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Reviews by Erowid
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The Psychopharmacology of Herbal Medicine
by Marcello Spinella
Publisher:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
Year:
2001 
Reviewed by Erowid
10/9/2001

We were really happy to discover this book in a mainstream bookstore, having not heard of it before. Its a great collection of information and references on a wide variety of psychoactive plants. The title “of Herbal Medicine” is slightly misleading as the entire book is about psychoactive herbs and plants. When I first picked it up, I assumed it ... [ read more ]

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Controlled Substances
by Alexander Shulgin
Publisher:
Ronin Publishing 
Year:
1988, 1992 
Reviewed by Erowid
8/12/2001

An amazing alphabetical glossary to the legal status of every controlled substance. A great reference for anyone interested in the ins and outs of U.S. drug laws. [ read more ]

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This Timeless Moment
by Laura Huxley
Publisher:
Celestial Arts 
Year:
1968, 2000 
Reviewed by Erowid
8/12/2001

If you’re interested in Aldous Huxley, this is a must read. Photos, personal letters and much insight into Aldous and his relationship with both his wife Laura, and the world. [ read more ]

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Secret Chief
by Myron J. Stolaroff
Publisher:
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies 
Year:
1997 
Reviewed by Erowid
3/5/2001

The Secret Chief is an edited interview between Myron Stolaroff and a man referred to as “Jacob” – the ‘Secret Chief’ – who performed psychedelic psycho-spiritual therapy with 3,000 people between the 60’s and his death in the late 80’s.

The book offers a frank discussion between two experienced psychedelicists about the processes Jacob developed over his many years leading people ... [ read more ]

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Ecstasy: Its History and Lore
by Miriam Joseph
Publisher:
Carlton Books 
Year:
2000 
Reviewed by Erowid
2/27/2001

The text of the book varies from very good to spotty. [...] The target audience of the book is the mainstream audience of folks who are looking for a short overview of information on ecstasy. For that, the tone is level headed and the information clearly stated. [ read more ]

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Buzzed
by Cynthia Kuhn; Scott Swartzwelder; Wilkie Wilson
Publisher:
W.W. Norton & Co. 
Year:
1998 
Reviewed by Erowid
3/27/2000

When we received a copy of the first edition of this book, we were disappointed by the large number of errors found in the section on Hallucinogens. We were told that the second edition corrected the errors that we had pointed out. Unfortunately, after reviewing the second edition we have found that this section is still rife with errors and ... [ read more ]

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Marijuana: Its Effects on Mind and Body
by Malcolm H. Lader
Publisher:
Burke Publishing Co. 
Year:
1985 
Reviewed by Erowid
3/27/2000

The ‘Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Drugs’ series does a reasonable job of attempting to be non-judgemental about the recreational use of psychoactive substances. This volume, ‘Marijuana: Its Effects on Mind and Body’ takes an in-depth look at the use, abuse, pharmacology, and social impact of marijuana use. It leans considerably more towards a prohibitionist attitude than legalization, but presents a comprehensive ... [ read more ]

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Zuni Fetishes
by Hal Zina Bennett
Publisher:
Harper San Francisco 
Year:
1993 
Reviewed by Erowid
2/6/2000

Zuni Fetishes is a very interesting look into the world of power objects. It’s a cross between a cultural study, a personal story, and practical guide, and despite myself, I found that I was drawn to the concept of fetish use as soon as I started flipping pages. It’s cleanly written and an easy read. Definitely recommended for those interested ... [ read more ]

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The Little Book of Ketamine
by Kit Kelly
Publisher:
Ronin Publishing Inc 
Year:
1999 
Reviewed by Erowid
2/6/2000

The Little Book of Ketamine is a quick read that covers pretty much all the basics about the recreational use of ketamine. While it doesn’t go into a lot of detail about the current status of research or the pharmacology of ketamine, it does include safety and usage information, descriptions of some of the better known characters in the history ... [ read more ]

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The Shaman
by Piers Vitebsky
Publisher:
Little, Brown, and Co 
Year:
1995 
Reviewed by Erowid
9/13/1999

This is a good basic book on shamanism. It doesn’t have a lot of in-depth discussion, but does a fine job of covering the basics of shamanism, from traditions in various parts of the world and their common elements to the theories, purposes and fuctions of shamanism. One of its best features is a nice collection of color photos. This ... [ read more ]