Encyclopedia Of Psychoactive Substances

Description

This encyclopaedia encompasses the entire range of naturally-occurring psychoactive substances, and also a great number of man-made synthetic drugs and compounds. Its coverage extends from the use of intoxicating plants by Neanderthal man to the role of hallucinogens and narcotics in contemporary youth culture. Basic data is provided on the botany and chemistry of intoxicants, and the author examines their influence at all levels of our culture and society. He also tackles controversial issues such as legalization, and details the legal classification of illicit substances alongside additional relevant information on detection, prevention, punishment, and other criminological subjects.

Richard Rudgley has already established himself as an authority in the field of psychoactive substances with his award-winning and critically acclaimed book THE ALCHEMY OF CULTURE: INTOXICANTS IN SOCIETY. He is currently writing a book on shamanism and is a research anthropologist at the university of Oxford.

'Fascinating' LOADED '... tobacco, ground beetles, glue, coffee, Prozac and so on ... Rudgley concentrates with startling results, on the history of the use of such substances' GUARDIAN 'a enjoyable anthology of drugs, from opium and LSD to giraffe livers.' MARIE CLAIRE 'Fascinating' NEW SCIENTIST 'Engrossing and scholarly ... full of arcane and fascinating material' Hanif Kureishi, MAIL ON SUNDAY