From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know about Mind-Altering Drugs

I bought this book for information on the subject upon which i like to study, hallucinogens, specifically tryptamine hallucinogens. Andrew Weil in this book does cover almost every drug, either legal or illegal, and in an unbiased fashion, noting the Pro's and Con's of each drug, namely dependence, affects, pharmacological uses etc.. On each drug, he explains the legality of them, thorougly, and where they fit in to society, which is important that i feel many other authors of the same subject have absent from their works, specifically speaking. One phrase Weil says which i think has immense credibility, is "There is no such thing as a bad drug, just bad relationships with drugs" and this book is riddled with phrases keyed to that effect. It is important to realize that people make decisions based on the basis of the information available to them, and we are in a sitiuation of propaganda, ill information for the reasons clandestine. This book very well puts all cards on the deck, and voices its opinion with no preconceived consequences for the information put forth. This book is up with Food of the Gods - Terence Mckenna and other books which have penetrated the thick barrior of governmental consequences. Highly recommended for those just getting interested in subjects which pertain to altered states of consciousness, student and teacher alike!

As a medical student who plans on working with high-risk adolescents, I felt that I needed to know something about recreational drugs that wasn't being taught to me in school. So I got this book. While written for lay-people to understand, this well-written and extensively researched piece of work lays out the plain facts about recreational drugs. I like the fact that Weil and Rosen remind us that drugs are not just illegal, but that alcohol, nicotine, chocolate, and caffeine are also recreational drugs.My only warning is that the book is getting a few years old and recent research (especially on newer drugs like MDMA) is not included in this volume. I strongly caution readers to check more recent literature if they are interested in a specific substance.

This is a book that will probably be damned by the ONDCP, Dare, the Partnership for a Brainfree America and many other anti-drug groups. They will claim that it sends the wrong message and that it might encourage drug use. While it is possible that it will encourage drug use in some persons, it is a vastly informative book about various drugs. It attempts to tell--gasp--dare I say it--the truth. Dr.Weil operates under the assumption that kids and adults need to know the truth. He does not advocate or recommend drugs. He merely tries to follow Joe Fridays advice. Just the facts! Of course, the facts and truth have always run contrary to the War on Some Drugs so this book will come under scrutiny. That is a shame. Parents would do well to read this book to learn about the different kinds of drugs and the effects that they may yield. College students and other adults and teenagers should read it so they can make educated decisions about what they do or do not put into their bodies. I have used this book as a reference book for quite a few years. It has helped me make educated decisions. It also contains a lot of historical information about the use of different drugs in different cultures around the world. Dare to think for yourself: Read this book and learn.

The drug czar would claim this book "sends the wrong message" to kids. Sorry, czar. I disagree. Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance can kill you. This book gives the facts, not "messages."The central premise of the book is, "There are no good or bad drugs, only good and bad relationships with drugs." It then goes on to explain the dangers inherent in each drug and how to use the drug responsibly to avoid the dangers and have a good relationship with that drug, if possible. We already provide that sort of information for alcohol when we say "don't drink and drive" and "don't drink alone," for instance. This book expands that to give guidelines for all the common "recreational" drugs. For some drugs (e.g., tobacco) it's virtually impossible to have a good relationship with them because they are so addicting. That is all spelled out, and because the book gives clear explanations of WHY certain drugs are dangerous (i.e. why it's very difficult to have a good relationship with them), it becomes, I think, far easier to rationally choose not to use those drugs. "Just say no" goes only so far. At some point some kids WILL say "yes." What then? This book will give a kid who does experiment much better odds of not doing something really stupid....and possibly, by satisfying a lot of a kid's curiosity about drugs, keep him from experimenting at all.

This book covers almost all the information you could want toknow about mind-altering substances. It includes a history of drugsand drug use. It has user reports, lists side effects, has precautions for would-be users, and offers advice as to the safety of various drugs. There is a section all about WHY people use drugs, as well as suggestions for a sane domestic policy regarding drug use. Dr. Andrew Weil is probably the most respected proponent of homeopathic medicine in the USA. His insights are detailed and while he has a certain political bias in regards to drugs, his advice comes from his extensive experience as a Medical Doctor. I'd give this one an extra star if it were an option. If you're seeking useful info about drugs that is not clouded by anti-drug propoganda or pro-drug mania, then this is the book you need.