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CHOCOLATE TO MORPHINE

Name: CHOCOLATE TO MORPHINE
Author: Andrew Weil
ISBN: 0395331900

UNDERSTANDING MIND-ACTIVE DRUGS

by Andrew Weil & Winifred Rosen ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1983

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This guide to all categories of mind-active drugs is headed for controversy—for it presents detailed information on the premise that many of these drugs can be used safely and responsibly. Well, a physician-pharmacologist and exponent of higher-consciousness (The Natural Mind, The Marriage of the Sun and Moon), and co-author Rosen do not make this argument lightly: they want us to recognize that teaching correct use is the best way to prevent abuse. So, for stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, marijuana, solvents and inhalants, deliriants, PCP, medical drugs, and herbal remedies, they seek to present everything known about recreational use—and to dispel the prevailing scare myths (e.g., LSD has never been conclusively shown to cause chromosomal damage or psychosis). The information includes the source of the drug (plants, synthetic); its original or legal use, if any; and all its known effects (short-and long-term). What will most provoke reader-reaction, however, are the detailed descriptions of how the drugs are prepared and used ("psychedelic mushrooms may taste better and are less likely to cause discomfort if they are dried or lightly cooked before being eaten")—along with the "Suggestions and Precautions for Use" of each of the drug categories. For those determined to use such substances, the guidelines are generally worthwhile, though some pointers ("know your sources" of street drugs) are unrealistic and useless. Well and Rosen remind us, with cause, that virtually everyone uses some mind-active drug (coffee is a potent, potentially harmful addiction for many), and that all efforts to combat so-called drug abuses have been unsuccessful. Their argument for a new approach—responsible recreational drug use with non-judgmental help for the needy—is well presented. The premise, however, is still extremely difficult to accept.

Pub Date: March 1, 1983

ISBN: 0395331900

Page Count: 228

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1983

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
SPONTANEOUS HAPPINESS
by Andrew Weil

- BOOK REVIEW
EATING WELL FOR OPTIMUM HEALTH
by Andrew Weil

- BOOK REVIEW
NATURAL HEALTH, NATURAL MEDICINE
by Andrew Weil

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.