sandygoldstein's review
4.0
I love Michael pollan and this book is no exception, very interesting overview of the history of psychedelics as well as his own personal experiences.
orangebug's review against another edition
2.0
This read like a boring textbook to me about psychedelic mushrooms and midlife crisis.... not my cup of tea.
sday157's review
5.0
This was an amazing and eye opening book! Took me down a path I didn’t even know existed! I listened on audible and the author narrated and his voice is LOVELY… A combination of Casey Kasem and David Duchovny.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
galliexyc's review
4.0
FASCINATING! As always with Michael Pollan, I find his writing style a little rambly (though meticulously researched!). I also thought the various sections of this book were moderately imbalanced - the revelations of using psychedelics to treat depression and their mimicry of childhood mindsets came a bit late and were underexplored in relation to other topics covered. I also noted that this account is particularly one-sided... I'm sure the history of psychedelics is not as hunky-dory and promising as Pollan addresses here. In my mind, credible, high-quality non-fiction addresses all sides of a subject, the good and the bad.
gallag's review
3.0
Very interesting book about the history and current state of psychedelic research and how it works. There were some parts that dragged a bit and felt repetitive.