This is the story of LSD told by a concerned yet hopeful father, organic chemist Albert Hofmann. He traces LSD's path from a promising psychiatric research medicine to a recreational drug sparking hysteria and prohibition. We follow Dr. Hofmann's trek across Mexico to discover sacred plants related to LSD, and listen in as he corresponds with other notable figures about his remarkable discovery. Underlying it all is Dr. Hofmann's powerful conclusion that mystical experience may be our planet's best hope for survival. Whether induced by LSD, meditation, or arising spontaneously, such experiences help us to comprehend;the wonder, the mystery of the divine in the microcosm of the atom, in the macrocosm of the spiral nebula, in the seeds of plants, in the body and soul of people. More than sixty years after the birth of Albert Hofmann's problem child, his vision of its true potential is more relevant, and more needed, than ever.
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
The discovery of the psychedelic properties of LSD was a milestone in the history of consciousness. Albert Hofmann's personal story of that discovery and its consequences is one of my favorite books. --- Andrew Weil, M.D., author of From Chocolate to Morphine, The Natural Mind, and Eight Weeks to Optimum Health.
Aldous wrote about LSD that 'it is a gratuitous grace neither necessary nor sufficient for salvation.' However, it provides the opportunity to discover and make creative use of the infinite possibilities of the human mind. Probably The Doors of Perception might not have been written were it not for Albert's 'Problem Child.' Thank you, Albert. --Laura Huxley, widow of Aldous Huxley and author of This Timeless Moment.
The current revival of the psychedelic aesthetic in art, design, fashion, music and film is testament to the revolutionary power of LSD. Its complex nature and true impact, however, remains unrecognized and this book provides both a personal history as well as rigorous analysis of this enduring phenomenon --Christoph Grunenberg, Director of Tate Liverpool and curator and editor of Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era.
Aldous wrote about LSD that 'it is a gratuitous grace neither necessary nor sufficient for salvation.' However, it provides the opportunity to discover and make creative use of the infinite possibilities of the human mind. Probably The Doors of Perception might not have been written were it not for Albert's 'Problem Child.' Thank you, Albert. --Laura Huxley, widow of Aldous Huxley and author of This Timeless Moment.
The current revival of the psychedelic aesthetic in art, design, fashion, music and film is testament to the revolutionary power of LSD. Its complex nature and true impact, however, remains unrecognized and this book provides both a personal history as well as rigorous analysis of this enduring phenomenon --Christoph Grunenberg, Director of Tate Liverpool and curator and editor of Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era.
About the Author
Albert Hofmann was born in Baden, Switzerland in 1906. He graduated from the University of Zürich with a degree in chemistry in 1929 and went to work for Sandoz Pharmaceutical in Basel, Switzerland. With the laboratory goal of working towards isolation of the active principles of known medicinal plants, Hofmann worked with Mediterranean squill (Scilla maritima) for several years, before moving on to the study of Claviceps purpurea (ergot) and ergot alkaloids. Over the next few years, he worked his way through the lysergic acid derivatives, eventually synthesizing LSD-25 for the first time in 1938. After minimal testing, LSD-25 was set aside as he continued with other derivatives. Four years later, on April 16, 1943, he re-synthesized LSD-25 because he felt he might have missed something the first time around. That day, he became the first human to experience the effects of LSD after accidentally ingesting a minute amount. Three days later, on April 19, 1943, he decided to verify his results by intentionally ingesting 250 ug of LSD. This day has become known as Bicycle Day; as Hofmann experienced an incredible bicycle ride on his way home from the lab. In addition to his discovery of LSD, he was also the first to synthesize psilocybin (the active constituent of 'magic mushrooms') in 1958. Albert Hofmann, known as the 'father of LSD', continued to work at Sandoz until 1971 when he retired as Director of Research for the Department of Natural Products. He continued to write, lecture, and play a leading role as an elder in the psychedelic community until his quick and relatively painless death from a heart attack at the age of 102. --Bio courtesy of erowid.org
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: LSD My Problem Child: Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism and Science (Paperback)
This book gives tremendous insight into Albert Hoffmann's life and research. Hoffmann is the scientist who, in 1938, first isolated the compound LSD-25 from ergot. At the time, Hoffmann had no idea that this compound had what we've come to know as psychedelic properties. He certainly didn't foresee the psychedelic craze of the 1960s.
Hoffmann, who died in 2008 at the age of 102, tells us how his research began, how it progessed, and what, ultimately, went wrong. Some of the early researchers (including Hoffmann) took the LSD and detailed their "trips" in journals. Excerpts of these are shared with us, which make for fascinating reading. Hoffmann talks a lot about the psychiatric research associated with LSD, though he doesn't get into the other research, such as the amazing work done with alcoholics and heroin addicts. He mentions in passing the CIA's experiments on unknowing victims. I would have liked a bit more information on these issues to be included, since these were such important parts of LSD's history. However, Hoffmann didn't stray far from his own personal research and experiences.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Profound and Enlightening,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: LSD My Problem Child: Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism and Science (Paperback)
This book appealed to me from a chemistry, spirituality, and anthropological perspective. Hofmann was a brilliant man, and it is a tragic effect that contemporary society has developed an inherent response to view LSD with such disdain. Read this book before making up your mind and passing judgement, as I'm sure it will provide some points to ponder.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good book, very readable and informative,
By Reluctant Badger (USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: LSD My Problem Child: Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism and Science (Paperback)
This book made me respect Hoffman even more, because he includes a key bit of material on DMT use by South American Indians. I am a strong proponent of psychedelics (or entheogens) being usable therapeutically. But like any pharmaceutical, there can be problems, and not everyone responds biochemically in the same way. We are all mutants.
So this note about the one tribe that became hyper-violent is something I am glad he included. Hoffman was a good scientist, and like any such, he didn't shy from problems. Overall, this is a classic, well worth having on the shelf.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
So You'd Like to...
|
|
