Magic Mushrooms

As a contributor to this book, I highly recommend it for all students who are interested and/or involved in the study of ethnomycology, both in the field of mycology and for those students interested in the magic Mushrooms. The histories of the sacred mushrooms and their subsequent rediscovery in 1953 by R. Gordon Wasson has now spread throughout the known world from Oaxaca, Mexico to as far north as Alsaka and from China across Europe to the USA and to Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America in the south. Their chemistry, pharmacology, academia and recreational use is discussed in fascinating detail covering their entire history dating back almost 9000 years and describes in detail, some of the more than 190 known species which contain psilocybine.Also under discussion are the Amanita muscaria and A. pantherina (Soma) mushrooms and the Boletus and Rusulla mushrooms used by aborigine groups in New Guinea.A superb effort on the part of Peter Stafford to bring this updated revived chapter from his Psychedelic Encyclopedia to the attention of the general public at an affordable price to all.With dozens of illustrations and numerous new photographs and a cover by me.John W. Allen