Ph.D., is trained as a research physicist and chemist. He was a physics professor at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon where he became interested in Portland's vibrant heroin subculture--Portland is the number two heroin city according to DEA statistics. He spent several years studying this subculture in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, and New York City. Dr. Moraes has conducted substantial academic and pharmacological research. Table of Contents: 1. What is Heroin?; 2. History of Heroin; 3. Heroin Chic; 4. Heroin Trade; 5. The science of Heroin; 6. Heroin Subculture; 7. Scoring; 8. Purifying Street Heroin; 9. How Heroin is Used; 10. Disease; 11. Addiction; 12. Detox; 13. Sudden Death; 14. The Hardest Drug; About the Author. Paperback - 96 pages, $12.95 |
 Little Book of Ketamine by Kit Kelly Used worldwide as both an anesthetic and a recreational psychedelic drug, ketamine has recently attracted the attention of |
medical researchers, law enforcement officers, and people interested in exploring alternative spirituality and consciousness. The book describes the drug's history, its use in the underground party scene, and its sought-after effects as well as its dangers and how to reduce them. This tome from the Ronin stable is a good solid "field guide" to the Ketamine experience. I must say that I was a little let down by the lack of theory in this book. There are a few too many repetitions in the text and the legal section is only relevant in the US, but overall this book does provide an essential manual for anyone who wants to know more about this fascinating drug. From a brief history of K to detailed information on dosage, set and setting The Little Book of Ketamine is the "highway code" of the K-hole. A balanced view of the problems and promises of this charming molecule prevail; it neither hails K as the key to Life, The Universe and Everything nor does it admonish the K-tripper to give up their explorations. This is an excellent map of the gateway to the K territory, with hints that "Kit Kelly" knows much more. Perhaps we can expect a follow-up volume? For my part if this is the holiday brochure then it would be great to hear a travellers tale or two. Overall, a worthwhile addition to the Library of every serious psychonaut. Paperback - 96 pages, $12.95 |
 The Long Trip |
A Prehistory of Psychedelia by Paul Devereux An intriguing look at the kinds of clues ``cognitive archaeologists'' use to reconstruct long-lost behavior, and in any case the brisk global tour of long-exploited psychoactive plants leaves no doubt of the intimate relation between these drugs and most human cultures--the notable exception being our own. From early Eurasia (the familiar red-capped fly agaric mushroom and the legendary soma) to Africa (ibogaine and khat), through the arcane traditions of Native Americans and the plant lore of "witchcraft,'' natural hallucinogens have been an integral part of shamanic religions' belief in a higher plane. 256 pages, paperback, 5.4x8", $15.95, Less 20% |
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LSD
Psychotherapy by Stanislav Grof, M.D. LSD Psychotherapy is a classic account of a remarkable chapter in the ever-continuing inquiry into our transpersonal nature and origins. The controlled studies described in this book reveal exciting and challenging data about the nature of human consciousness, perception, and reality itself. This book is also a visual feast, with numerous color drawings created by research participants. This is a valuable book to anyone involved with LSD in any way. 352 pages, hardcover, 6" x 9", $34.95, Less 30% |
 Magic Mushrooms Around the World by Jochen Gartz Introducing a rich variety of psychoactive mushrooms from around the globe -including some rare and little-known species - the author describes dozens of species and covers a broad range of mushroom- related topics, from distribution maps to comparisons of cultural attitudes to laboratory analyses of active ingredients. |
One of the book's most remarkable features is its multi-disciplinary
approach: chemistry, botany, biology, history, anthropology, religion,
pharmacology, medicine - all of these are among the fields contributing
a diversity of data, questions and information that are assembled into
one of the most comprehensive and intriguing portraits of psychoactive
mushrooms ever created. Lavishly illustrated, well-organized and enriched by numerous accounts of mushroom experiences, this book explores the psychoactive mycoflora on five continents and reconstructs a continuity of psychoactive mushroom use throughout history, from as early as 10,000 years ago to the present day. You will also find detailed chapters on mushroom cultivation techniques, psychotherapy applications, the bluing phenomenon, the dangers of accidental poisonings caused by misidentification of species, and more. A treasure trove of information, illustrations and magnificent color photography, the book contains much novel information as well, such as the first report on the psychoactivity of baeocystin and up-to-date findings on the use of plant growth hormones to accelerate growth. "Jochen Gartz has made an outstanding contribution to the field of mycology by embracing the Magic Mushrooms of Germany and from around the world and by pursuing their scientific study and investigation." - Christian Ratsch, from his Introduction 133 pages, paperback, $22.95 |
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The
Magical and Ritual Use of Aphrodisiacs by Richard Alan Miller Emphasizing the powerful role of the mind on the biochemistry of sexuality, Miller shows how intention and motivation can be focused to greatly augment the physical effects of these substances. To stimulate the imagination and enhance both the physical and psychological effects of aphrodisiacs, the author provides contemporary rituals drawn from sources as diverse as Tantric yoga and Western magic. 176 pages, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", $12.95, Less 20% |
 Medicine Grove A Shamanic Herbal by Loren Cruden Medicine Grove offers guidelines for incorporating herbs into one's spiritual life. A comprehensive herbal, listing common herbs as well as wild plants of North America, it is based on Loren Cruden's lifetime of work with Earth-based spiritual practices. This book includes chapters on gathering wild herbs, finding plant allies in the wilderness, and using herbs in shamanic ceremonies. It also provides practical information for all herbs discussed. Medicine Grove includes descriptions of the part of the plant used, notes on preparation, lists of symptoms alleviated by the herb, and common effects. |
But Medicine Grove goes further, with chapters on gathering
and growing wild herbs, using herbs in shamanic ceremonies or as plant
allies in the wilderness, and birth, death, and dreaming herbs. Cruden
combines her own first-hand experiences with a profound knowledge of indigenous
traditions, enabling the reader to bring herbal lore into his or her own
practice. She explains which herbs are best for seasonal ceremonies, smudging,
and making offerings, and tells how to purify a sacred space. She covers
topics such as vision quests, consciousness-altering, and the special
connections between certain herbs and totem animals. Medicine Grove
brings the concept of an herbal into sacred territory, offering guidelines
for incorporating herbs into one's spiritual life, based on the author's
lifetime of work with Native American practices. Loren Cruden leads shamanic workshops and sweat lodge ceremonies throughout the Northwest. She is the author of The Spirit of Place, Coyote's Council Fire, and Compass of the Heart. She lives on First Thought Mountain in Washington State. Table of Contents: Part 1: Shamanic Herbalism 1. Gathering and Growing Herbs 2. Preparing Medicinal Remedies 3. Healing with Herbs 4. Plant Allies 5. Offering Herbs 6. Smudge Herbs 7. Maintenance Herbs 8. Ceremonial Herbs 9. Smoking Herbs and Use of Psychotropic Plants 10. Birth, Death, and Dreaming Herbs 11. Trees Part 2: Materia Medica Appendices Appendix 1: General Tips for Growing Common Garden Herbs Appendix 2: Forms for Medicinal Application of Herbs Appendix 3: Plant Associations Within the Web of Life Appendix 4: Herb Allies for Specific Aspects of Well-being Appendix 5: Herbs Used in Ceremony Suggested Reading Sources of Supply Plant Index General Index 176 pages, 6x9", 14 b&w photos, paperback, $14.95, Less 20% |
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Millbrook A Narrative of the Early Years of American Psychedelianism Recension of 1997 by Art Kleps "The present recension of 1997 has a longer text (about 183,000 words) than any previous version and contains several pages of photographs and contemporary clippings and documents which support my claim that "Millbrook" is completely factual and that such mass-market "social histories" as "Acid Dreams" are the work of the professional liars and fantasts who make a living telling the heaving masses the simplistic fairy tales they want to hear." 222 pages, hardcover, photos, $25.00 |
 Mind/Mood Pill Book by Robert E.Hales MD, Dianne Hales An up-to-date, comprehensive consumer guide to the most commonly prescribed drugs for mind and mood disorders. |
For the one in two Americans who will develop a mind or mood disorder, and for their families and loved ones, here is an indispensable, accessible reference focused specifically on the drugs most often prescribed for their condition. Official FDA-approved information plus guidelines from nationally esteemed psychiatrists and pharmacists provide answers you can trust about these medications. Here, too, is the latest information available about popular herbal remedies such as St. John's wort, kava,and melatonin. Special information about drug use by women, children, and seniors makes this reference an essential addition to your home medical library. 'An excellent handbook to psychiatric drugs and a much-needed resource for the public at large. It offers the kind of straightforward information that empowers patients and their families to be partners--and watchdogs--in their own health care.' --H. Keith H. Brodie, M.D. President Emeritus and James B. Duke Professor of Psychiatry, Duke University Past President, American Psychiatric Association 'Easily readable, helpfully organized, and spanning everything from the latest mood staibilizer to herbal remedies, this book is vital reading for anyone who plans to talk to a doctor about anxiety, depression, or any other emotional problem.' --Robert Michels, M.D.Walsh McDermott University Professor of Medicine University Professor of Psychiatry Weill Medical College, Cornell University 'A practical, authoritative, and comprehensive reference guide to the medications used to treat mental disorders. It includes the information that people need and answers the questions most frequently asked.' --Carol C. Nadelson,. M.D. Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Director, Partners Office for Women's Careers, Brigham and Women's Hospital Paperback - 384 pages, $19.95 |
 Moksha |
Aldous Huxley's Classic Writings on Psychedelics and the
VisionaryExperience In May 1953 Aldous Huxley took four-tenths of a gram of mescaline. The mystical and transcendent experience that followed set him off on an exploration that was to produce a revolutionary body of work about the inner reaches of the human mind. Moksha, a Sanskrit word meaning "liberation," is a collection of the prophetic and visionary writings of Aldous Huxley. It includes selections from his acclaimed novels Brave New World and Island, both of which envision societies centered around the use of psychedelics as stabilizing forces, as well as pieces from The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell, his famous works on consciousness expansion. 304 pages, 14.95 |
 Mushrooms and Mankind: The Impact of Mushrooms on Human Consciousness and Religion by James Arthur "I am not easily impressed, but this book blew me away. |
I've read alot of books by Terence McKenna and other great
psychedelic minds but in this book, the philosophy stops and the facts
begin. This book is not about theory or philosophical issues, this is
the history lesson that we should all have been taught in school/church.
I think Gordon Wasson would be very happy to know that the paradigm is
finally shifting. This book was so good, I bought three other copies to
give as Christmas presents...." A reader "One has to step up to the plate to read this book, and with an open mind one can with courage and determinination break free from the programming and control society and religion attempts to conform and homogenize us into. Do we choose to be blissful happy cogs of the planetary machine called the New World Order? I think only out of deception and hunger for total power and control by the powers that be are we lead down that path to obivion. You want a key to Freedom for your Spirit?... Read "Mushrooms and Mankind" by James Arthur." A reader 103 pages, paperback, 6x9", $12.95 less 20% |
 The Mystery of Manna: The Psychedelic Sacrament of the Bible by Dan Merkur Compelling evidence that the early Jews and Christians used psychedelics as part of their religious rites. * Reveals the Bible's disguised references to this tradition and traces knowledge of this secret to the gnostics, masons, kabbalists, and the legends of the Holy Grail. |
Explores the idea that psychedelics have played a role in
nearly all religious traditions. When Moses fed manna to the Israelites,
he told them that after eating the miraculous bread they would see the
glory of God. And indeed they did: "They looked toward the wilderness,
and behold, the glory of Yahveh appeared in a cloud." In The Mystery of
Manna, religious historian Dan Merkur provides compelling evidence that
this was the Israelites' initiation into a psychedelic mystery cult that
induced spiritual visions through bread containing ergot--a psychoactive
fungus containing the same chemicals from which LSD is made. Citing biblical
material, as well as later Jewish and Christian writings, Merkur reveals
the existence of an unbroken tradition of Western psychedelic sacraments,
from Moses and manna to Jesus and the Eucharist. Most important, Merkur
shows that this was not a heretical tradition, but instead part of a normal,
Bible-based spirituality, a continuation of the ancient tradition of visionary
mysticism. Even when this practice became unacceptable to the religious
orthodoxy, it was perpetuated in secret by gnostics, masons, and kabbalists,
as well as through the legends of the Holy Grail. Merkur traces a long
line of historical figures who knew of manna's secret but dared only make
cryptic references to it for fear of persecution. The Mystery of Manna
is the strongest contribution yet to our growing realization that, contrary
to popular belief, psychedelics and religion have always gone hand in
hand. 186 pages, paperback, $16.95 |
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The
Natural Mind An Investigation of Drugs and the Higher Consciousness by Andrew Weil Now revised and rejacketed, this is Dr. Andrew Weil's first bestseller, a classic work on the principles of consciousness, offering a new model for solving the drug problem by acknowledging our innate yearnings and offering an alternative. "Incisive, brilliant, and genuinely revolutionary".--Michael Crichton, author. 240 pages, paperback, 5.5x8.3", $14.00, Less 20% |
 On the Bus: Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters The Complete Guide to the Legendary Trip of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and the Birth of the Counterculture by Paul Perry, Michael Schwartz (Editor) |
The story of the 1964 bus trip that inspired
a generation and was immortalized by Tom Wolfe's The electric kool-aid
acid test, as told by those who were "on the bus," as well as Allen Ginsberg,
Hunter S. Thompson, Robert Stone, Timothy Leary and others. With recreations
of the trip by Ken Babbs, 120 photos, and forewords by Hunter S. Thompson
and Jerry Garcia.
A reader: 'Anyone who is a Kesey fan MUST read this book. It is basically the photo album which correlates with Wolfe's Electric Kool-Ade Acid Test. It gives more insight into the minds of the pranksters and others. I highly recommend this book to any who is interested in the counterculture. The book as well as the trip are truly legendary.' Paperback - 205 pages, $22.95 |
 Opium : A Portrait of the Heavenly Demon by Barbara Hodgson Booklist: 'Hodgson's magnificently illustrated history of the granddaddy of illicit drugs is masterfully done, very informative. |
Entertaining, too, which figures, since it is mostly about getting high--the hows, whys, and whose-fault-it-is-it-anyways. Alternately glorified and condemned for its psychoactive applications, the opium poppy is now the focus of eradication research, lately looking into genetic warfare against it. What inspires such animus from the minions of overwhelming decency? Opium is 'one of the most addictive and debilitating substances on earth,' Hodgson writes, and its introduction in the West ushered in a taste for psychic adventure that still irritates prurient prudes. 'The focus here,' she continues, 'is on the wealth of imagesand literature celebrating or condemning this fabled drug, and on the writers, artists and photographers who have tried to capture the essence of opium's allure.' That focus pays off with a delightful little book that may not fit in a D.A.R.E. collection but will be welcome in most others. A reader: 'While not very wordy, the beauty of this book lies in its wonderful photographs, sketches, paintings, engravings, and other artwork featuring opium related scenes and paraphernalia. This book is also a great jumping point for more opium related reading of all types. The "Writer's Muse" chapter in particular offers a comprehensive overview of written works throughout history and the world which feature opium as their theme. All the works mentioned are neatly categorized by type in the bibliography at the end. A wonderful resource.' Hardcover - 160 pages, $22.95 |
 Opium Diary of a Cure Jean Cocteau |
"His contribution to the great literature of drug addiction
is distinguished by the flashes of insight, the capacity to remember,
the observation of the miraculous." -- Daily Telegraph A reader: "Cocteau is a genius. In Opium, Diary of a Cure, he recounts the experience of his recovery from opium addiction in 1929. He gives an account that sometimes touches on his moment to moment experiences of drug withdrawal, sometimes remarks on his current thoughts about other people and things in his world. Since he lived in the world of avante-garde French culture, his comments include Picasso or Satie. His descriptions and criticisms include references to his own works or to the climate of the period and offer a stunning look at his own thoughts in this extraordinary moment." As the author of the great film Beauty and the Beast makes clear, regarding his reverence for opium, "Expect no betrayal." paperback, 176 pages, $5.95 |
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Opium
for the Masses A Practical Guide to Growing Poppies and Making Opium by Jim Hogshire Opium, known as "The Mother of All Analgesics," is probably the greatest pain killer ever discovered. Opium is the parent of morphine, heroin, laudanum, Darvocet, Darvon, and many other pain relievers. Opium causes poets to rhapsodize and nations to go to war. In Opium for the Masses, Jim Hogshire tells you everything you want to know about the beloved poppy and its amazing properties. In Opium For The Masses, Jim Hogshire tells you everything you want to know about the beloved poppy and its amazing properties, including: * What does the opium high feel like? * How addictive is opium? How hard is it to kick? * The stunning similarities between opium and your body's natural endorphins. * What is the strongest drug in the world? * Morphine and its derivatives, both pharmaceutical and street. * How to grow opium poppies. * Where to get fertile poppy seeds. * How to harvest the opium from a crop of poppies. * How to make poppy tea. * Other ways of making and ingesting opium, including eating and smoking. * And much more. The book also includes rare photographs and detailed illustrations that bring this plant to life. 112 pages, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", $14.95 |
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Opium
Poppy Garden by William Griffith Opium Poppy Garden is the only book available that describes the cultivation, harvest, and pharmacology of opium in a format that combines literary and instructional writing. The heart of the book is the tale of Ch' ien, a young Chinese man who travels from Costa Rica to Colombia to grow an opium garden in the manner his Taoist grandfather taught him. The story, along with "The Cultivator's Diary" and the technical appendix, provide the reader with a working knowledge of this plant. 77 pages, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", $14.95 |
 People of the Peyote Huichol Indian History, Religion & Survival Stacy Schaefer & Peter Furst, eds. People of the Peyote explores the culture of the Huichol Indians of Mexico. The Huichols are best known outside Mexico for their worship of the Peyote cactus. |
Ritually harvested each year, the Peyote flower is pivotal
to most Huichol observances of the annual ceremonial round. Authored by
an international array of scholars including Huichol Indians, contributions
to this volume analyze Huichol ethnography, ethnohistory, shamanism, religion,
mythology, art, ethnobotany, society, and other topics. Myth as History,
History as Myth: A New Look at Some Old Problems in Huichol Origins; Huichol
Ethnohistory: The View from Zacatecas; Konrad Theodor Preuss (1869-1938)
on the Huichols; The Crossing of the Souls: Peyote, Perception, and Meaning
among the Huichol Indians; "How One Goes Being Huichol ..."; The Shaman
Who Defeated Etsa Sickness (Smallpox): Traditional Huichol Medicine in
the Twentieth Century; The Psychotropic Kieri in Huichol Culture; Wolf
Power and Interspecies Communication in Huichol Shamanism; The Deer That
Is Peyote and the Deer That Is Maize: The Hunt in the Huichol "Trinity";
The Cosmos Contained: The Temple Where Sun and Moon Meet; Muuqui Cuevixa:
"Time to Bid the Dead Farewell"; A Huichol Soul Travels to the Land of
the Dead; The Urukame, A Crystallization of the Soul: Death and Memory
403 Ch. 15 Memories of Tatewari; The Girl Who Ground Herself: Huichol
Attitudes toward Maize; Huichol Religion and the Mexican State: Reflections
on Ethnocide and Cultural Survival; Conclusion: Peyote Pilgrims and Don
Juan Seekers: Huichol Indians in a Multicultural World paperback, 576 pages, $29.95, Less 20% |
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Persephone's
Quest Entheogens and the Origins of Religion A brilliant trip into the meaning of ancient history and human psychology. A seminal classic. by R. Gordon Wasson, Stella Kramrisch, Jonathan Ott, Carl A.P. Ruck 257 pages, paperback, $18.00 |
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Peyote
and Other Psychoactive Cacti by Adam Gottlieb A concise and readable guide to the art of cultivating peyote, San Pedro, and the numerous other entheogenic cacti. In light of the possible extinction of wild peyote, PEYOTE is a timely resource for those who feel a responsibility to preserve this sacred medicine. This revised underground classic describes: Methods of using psychoactive cacti, Cultivating cacti from, Extracting alkaloids, Increasing the yield of mescaline,Legal status of entheogenic cacti. 86 pages, 32 illus., $9.95 |
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The
Peyote Book A Study of Native Medicine by Guy Mount The Peyote Book is an educational collection of ancient legends, healing testimonials, spiritual and philosophical perceptions, songs, stories and artwork inspired by the Good Medicine. Scientific evaluations of peyote are also included, showing antibiotic activity, plus other medical and psychological benefits. Special attention is given to the value of peyote in childbirth, concern for legal use and distribution regardless of race or ethnic heritage. 79 pages, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", $9.95 |
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The
Peyote Cult by Weston La Barre This new edition of La Barre's classic study includes 334 new entries in the latest of his highly valued bibliographical essays on works relating to peyote, not just in anthropology but in a variety of fields including archeology, economics, botany, chemistry, and pharmacology. The bibliography lists important contributions in popular media such as newspapers, audiotapes, and films, as well as in scholarly journals. "The Peyote Cult is still quite generally considered to be the one outstanding work on peyote...La Barre follows the search for the 'mystic experience' through use of chemical substances--a new fashion albeit as old as history--in an unusually objective manner." -- Richard Evans Schultes 334 pages, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", $18.95, Less 20% |
 Peyote The Divine Cactus Edward F. Anderson Dry whiskey, Divine herb, Devil’s root, Medicine of God, Peyote: for some people, to use it is to hear colors and see sounds. |
For many Native Americans, it brings an ability to reach
out of their physical lives, to communicate with the spirits, and to become
complete. For chemists, pharmacologists, and psychiatrists, the plant is fascinating in its complexity and in the ways its chemicals work upon the human mind. What is it in peyote that causes such unusual effects? Can modern medical science learn anything from Native Americans’ use of peyote in curing a wide variety of ailments? What is the Native American Church, and how do its members use peyote? Does anyone have the legal right to use drugs or controlled substances in religious ceremonies? Within this volume are answers to these and dozens of other questions surrounding the controversial and remarkable cactus. Greatly expanded and brought up-to-date from the 1980 edition, these pages describe peyote ceremonies and the users’ experiences, and also cover the many scientific and legal aspects of using the plant. Well written, informative, comprehensive, and enlightening, the book will be welcomed by counselors, anthropologists, historians, physicians, chemists, lawyers, and observers of the contemporary drug scene, as well as by interested general readers. 272 pages, paperback, 6.2x9.3", $19.95, Less 20% |
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Peyote
Hunt The Sacred Journey of the Huichol Indians by Barbara G. Myerhoff An authentic classic, the story of Meyerhoff's perceptive journey into Huichol spirituality and timelessness. 288 pages, paperback, 5.4x8.2", $12.95 |
 Peyote Religion A History Omer Call Stewart From D.R. Parks:Choice: "This is a masterful study of the history of peyotism. A compendium of ethnographic and ethnohistorical data, rather than a theoretical exegesis, the book is now the |
definitive study of this important pan-tribal movement.
Subsequent studies will undoubtedly contribute details, but no general
work will replace Stewart's as a comprehensive reference. Simply and engagingly
written,it will appeal to scholars and general readers alike interested
in the American Indian, and is essential for both undergraduate and graduate
as well as public libraries." From Henry Warner Bowden:The American Historical Review: "Stewart is an anthropologist who has studied various aspects of peyote religion for the past fifty years. This volume is the culmination of his labors, and it will stand as the definitive treatment of its kind in our generation.. . . It synthesizes previous literary sources and supplements them with ethnographic interviews and participant observations. It is the best and probablythe only book most of us will hereafter need to consult." From Carol M. Hampton:The Journal of American History: "The noted emeritus professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado centered his research on a hypothesis of the spread of peyote rituals from tribe to tribe, which he supports by a detailed compilation of the distributionof elements of worship. Stewart's summary of his lifetime's investigation ofthe peyote religion, however, includes little history, philosophy, or theology of that religion." paperback, 454 pages, $17.95, Less 15% |
 Pipe, Bible and Peyote Among the Oglala Lakota |
A Study in Religious Identity by Paul B. Steinmetz From J.C. Fikes - Choice: This well-documented study of contemporary Lakota religious identity results from 20 years of Jesuit ministry at Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Candid treatment of how Black Elk reconciled his commitment to Catholicism with most aspects of Lakota belief, and detailed comparisons of two distinct branches of theNative American Church, the Cross Fire and Half Moon fireplaces, are invaluable. . . . Steinmetz, like many Lakota whose testimony he presents, emphasizes similarities between Lakota and Christian symbols. He not only interprets butadvocates such syncretism, suggesting that it is acceptable to equate the Sacred Pipe given to Lakota by White Buffalo Woman with the Christ born of the Virgin Mary. 252 pages, paperback, 6x9", $19.95 |
 Phantastica A Classic Survey on the Use and Abuse of Mind-Altering Plants Louis Lewin, editor |
Long out of print, this is a landmark study on narcotic
and psychedelic substances by a world-renowned pharmacologist and toxicologist.
The first book to bring non-judgmental scientific insights to the use
of drugs around the world. Provides detailed information on all major
drugs of the time, including opium, cocaine, heroin, cannabis, peyote,
fly agaric, henbane, datura, alcohol, kava, betel, coffee, tea, cocoa,
and tobacco. A book credited with starting an era of ethnobotany
that continues to the present day. The publication of Louis Lewin's Phantastica
in 1924 began an era of ethnobotany that is still flourishing today. Until
Lewin, books on the use of drugs were purely works of anthropology, concerned
with how people used these plants, rather than how the plants produced
their famous effects. Lewin, a world-renowned pharmacologist and toxicologist,
was fascinated by both, and Phantastica was the first book to bring scientific
insights to a survey of the use of drugs around the world. Lewin traveled
extensively and acquired an astonishing variety of knowledge, reflected
in this book, which provides detailed information on all major drugs of
the time, including opium, cocaine, heroin, cannabis, peyote, fly agaric,
henbane, datura, alcohol, kava, betel, coffee, tea, cocoa, and, of course,
tobacco. For thirty years ethnobotanists have bemoaned the fact that Phantastica
has been impossible to find; now this landmark work is once again available.
Louis Lewin, M.D., (1850--1929) was the author of more than 200 major
publications on the subject of pharmacology, including 12 books. He was
the first researcher to study peyote with the Native Americans and the
first to publish a monograph on kava. He directed a private laboratory
in Berlin, and he was considered the leading toxicologist in Germany.
320 pages, paperback, $16.95 |
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Pharmacotheon by Jonathan Ott Pharmacotheon is the most comprehensive multi-disciplinary book on the subject of shamanic inebriants and their active agents and artificial cousins, written by a seminal genius who publishes fluently in English, Spanish and German. Featuring a bibliography of 2440 sources, Pharmacotheon is the reference book specialists have long needed, which has been written in an engaging style making it accessible to the layperson. Extensive personal experience with entheogenic drugs imbues Ott's treatment of the subject with insight and energy. 640 pages 6" x 9" $39.95 |
 Pharmako / Poeia Plants Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft |
by Dale Pendell Dale Pendell offers a mesmerizing guide to psychoactive plants, from their pharmacological roots to the literary offshoots. This is a book about danger, dangerous knowledge, even more dangerous ignorance. Against the greater danger, ignorance, Pendell strikes a formidable blow, as he proves himself a wise and witty guide to our plant teachers, their powers and their poisons. "An ecological handbook, a dried-herb pastiche, a countercultural encyclopedia of ancient fact and lore"--Allen Ginsberg 304 pages, 7" x 9", $19.95, Less 20% |
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PIHKAL A Chemical Love Story by Alexander & Ann Shulgin "There has never been a book like PIHKAL, and... we may not soon see another of its kind. No library of psychedelic literature will henceforth be complete without it. Some day in the future when it may again be acceptable to use chemical tools to study the mind, this book will be a treasure-house, a sort of sorcerer's book of spells, to delight and enchant the psychiatrist/shaman of tomorrow." 978 pages, 6" x 9", $18.95 |
 Plant Intoxicants |
A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants by Baron Ernst von Bibra First published in German by Wilhelm Schmid, Nuremburg, 1855, and here translated by Hedwig-Schleiffer, with a foreword by Martin Haseneier (an authority on Von Bibra) and technical notes by Jonathan Ott (an ethnobotanist). Von Bibra drew on his own travel experiences as well as writings of his predecessors to examine the cultivation, preparation, and consumption of the world's major stimulants and inebriants. He devotes a full chapter to each of 17 plants, ranging from coffee and tea, through tobacco and hashish, to powerful narcotics and hallucinogens such as opium and fly agaric. Witty, engaging, and intellectually open. 269 pages, 6" x 9", $16.95 |
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Plants
of the Gods Their Sacred, Healing and Hallucinogenic Powers by Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann This superbly illustrated, encyclopedic volume provides a much needed, well-balanced scientific perspective on the use of hallucinogenic plants. Richard Evans Schultes, the worlds most eminent ethnobotanist, and Albert Hofmann, the former research director at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, emphasize the need for continued education about both the potential benefits and the inherent dangers involved in the use of hallucinogens. "An extraordinary blend of botany, ethnobotany, chemistry, history, mythology, and art. A visual, spiritual, and intellectual feast, Plants of the Gods is the best book ever written on hallucinogenic plants and it was written by the two most knowledgeable people on the planet." Dr. Mark Plotkin, Conservation International 192 pages, 8x11", photos, paperback, $22.95 |
 Ploughing the Clouds: The Search for Irish Soma |
by Peter Lamborn Wilson The Rig Veda, written in India about 1500 BC, praises a holy plant called Soma, which, when consumed, grants the drinker an experience of enlightenment and ecstasy. In PLOUGHING THE CLOUDS, Peter Lamborn Wilson investigates the possibility of a Soma cult in ancient Ireland, tracing clues in Irish (and other Celtic) lore. By comparing Celtic folktales, romances, epics and topographic lore with the Rig Veda, he uncovers the Irish branch of the great Indo-European tradition of psychedelic shamanism, and even reconstructs some of its secret rituals. He uses this comparitive material to illuminate the deep meaning of the Soma-function in all cultures: the origins of "poetic frenzy," and the link between intoxication and inspiration. "PLOUGHING THE CLOUDS is the best thing of its kind since Robert Graves' THE WHITE GODDESS"-Dale Pendell 150 pages, 6x9", paperback, $14.95 less 20% |
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The
Politics of Ecstasy by Timothy Leary, Ph.D. Timothy Leary's most significant work on the social and political ramifications of psychedelics. First published in 1968, this collection spans the period from research at Harvard to the San Francisco Summer of Love. Much of The Politics of Ecstasy appeared in a variety of publications including The Psychedelic Review, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Esquire, Harvard Review, Playboy, The Realist, Evergreen Review, and The San Francisco Oracle. 240 pages, paperback, 5.5"x8.5", $16.95 |
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A
Primer of Drug Action A Concise, Nontechnical Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs by Robert M. Julien, M.D. This 20th anniversary edition has been has been thoroughly updated and enhanced in a variety of ways, including: expanded discusion of the mechanisms of drug action; new coverage of the receptors upon which many psychoactive drugs act; increased depth of presentation and much more. "Surprisingly simple language lend insights to details on the actions, uses and side effects of these drugs. A valuable library reference addition." Midwest Book Review 528 pages, 6" x 9", $28.95, Less 20% |
 The Prozac Alternative Natural Relief from Depression With St. John's Wort, Kava, Ginkgo, 5-Htp, Homeopathy, and Other Alternative Therapies |
A comprehensive guide to the use of St. John's wort and
other alternative therapies for treatment of depression, anxiety, and
other mood disorders. Offers a comprehensive look at St. John's wort--the
most significant natural remedy for depression--including its history
in herbalism, current clinical uses, safety, and side effects. Discusses
other natural alternatives such as Kava, Melatonin, and 5-HTP as treatment
options to depression. In the early 1990's the sale of Prozac exceeded the sale of all other antidepressant drugs in both American and world markets. But today St. John's wort is recommended 3 to 1 over Prozac as a primary treatment for depression in European countries such as Germany--and its sales continue to skyrocket in the United States. Safe, all-natural, and less expensive than synthetic drugs, St. John's wort is the ideal natural therapy for many people's depression, anxiety, and other related mood disorders. 151 pages, paperback, 6x9", 12.95, Less 20% |
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Psilocybin Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide A Handbook for Psilocybin Enthusiasts by O.T. Oss & O.N. Oeric (the McKenna brothers) The revised and expanded edition of the classic how-to manual of psilocybin mushroom cultivation. In-depth growing instructions with step-by-step photographs showing exactly how it is done. The rediscovery of the mushroom and its historical use in ritual is also covered. 90 pages, paperback, 6x8.5", 16.95 |
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Psychedelic
Chemistry by Michael Valentine Smith The most complete book ever written on how to manufacture psychedelic drugs! Intended only for those who have a thorough knowledge of advanced lab techniques in organic chemistry. Marijuana: THC and Analogs; Magic Mushrooms and Other Indole Trips; Mescaline and Friends; Harmaline and Other Beta-Carbolines; Muscimole and Other Isoxazoles; LSD; Cocaine; Miscellaneous Psychedelics; Literature and Chemical Hints; Miscellany on Underground Laboratories. Out of print for years, now available in a revised, updated edition with more material. 200 pages, paperback, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", $19.95 |
 Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered by Lester Grinspoon & James B. Bakalar |
In this classic text, two of the world's leading experts
on drug use provide the general reader with a comprehensive survey of
psychedelic drugs and the scientific and intellectual issues they raise.
The authors review the chemistry of psychedelics, their effects, and the history of human experience with the drugs, as well as assessing their potential value. "An exceptionally well-balanced scientific discussion of every aspect of psychedelic drugs.... It is a courageous book which simultaneously succeeds for both the popular and scientific audiences."--Carl Sagan "Our social policy has all but ignored the extraordinary potential of psychedelic drugs for therapeutic use and inner development. This book has played and will continue to play a significant role in bringing the weight of scientific reason to bear on re-opening the research opportunities that are a necessary prerequisite for rectifying this situation."-- Ram Dass "I don't recall ever seeing a single book treat in so scholarly yet lucid a fashion the historical, social, and scientific aspects of drugs with accuracy, balance, and thoughtful reflection."--Solomon H. Snyder, M.D. 385 pages. 6" x 9", $12.95, Less 20% |
 Psychedelic Experience A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead |
by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner & Richard Alpert This manual uses material from The Tibetan Book of the Dead for this preparation. The authors also make an important contribution to the interpretation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. They show that it is concerned not with the dead, but with the living (the 'little death' as the Tibetans called shamanic initiation). The last section of the manual provides instructions for an actual psychedelic session, under adequate safeguards. The authors were engaged in a program of experiments with LSD and other psychedelic drugs at Harvard University until sensational national publicity unfairly concentrating on student interest in the drugs, led to the suspension of the experiments. Since then, the authors have continued their work without academic auspices. A reader: 'This is undoubtedly Leary's definitive work.This guide book is absolutely essential if you are going to take a psychedelic drug.It really makes sense of the visions and sensations you will encounter in the different stages,or Bardos of the trip.To put it simply and to the point,Lennon said of this book,'Learys method is the only way to trip'.It really is a great guide book that should send you in the right direction. PRICELESS.' Paperback, 160 pages, $10.95 |
 Psychedelic Prayers & Other Meditations by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner (introduction) Timothy Leary--Harvard University psychologist, social change activist, psychedelia enthusiast, and cyberspace pioneer--died on May 31, 1996, as this edition of Psychedelic Prayers and Other Meditations was in progress. |
Translated "from English to psychedelese" in 1965, these 56 poems were inspired by the Tao Te Ching (Way of Life), ancient spiritual writings of Taoist philosopher Lao Tsu. Leary believed Tsu's writings would serve as an excellent guidebook for psychedelic sessions, so--armed with nine English translations--he sat under a tree in India and attempted to distill the works' essential meanings (from a drug-induced perspective, of course). As meditation is to Eastern spiritual traditions, psychedelic drugs were to Timothy Leary. The counterculture guru encouraged people to transcend ego-centered perspectives of ordinary human consciousness, go beyond the dualities of right and wrong, and liberate themselves from their limitations. The Tao Te Ching fit these purposes quite well, he thought, and Ralph Metzner, who wrote the book's introduction, agrees: 'These meditations on the art and science of consciousness expansion are serene, sensuous, funny and wise. They are among the most inspired writings by one of the outstanding visionary geniuses of the 20th century.' A reader: 'Tim Leary first introduced Lao Tzu to me in the late sixties. He translated the Tao Te Ching into American from the English. 'No one has ever done it better.' Tim's version of 'Psychedelic Prayers,' still stands as essential Tao. The Tao many of us will travel forever.' Paperback - 128 pages, $12.95 |
 The Psychedelic Reader Selected from the Psychedelic Review by Ralph Metzner, Timothy Leary, Gunther Weil |
The Psychedelic Review was founded in 1963 as a serious journal dedicated to the study of the mind-expanding potential of both natural and synthesized psychedelic substances. Presenting experts in the fields of anthropology, religion, pharmacology, poetry, and metaphysics, this groundbreaking journal had a dramatic impact on its times, attracting a large and avid readership among academics and the burgeoning psychedelic underground. The writers in The Psychedelic Reader include Alan Watts, Timothy Leary, Sir Julian Huxley, and Ralph Metzner on subjects as varied and fascinating as "The Religious Experience: Its Production and Interpretation" and "Botanical Sources of New World Narcotics." Touching on everything from the poetry of Hermann Hesse to specific dosage levels, The Psychedelic Reader treats its subject with an engaging combination of adventure and solemnity. 272 pages, 6x9", 12.95 |
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Psychedelic
Shamanism by Jim DeKorne From the author of The Hydroponic Hot House comes the boldest exploration of psychedelic plants since Terence McKenna's Food of the Gods. For the first time, theory and practice are listed in one consciousness-expanding book. A master gardener, DeKorne explains in loving detail how to cultivate many of these plants and how to extract their powerful psychoactive alkaloids. He provides down-to-earth information on dosages, typical reactions, length and intensity of experience, dangerous combinations, traditional and ritual uses, and much more. Plants and combinations covered include: Belladonna Alkaloids: Flying Ointments, Datura, Brugmansia, Devil's Weed, D-Lysergic Acid Amide: Morning Glories and Sleepy Grass, Mescaline: Peyote and San Pedro, Ayahuasca: Harmine, Harmaline, MAOs, DMT, Syrian Rue, Phalaris Grass, Smokable DMT from Plants: A new discovery that will revolutionize psychedelia! Psilocybin: Magic Mushrooms, including a potent "Mushroom Ayahuasca." Minor Psychedelics: Diviner's Mint, Coleus, Calamus Root, Heimia, Calea Zachatechichi, Fly Agaric Mushroom, Iboga. Psychedelic Shamanism is a lucid, captivating introduction to the shamanic hypothesis with all the technical information needed to explore "inner space." 163 pages, illustrated, indexed, 8.5"x11", $19.95 |
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Psychedelic
Trips for the Soul When People magazine called Paul Krassner 'the father of the underground press,' he immediately demanded a blood test. In this sequel to the Firecracker Award-winning Pot Stories for the Soul, he proves People right. Psychedelic Trips for the Soul includes funny, wild, and illuminating tales by and about such mind-altered luminaries as Timothy Leary, John Lennon, Abbie Hoffman, Groucho Marx, Jerry Garcia, Eldridge Cleaver, Squeaky Fromme, Wavy Gravy, Ken Kesey, Ram Dass, and even Hollywood's 'million-dollar mermaid' Esther Williams, among many others. Paperback - 128 pages, $15.95 |
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Psychedelics |
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Psychedelics
Encyclopedia by Peter Stafford This is a remarkable sourcebook for anyone interested in the psychological, biological, physiological, cultural and historical aspects of psychedelics. Information on the history, botany, pharmacology, physical effects, mental effects, forms, and sources for: The LSD Family, Marijuana & Relatives, Peyote, Mescaline & San Pedro, Psychoactive Mushrooms, The MDA Cluster, Yage & Harmaline, Ibogaine, Short Acting Tryptamines (DMT, DET, DPT), Other Psychoactive Substances "Offers the most thorough history to date of the modern-day use of psychedelic drugs. LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, cannabis, and a host of lesser-known and exotic psychotropic agents are discussed in this entertaining survey." New Age Journal Includes over 300 illustrations, bibliog., index. 420 pages, 6" x 9", 34.95 |
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Rio
Tigre and Beyond |
 The Sacred Mushroom Seeker Tributes to R. Gordon Wasson Thomas J. Riedlinger, editor, Terrence McKenna, Peter T. Furst, others |
Wasson (1898-1986) was an amateur
mycologist whose scholarly writings on hallucinogenic mushrooms pioneered
the field of ethnomycology and sparked the psychedelic movement. A legendary figure in the field of ethnobotany, R. Gordon Wasson's trail-blazing work on hallucinogenic mushrooms with the Mexican curandera Maria Sabina in the 1950s brought increased scholarly attention to the importance of psychoactive plants in the spiritual life of indigenous peoples, and had a profound influence well beyond the academic world. His accessible writings helped popularize these discoveries, forming the ground for the social revolution of the following decade. With the growing interest in the role of psychoactive plants in society today, the work of R. Gordon Wasson and the example set by the man himself, so well illustrated here, takes on increasing importance. Edited by Thomas J. Riedlinger, who has written extensively on psychedelic plants and psychology, The Sacred Mushroom Seeker includes essays by the most distinguished names in the fields of ethnobotany, comparative religion, and anthropology. "This work is a remarkable achievement. It successfully captures all aspects of a complex personality. Gordon Wasson was a wonderful mixture: part businessman, part adventurer, part scholar. He achieved more in each of these fields than most do in any one discipline. Sketching a life-size portrait of this intriguing man is no mean feat, but this work achieves that goal." Dr. Mark J. Plotkin, author of Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice The informative essays herein are accompanied by a great variety of photographs and drawings, many in color. 283 pages, 7x11", 24.95 |
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The
Salvia Divinorum Grower's Guide |
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The
Secret Chief
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 The Seven Sisters of Sleep |
The Celebrated Drug Classic
by Mordecai Cooke This groundbreaking survey, written in 1860, is a radically open-minded look at the use of drugs across the world and throughout the ages. Early users of tobacco in Russia would have their noses cut off and repeat offenders their heads. Pope Innocent XII excommunicated any who used it in St. Peters. Marijuana users in 14th century Egypt would have their teeth extracted for the crime. Yet use of these and other forbidden substances continued to grow. If only as a record of the perennial failure of harsh punishments to deter drug use Victorian naturalist Mordecai Cooke’s work The Seven Sisters of Sleep would remain significant. But Cooke’s natural humor and keen insights have ensured this work’s reputation as possibly the best early book from what has grown into an enormous body of literature on mind- and mood-altering substances. Written at a time, similar to our own, when drug use was being reconsidered, The Seven Sisters of Sleep is a thought-provoking and open-minded look at the use of drugs across the world and throughout the ages. Quite popular in its day and a major influence on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, this is an important book for anyone interested in an unbiased account of humanity’s long involvement with psychoactive, hallucinogenic, and stimulant plants. Mordecai Cooke (1825—1915) was an eminent naturalist, mycologist, and teacher. He was also the author of several scientific studies on mushrooms. 304 pages, 6 x 9, paperback, $16.95 |
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Sex
Drugs and Aphrodisiacs |
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Shamanic
Voices |
 Shamanism and the Drug Propaganda Patriarchy and the Drug War by Dan Russell Discusses the archetypal aspects of the drug war - the evolutionary politics of the transition from tribal to industrial culture. It is true ancient history. The text is illuminated by 200 genuine pharmaco-shamanic images from the ancient world. |
Herbal magic, real pharmaco-shamanism,
is at the core of all matriarchal cultures. The Goddess does not separate
from her herbal magic, from her invention of medicine. The central sacrament
of all Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures known is an inebriative
herb, a plant totem, which became metaphoric of the communal epiphany.
These herbs, herbal concoctions and herbal metaphors are at the heart
of all mythologies. They include such familiar images as the Burning Bush,
the Tree of Life, the Cross, the Golden Bough, the Forbidden Fruit, the
Blood of Christ, the Blood of Dionysos, the Holy Grail (or rather its
contents), the Chalice (Kalyx:'flower cup'), the Golden Flower (Chrysanthemon),
Ambrosia (Ambrotos:'immortal'), Nectar (Nektar:'overcomes death'), the
Sacred Lotus, the Golden Apples, the Mystic Mandrake, the Mystic Rose,
the Divine Mushroom (teonanacatl), the Divine Water Lily, Soma, Ayahuasca
('Vine of the Soul'), Kava, Iboga, Mama Coca and Peyote Woman. The transition
from tribal to patriarchal culture - the invention of chattel slavery
- changed the sanctioned interpreation of this imagery and criminalized
the power-rites to which it referred. "A magnificent production. I find it not only brilliant, but beautifully organized and, of course, something that needs to be. It is a tremendous work and, by nature, a tremendous volume." Professor Richard Evans Schultes, Director Emeritus, Botanical Museum of Harvard University "I had to write in appreciation of the invaluable contribution you've made to realizing the possible human. Immediately, I was impressed with the multi-perspectives through which you see the classics. I find your book a major ally in delivering truth today." Jeannine Parvati, author of "Hygieia: A Woman's Herbal" 357 pages, 200 Illustrations, annotations, 6x9" paperback, Quality Sewn Binding, $24.95, Less 15%, Free shipping |
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Library Journal: 'With Sisters of the Extreme, Palmer and Horowitz (coeditors of Moksha: Aldous Huxley's Classic Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience) have updated their 1982 anthology, Shaman Woman, Mainline Lady. |
Following a historical introduction, the authors present firsthand accounts of women on drugs, from Victorian times to the present. Among their subjects are Jane Addams, Edith Wharton, Caresse Crosby, Billie Holiday, Laura Huxley, Anita Hoffman, Bonnie Bremser, and Susan Sontag. Their stories range from sordid tales of heroin addiction and prostitution to quests for spiritual enlightenment. Through these selections, the editors succeed in demonstrating that women's experiences with drugs are 'more varied and complex than stereotypes suggest.' With over 120 illustrations, this lively introduction to a relatively neglected topic is recommended for larger public and academic libraries.' Jeannine Parvati Baker (Author HYGIEIA: A WOMAN'S HERBAL): 'Being on the fringe of consensual reality and yet being able to take some notes of the journeys beyond, is an awesome gift. The stories in SISTERS OF THE EXTREME are such gifts of the God-Us. I have the original SHAMAN WOMAN, MAINLINE LADY and went through my contribution, line for line, and the only difference noted was my photo had shrunk in this new, revised edition. (This is consistent as now, being in my fifties, I notice that I am shrinking some also.) The tone not only is consistent from the first edition but vividly expansive. (I was somewhat embarrassed being in the first edition, with the stereotypic cover -- yet in this new volume, I am honored not only for the outrageous company kept and new sisters included but engaging graphics.) As the God-Us dances about the universe, skirt swirling the galaxies, being on the fringes gives the wildest ride. This book is a travelogue by explorers of multi-dimensional realities written in white ink, from the heart of our Sisters-in-the-Clan-of-Encouragement: this book is a major herstoric contribution to the sext of human consciousness.' Paperback - 310 pages, $19.95 |
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Smart
Drugs & Nutrients How to Improve Your Memory and Increase Your Intelligence Using the Latest Discoveries in Neuroscience by Ward Dean, John Morgenthaler, Steven William Fowkes 189 pages, paperback, 5.4x8.4", $12.95, Less 20% |
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Smart
Drugs II The Next Generation New Drugs and Nutrients to Improve Your Memory and Increase Your Intelligence by Ward Dean (Contributor), John Morgenthaler, Steven William Fowkes The book that fueled the smart-drug movement--now updated with all the latest information on where to get smart drugs and how to use them for self-improvement. Nearly every page includes quotes from scientists, doctors, and media people, along with testimonials from smart-drug users. 12 line drawings. Charts. 287 pages, paperback, 5.4x8.4", $14.95, Less 20% |
 Soma The Divine Hallucinogen by David Spess forward by Ram Dass The definitive work on the ancient Hindu soma rituals mentioned in the Vedas and debated by scholars for decades. Soma has been shrouded in mystery for centuries. |
It is simultaneously a sacred hallucinogenic plant used
in secret rituals, a personified God, and an important cosmological principle.
Summarizing all previous research on the subject, David Spess goes far
beyond his predecessors and shows that soma provides an important key
to the understanding of the earliest systemized methods of medicine, psychology,
magic, rejuvenation, longevity, and alchemy. Most significant is
that his intensive research provides the most compelling case yet for
actual identification of the plants that served as the basis for the divine
hallucinogen Nelumbo nucifera, the sacred lotus of India, as well as some
members of the Nymphaea genus. Soma provides a much needed bridge between Eastern and Western esoteric traditions. Contained within the enigmatic verses about soma in the Rig Veda is a secret about ourselves and the nature of our relationship to the world and cosmos. Soma makes this knowledge available to us once again. David Spess has a master's degree in microbiology/mycology and studied Sanskrit at the Naropa Institute. He was formerly a research mycologist for the FDA and has taught at the University of Colorado. He lives in New Mexico. "Soma brilliantly completes the enquiry on the scientific and botanical aspects, as well as the anthropological and cultural development, of this very important subject. A magnificent book destined to become a classic." Oscar Ichazo, author of Psychocalisthenics and Between Metaphysics and Protoanalysis "By far the most thorough survey of both the botanical and the psycho-spiritual aspects of the soma plant that I've ever seen. All I can do is congratulate the author." Wendy Doniger, coauthor, with R. Gordon Wasson, of Soma: The Divine Mushroom of Immortality (sadly out of print) 400 pages, 6 x 9, 60 b & w illustrations, hardcover, $30.00 |
 Stoned Free How to Get High without Drugs by Patrick Wells and Douglas Rushkoff |
Now you can just say "No!" to drugs... and
get high anyway! Stoned Free expounds on this topic by enumerating
several consciousness-altering techniques – some of which are timeless
in origin, while others have been made possible by recent technological
and medical advances that the ordinary citizen can employ to attain states
of awareness which transcend reality as it is normally perceived... in
other words, How to Get High Without Drugs! Learn how to enhance your cognitive horizons through: * Meditation * Breathing techniques * Musical and dance regimens * Deprivation methods * Physical therapies * Visualizations * Consciousness-raising programs * High tech highs * Communing with nature * Sleep and dream manipulations * Concepts of synchronicity * And much, much, more. 168 pages, illustrated, 5.5"x8.5", $14.95 |
 Storming Heaven |
LSD
and the American Dream by Jay Stevens Storming Heaven is the dramatic chronicle of LSD's brief but convulsive reign in America, where it would be taken up for an astonishing range of projects. For the CIA it was a potential weapon in chemical warfare; for Aldous Huxley it was the next step in human evolution; for Henry Luce it provided a direct line to God; for Timothy Leary it was the doorway to another world. Storming Heaven is the definitive account of the quest for chemical transcendence, one of the strangest and most misunderstood episodes of recent times. "Fascinating....The most compelling account yet of how these hallucinogenic, or psychedelic, drugs became an explosive force in postwat American history." Newsweek 396 pages, 5" x 8", $14.00, Less 20% |
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The
Summer of Love by Gene Anthony The Summer of Love is a reliving of a brief period: A fantasy, an idealism that isolated the flower children from the realities of a harsh world - and provided a sense of a community that could be. A very magical moment that has influenced the psyche of this country ever since. Over 275 photograhs, with eight pages in color. 176 pages 8 1/2" x 11" $19.95 |
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Tales
of a Shaman's Apprentice An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest, by Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D., chief ethnobotanist for Conservation International. Plotkin has spent much of the last decade in the rain forests tracking the shamans whose knowledge of the curative powers of plants may hold the cure to some of today's devastating diseases. This is the fascinating account of his apprenticeships to these powerful wise men, an anthropological adventure story that also vividly clarifies what destruction of the region's plant species may ultimately cost humanity. 328 pages, 5" x 8", $13.95, Less 20% |
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'Myron Stolaroff is one of the pioneers in the effort to clarify the confused issues regarding the potentialities of psychedelic chemicals. |
His book is interesting regarding the history of this effort, informative as to the variety of experiences brought forth by the various drugs; inspiring in its testimony of courage and persistence; and persuasive in its account of how public policy has bungled the drug issue.'Willis Harman - President, The Institute of Noetic Sciences 'Myron Stolaroff has written a fascinating account chronicling his courageous work over several decades exploring the healing and transformative potentials of a variety of psychedelic substances. I anticipate his experimental descrpitions will prove to be a valuable resource for future researchers of this neglected area.' Charles S. Grob - Associate Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine, principle investigator of government authorized research on MDMA. Harry Sumnall: 'This truly remarkable book details the structured use of a variety of phenethylamine and tryptamine derivatives by the author and his entrepid band of psychonauts. Working within the framework of the law (Stolaroff stopped use when particular drugs were scheduled) Myron Stolaroff is truly an inspiration. His research over the last 35 or so years has taught many and suggests a future-time when these compounds may be used within a legitimate medical and psychotherapeutic context.' Hardcover, 192 pages, $22.95 |
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Tihkal by Alexander & Ann Shulgin "This book not only reveals how psychoactives can be synthesized, but also how they can be extracted from so many ordinary plants that the means for psychedelic exploration can never be controlled again. The genie is out of the bottle and all the king's horses and all the king's men cannot put it back again." Nicholas Saunders 804 pages, 6" x 9", $24.50 |
 Tripping : An Anthology of True-Life Psychedelic Adventures edited by Charles Hayes Tripping, the book, is a collection of brief but compact, and often intense explorations of the meaning of Being. Here is the classic mid-journey text that has outgrown the initial amazement of psychedelic enlargement but still retains the open endedness that much remains to be learned. |
Tripping, the experience, is presented without gloss as
the unpredictable state of consciousness that may be kissed by the angels,
interrogated by the demons, or simply incredibly weird. Some experimenters
record life changing moments of psychic integration and movement to a
higher plane, as a lifelong clarification, others describe the possibility
of sinking into the *schlomuss*, or state of spiritual desperation. A
worthy and honest book such as this one should make us concerned to know
which circumstances are most likely to promote change of great value,
and which may lead in another direction. The author himself, to his great
credit, begins the narrratives with a questioning note much like this.
"Whether you have tripped or not, this is a must read. For those who have, it will make you almost nostalgic, and almost incredulous that you ever altered your conciousness to this extent. For those who never ingested hallucinogenics, this is a window into the extraordinary world tripping can offer, under the right circumstances. The narratives are sometimes funny, sometimes scary, and sometimes really sad. The excellent research into the pharmacology, and the cultural, and historical roles hallucinogenics have played throughout civilisation, make this book more than just a trip down memory lane for the average acid head. It is surprising that more authors have not tackled this fascinating topic." a reader 486 pages, paperback, $18.00 less 20% |
 Trips : How Hallucinogens Work in Your Brain by Cheryl Pellerin, Ellen Seefelt (Illustrator), Robert Crumb (Illustrator) |
In an informed and irreverent exploration of what hasn't been told about the brain's mysterious ability to hallucinate, an award-winning, independent science writer details what neuroscientists, psychopharmacologists, medicinal chemists, and psychiatrists have learned about LSD and its effects on the brain in the 54 years since its discovery. 132 illustrations, 32 in color. From Booklist: 'If that subtitle triggers the response "Really well!," presumably the book's acquisition is a foregone conclusion. Although not suitable for a results-oriented collection, as would be, say, a DARE-funded project, it is a fine source of responsible information about how the verboten and vilified but perennially popular hallucinogenic drugs go about their nefarious business. Pellerin leavens scientific terminology with illustrations that include lots of the work of underground comic book artists, most notably that of comix superstar R. Crumb. More of the book is devoted to the history of hallucinogen use and control than to chemistry and biology, but the emphasis is on full and open discussion of recreational use. That Pellerin does not damn that practice outright may be an acquisitions disincentive for many libraries, which would be a shame, for her book is fresh, reasonable, and very engaging.' Paperback - 224 pages, $23.95 |
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True
Hallucinations by Terence McKenna This mesmerizing account of the bizarre adventures of Terence McKenna, his brother Dennis, and a small band of their friends, is a wild ride of exotic experience and scientific inquiry. Exploring the Amazon Basin in search of mythical shamanic hallucinogens, they encounter a host of unusual characters; and discover the missing link in the development of human consciousness and language. 256 pages, 5 1/2" x 9", $16.00 |
 Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out by Timothy Leary |
Touching on topics ranging from religion,
education, and politics to Aldous Huxley, neurology, and psychedelic drugs,
the poem and ten vintage essays collected here articulate Timothy Leary's
freewheeling, freedom-loving philosophy of life.
A reader: 'Timothy Leary was a unique American to say the least. As a longtime fan of Sixties psychedelic rock and Beat literature, It stood to reason that I would find my way to Timothy Leary. This book is an amusing collection of lectures and tales from the High Priest of LSD. I found Leary to be a very humorous writer but he does take liberties with the facts. He misquotes the the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha, for example. This book has to be read with a grain of salt. I think Leary intended it this way. It would be terribly insulting to ones intelligence if he didnt. His intelligence and humor do shine through however. I would state that this book should probably be only read for entertainment by those of us who have a bias towards certain experiences that Leary espouses in his book. A real good read but definitely not for everyone.' Paperback - 160 pages, $14.95 |
 Vine of the Soul Medicine Men, Their Plants and Rituals in the Colombian Amazonia by Richard Evans Schultes,Director of the Botanical Museum (Emeritus), Harvard University and Robert Raffauf Professor of Pharmacognosy & Medicinal Chemistry (Emeritus), Northeastern University. |
Drs. Schultes and Raffrauf collaborate to produce an exceptional
photographic essay accompanied by detailed descriptions of the Amazon
Indians' use of medicinal and other sacred plant substances. Included
are over 160 of the most significant photographs ever taken on this subject,
and an extraordinary amount of information on the ethnobotany and phytochemistry
of the plants used by people from this region. "Quite simply a masterpiece ... Vine of the Soul deserves to be read by everyone interested in rainforests, indigenous peoples, shamanism, hallucinogens, ethnomedicine, and conservation." Mark Plotkin, Conservation International This latest collaboration brings together an extraordinary amount of information on the ethnobotany and phytochemistry of the plants used by the people of this region, and presents it in a way that is fascinating and inspiring to read." Michael J. Balick, NY Botanical Garden "We have here a wonderful integration of ethnobotany, chemistry and photography to produce a book that will long be an important historic record of one of the threatened cultures of the world. I hope that readers learning about ayahuasca, the vine of the soul, and other psychoactive drugs discussed here will have their concern heightened for the future fate of the Amazon Indians and their societies." Sir Ghillean T. Prance, Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, from the Foreword 288 pages, paperback, $22.95 |
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White
Rabbit by John Miller and Randall Koral Drugs can inspire great art and greater experience, or they can unleash the monster lurking within. This mind-expanding volume examines the literature on drugs and drug users in a comprehensive anthology that allows adventurous readers to experience the full range of both medicinal and recreational pharmacopoeia, from opium to ecstasy, as captured by some of the world's most imaginative writers. Unique and provocative, it makes for an addictive read. 282 pages 6" x 9" $13.95 |
 The World Is As You Dream It Shamanic Teachings From The Amazon And Andes by John Perkins In his third book on native spirituality and ecology, John Perkins takes fellow travelers deep into the jungles of Ecuador, to the home of the Shuar and their healing shamans, or curanderos. |
Hoping to help the Shuar, who face Western encroachment
and the destruction of native forests, Perkins comes to realize that it
is the mind and soul of the Western, "developed" cultures that
are most in need of help and healing. Our distorted vision of the human
being at the top of nature's pyramid contrasts vividly with the native
dream of an intricate, intimate relationship among all participants in
the web of life. Through their music, myth, herbal medicine, and the sacred
ceremony of the hallucinogenic plant ayahuasca, the Shuar invite us into
a dream that they have made reality-one that is nourishing and life-sustaining
and in which the great privilege of being human is in embracing our role
as caretakers of Mother Earth. Nationally acclaimed environmentalist, teacher, and activist, John Perkins has traveled widely in pursuit of native wisdom, writing and lecturing on the importance of indigenous cultures to the survival of the planet. He is a founding member of the Dreamchange Coalition of Shamans and Environmentalists, a non-profit organization devoted to protecting rain forests worldwide and to preserving indigenous cultures. John Perkins is also the author of Shapeshifting, The Stress-Free Habit and Psychonavigation as well as the audiocassette Dream Change. "A masterly and understanding exploration of shamanic inner thinking." Prof. Richard Evans Schultes, Harvard Univerity. 139 pages, 6" x 9", $10.95, Less 20% |
 Writing on Drugs by Sadie Plant Library Journal: 'While it discusses various writers associated with drugs, from Thomas De Quincey and Charles Baudelaire to William S. Burroughs and Henri Michaux, it quickly veers off into broader matters. More of a cultural history, the book examines the role of drugs in society from a variety of disciplines, including history, political science, psychology, philosophy, medicine, and economics. |
The topics covered range from Sigmund Freud on cocaine to Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari on capitalism and schizophrenia, from the CIA's involvement in drug trafficking to the neurochemistry of psychoactive substances, and from the connectionsbetween drugs and witchcraft to an examination of the marketing of Coca-Cola. Plant has a gift for synthesis and manages to weave the diverse threads of her study into a coherent and generally readable book. Recommended for academic libraries.' Publishers Weekly: 'Plant's fast-paced primer demonstrates how narcotics, stimulants, and hallucinogens have inspired and influenced writers through the ages. Beginning with opium's influence on De Quincey, Coleridge and Poe, and moving on to cannabis and hashish (Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Flaubert), cocaine (Stevenson, Freud, Doyle) and speed and LSD (Kerouac, Burroughs, Leary), she misses nary a literary toke, snort, or shot. Along the way, Plant (Zeros + Ones), a British cultural studies scholar, presents a great deal of hard, cold fact. She reveals, for example, when and where methamphetamine was synthesized (Japan, 1919); when it was banned in the U.S. (the 1950s); and what its current medicinal uses are (treating attention deficit disorder). Her painstaking research also reveals, for instance, that the word 'assassin' was derived from an 11th-century movement (Ism ilism) whose adherents were so fond of hashish that they were called hashishiyya. Such tidbits accrue into fascinating social histories and provide colorful background material, though they can also distract from the key point, namely that drugs are central to modern culture. The final sections, on the 1960s, are the book's best. Here we find writers, poets and philosophers reflecting on what Herbert Marcuse called a 'revolution in perception,' a necessary and complementary aspect of the 'social liberation' then being experienced in the body politic. Plant ends her journey with a thoughtfully postmodern turn, suggesting that to write under the influence of drugs 'is to plunge into a world where nothing is as simple or as stable as it seems.' Hardcover - 272 pages, $24.00 |
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