Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan

15 reviews

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

   I enjoyed the book, but it was WAY too long! I feel like he over-explained things. It was informative and interesting for certain parts, but others were just needless.

Narrator Rating: 3.5 stars

The author did a decent job of reading the book, nothing spectacular but not terrible either. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Colonisation

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

yogabbagabba04's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!!! I think this is the fastest I’ve read a nonfiction book. Wholly recommend if you’re interested in the brain, drugs, consciousness, and your own neurosis 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Cancer

Minor: Suicide

erinwolf1997's review

challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism

hoppskotch's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, and Grief

le_mur's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Drug use, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Medical content

Moderate: Death and Medical trauma

antoniathearcane's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Drug use

manatad's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

I decided to read this on a whim, intrigued by how different the subject matter is from Michael Pollan's other books, and I was not disappointed. 

I don't read a lot of nonfiction, so I appreciate Pollan's ability to write about complicated subjects in a manner that is accessible and personable. There were a few moments, mainly during the history section of the book, where I didn't feel as highly engaged, but the rest of the book was captivating. It left me feeling deeply thoughtful, curious, and hopeful. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

hannah_grace's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

sarahbythebook's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

I've started this book twice before, but I finally decided to give the audiobook a try, and I'm so glad that I did! As someone both personally interested in altering my reality from time to time and curious about the promise of new medicines and sciences, the research being done on psychedelics is exciting and enticing. As I understand it, Johns Hopkins is currently in stage three testing of psilocybin, and that gives me hope that someday soon, those with treatment-resistant depression or OCD or terminal illness or even people like me who just want to experience a different reality in the hopes of living a better life might get the chance to do so. 

Michael Pollan's blend of science journalism and memoir is captivating and informative. The fraught history of research on LSD and similar substances is both ancient and brand new, thanks in no small part to the Nixon administration. However, it's encouraging to hear the research that's been unearthed and continued, at least up to 2018. 

There are a few things I wish Pollan had given more page space to:
First the use of psychedelics by indigenous peoples in the Americas pre-Europeans as well as how they're used in cultures on other continents. I'm especially curious about the use of these types of plants in Africa, since it was only mentioned in passing once in this book. 
Second, MKUltra. As someone unsurprised by the government lying to its civilians and using them as test subjects, I'd at least like to be able to read about it, especially in the context of other research that paralleled the CIA's. 

This book also raised an interesting question, at least to me. How would a guided trip--eye masks and all-- work for someone with a sense-based neurodivergence? How would someone who already experiences synesthesia react? What about someone like me with aphantasia who cannot create mental images? What are the scientifically observable differences in a psychedelic experience in a neurotypical person versus those of us that don't quite follow the mold?

The only real issue I have with this book is the constant use of feminine pronouns when referring to a fictional person. It felt like a weird choice--maybe it's just in the audiobook. Overall, I'm glad I finally read How to Change your Mind, and I hope it's done some good in changing the minds of those who control drug policy. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

adeliab's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful informative slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Colonisation

Minor: Suicide