Writing on Drugs

by Sadie Plant

Book Overview

Through a series of close, fascinating examinations of writing on drugs via, among others, Coleridge on opium, Freud on cocaine, Michaux on mescaline, and Burroughs on all of them, "Writing on Drugs"... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374293341
• ISBN13: 9780374293345
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

this one

i read a lot of books, and hate most of them. this one was actually really good. multi-faceted, doesnt try too hard, just uncovered some rich material between the overlaps of the things. very well done.

Rich in Ideas & Information, but Poor in Structure

Disjointed, disconnected, and shrouded in mystery all seem to be themes which surround drugs, whether one is speaking of their history, their effects, or their economics and regulation. Sadie Plant attempts to connect and demystify many of the areas of this subject in her book Writing on Drugs. Throughout the book, Plant tries to tie the various areas that fall under the subject of psychoactive drugs together with an underlying theme of the effect which psychoactive drug use has on authoring literature, but she fails to consistently connect this theme to all of the areas which she covers. The result is that the quality of the book is greatly diminished, and starkly contrasts with her very apparent writing, researching, and connective abilities. The book does provide useful insight into its subject, and should be enjoyable to readers interested in psychoactive drugs, modern sociocultural history, or literary creativity. Through its various historical perspectives, it has provided me with a better understanding of psychoactive drugs and their wide-ranging effects, and in spite of the confusion which sometimes results from its inconsistent theme, I recommend this book to those readers with a little time and a desire for an information-packed introduction to psychoactive drugs.

Love the author's name

a moving , eloquently written story about the plants that shape humankind. This work reads like a journalistic overview of the subject as opposed to a penetrating scientific discourse, which is refreshing.It's more of a readable, easily digestible (pardon the pun) work for a general audience. Other works on the topic are more detailed but few are as accessible and enjoyable.Well done.