To a generation in full revolt against any form of authority, "Tune in, turn on, drop out" became a mantra, and its popularizer, Dr. Timothy Leary, a guru. A charismatic and brilliant psychologist, Leary became first intrigued and then obsessed by the effects of psychedelic drugs in the 1960s while teaching at Harvard, where he not only encouraged but instituted their experimental use among students and faculty. What began as research into human consciousness turned into a mission to alter consciousness itself. Leary transformed himself from serious social scientist into counterculture shaman, embodying the idealism and the hedonism of an age of revolutionary change.Timothy Leary is the first major biography of one of the most controversial figures in postwar America.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Greenfield, award-winning biographer of Jerry Garcia and Bill Graham, paints another '60s portrait in this scathing account of counterculture hero and LSD guru Timothy Leary (1920–1996). Largely based on interviews with Leary's friends and acquaintances, this book offers a highly detailed and decidedly ugly portrayal of a pathologically selfish, narcissistic yet complex man who lacked basic qualities such as empathy and compassion. Worse, Leary, the cynosure of the psychedelic movement, who preached the power of LSD and other drugs to expand human consciousness and foster change, fails to exhibit the capacity for inner growth. Greenfield's gaze alights as much on the quotidian (who cooked what for dinner when) as on the sensational (drugs, sex, Black Panthers, parades of famous figures like Allen Ginsberg and Abbie Hoffman). Despite the visceral dislike for Leary that readers are likely to develop, many will be intrigued by the unlikely course of his life, which took him from a prestigious position as a Harvard lecturer to the California penal system, and later to work as a government informer in an Algerian compound with Eldridge Cleaver . Leary ends up a dissipated, broken man, who remains self-promoting enough to suggest, in 1996, that he would kill himself while logged on to yet another new phenomenon, the Internet. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* After launching his pioneering and brazen inquiry into the effects of psychedelic drugs at Harvard, Leary (1920-96) became the reigning psychedelic guru, declaring, "You must turn on, tune in, and drop out." In the first comprehensive biography of this notorious and puzzling figure, Greenfield trenchantly analyzes Leary's pseudospirituality, egoism, thrill seeking, strange brew of naivete and wiliness, and mind-boggling ability to ingest astronomical amounts of LSD, all the while meticulously and incredulously chronicling Leary's epic misadventures, including masterminding communal chaos at an estate in Millbrook, New York; a daring prison break; and exile in Algiers under the baleful eye of Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver. Charismatic and cunning, lacking in compassion and common sense, Leary--the emperor of acid, the jet-setting court jester of the counterculture, and an Elmer Gantry-like evangelist in the church of self-indulgence--lived at least nine lives. Greenfield masterfully shapes an unwieldy amount of astounding, often troubling material so that both the absurdity and tragedy of Leary's life come clear. A veritable who's who of the age of Aquarius and a real page-turner, Greenfield's cornerstone portrait of the acidhead who would be king brilliantly illuminates the paradoxes of the psychedelic age. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Robert Greenfield has created an Epic Novel [masquerading as non-fiction] in his newly-released biography "Timothy Leary" [2006, Harcourt, $28.00].
I will state up front that I am long an admirer of Dr Timothy Leary who, along with The Beatles and Bob Dylan, was one of the most famous/infamous figures of the turbulent 1960's with his call to "change your mind" "Question Authority" and "Turn On Tune In Drop Out."
That said, I purchased a copy of Greenfield's book out of curiosity and with an awareness that the author's tone was less than sympathectic to his subject [advance praise for the book made that clear back in May 06].
Now, 689 pages later, I am compelled to write this review as a caution to others who may not fully know the Leary story from LEARY'S point of view.
Mr Greenfield makes a point of describing Timothy Leary [over and over] as self-centered, self-serving, a liar, a bad parent...there is nothing in Leary's 75 years of life that Mr Greenfield describes without derisive asides and "notes."
Worse, there is a FICTIONIALIZED DRAMATIC NARRATIVE that has been used to serve as a book-end to this dreary bio [Leary, in bed as a child, awaiting his father's arrival home for the inevitalbe beating his father would administer to Leary, in bed as a dying man, awaiting his 'punishment' from...?]
Most hard to take is the inference that Leary's masterpiece "Flashbacks" [1983 autobiography] was loaded with inaccuracies and lies. One such "lie" refers to Leary claiming to have slept with actress Marilyn Monroe.
I have copies of every edition of "Flashbacks" and none makes such a claim.
Also galling is the assertion that actor Cary Grant was "more candid than Leary ever was" in accounts of his [Grant's] LSD experiences back in 1958. What was Leary doing from 1963 [dismissal from Harvard] to 1970 [imprisonment]if not advocating the benefits of further drug research? The call for government to responsibly research and license psychedelic drugs was Leary's mantra for those 7 or so heady years.
This book is ambitious but falls short of hitting the mark, assuming said mark was to cover the story of leary's life thoroughly, accurately.
Greenfield has filled these 689 pages with much of what Leary had already written in numerous volumes during his lifetime-and, ultimately, this book calls to mind another biographer, Albert Goldman, who also took a jaundiced view point of his deceased] subjects.
To sum up: Save your money and buy a copy of "Flashbacks."
Bill Picha
Salem Oregon
I will state up front that I am long an admirer of Dr Timothy Leary who, along with The Beatles and Bob Dylan, was one of the most famous/infamous figures of the turbulent 1960's with his call to "change your mind" "Question Authority" and "Turn On Tune In Drop Out."
That said, I purchased a copy of Greenfield's book out of curiosity and with an awareness that the author's tone was less than sympathectic to his subject [advance praise for the book made that clear back in May 06].
Now, 689 pages later, I am compelled to write this review as a caution to others who may not fully know the Leary story from LEARY'S point of view.
Mr Greenfield makes a point of describing Timothy Leary [over and over] as self-centered, self-serving, a liar, a bad parent...there is nothing in Leary's 75 years of life that Mr Greenfield describes without derisive asides and "notes."
Worse, there is a FICTIONIALIZED DRAMATIC NARRATIVE that has been used to serve as a book-end to this dreary bio [Leary, in bed as a child, awaiting his father's arrival home for the inevitalbe beating his father would administer to Leary, in bed as a dying man, awaiting his 'punishment' from...?]
Most hard to take is the inference that Leary's masterpiece "Flashbacks" [1983 autobiography] was loaded with inaccuracies and lies. One such "lie" refers to Leary claiming to have slept with actress Marilyn Monroe.
I have copies of every edition of "Flashbacks" and none makes such a claim.
Also galling is the assertion that actor Cary Grant was "more candid than Leary ever was" in accounts of his [Grant's] LSD experiences back in 1958. What was Leary doing from 1963 [dismissal from Harvard] to 1970 [imprisonment]if not advocating the benefits of further drug research? The call for government to responsibly research and license psychedelic drugs was Leary's mantra for those 7 or so heady years.
This book is ambitious but falls short of hitting the mark, assuming said mark was to cover the story of leary's life thoroughly, accurately.
Greenfield has filled these 689 pages with much of what Leary had already written in numerous volumes during his lifetime-and, ultimately, this book calls to mind another biographer, Albert Goldman, who also took a jaundiced view point of his deceased] subjects.
To sum up: Save your money and buy a copy of "Flashbacks."
Bill Picha
Salem Oregon
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book was hard to put down.
I have always admired Timothy Leary and after reading this biography, I admire the man even more.
Okay ... he was selfish. He was a liar. He was a lot of things that many or all of us are. He was human.
Greenfield ends his volume by stating that "the man who advocated change but could never change himself" had died.
I take issue with his conclusion. Whether Leary "changed" or "grew" is something only Leary knew for sure. Even all of Leary's friends and "friends" couldn't judge that, even if they did get to share Leary's life with him.
Leary was an important man in modern history. He had the courage to point to very important things for people to know. Of course, more superficial people get hung up on the guy doing the pointing instead of what the guy is pointing to.
I never considered Leary to be anything other than a wounded, weak human, so I wasn't disappointed by what I read in this book.
If anything, it made me feel as though he really was a friend of mine, struggling with many of the same challenges that make life the riddle it often can be.
Unlike Greenfield and those who were interviewed for this book, I'm compelled not to make any value judgments on the man who was Timothy Leary.
I prefer to simply love him and be thankful that he helped point me toward reprogramming my own brain and questioning authority.
I have always admired Timothy Leary and after reading this biography, I admire the man even more.
Okay ... he was selfish. He was a liar. He was a lot of things that many or all of us are. He was human.
Greenfield ends his volume by stating that "the man who advocated change but could never change himself" had died.
I take issue with his conclusion. Whether Leary "changed" or "grew" is something only Leary knew for sure. Even all of Leary's friends and "friends" couldn't judge that, even if they did get to share Leary's life with him.
Leary was an important man in modern history. He had the courage to point to very important things for people to know. Of course, more superficial people get hung up on the guy doing the pointing instead of what the guy is pointing to.
I never considered Leary to be anything other than a wounded, weak human, so I wasn't disappointed by what I read in this book.
If anything, it made me feel as though he really was a friend of mine, struggling with many of the same challenges that make life the riddle it often can be.
Unlike Greenfield and those who were interviewed for this book, I'm compelled not to make any value judgments on the man who was Timothy Leary.
I prefer to simply love him and be thankful that he helped point me toward reprogramming my own brain and questioning authority.
25 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It was with great anticipation that I approached this new biography of Dr. Timothy Leary whose own book, "Info-Psychology", inspired a book I wrote called "Angel Tech" (New Falcon, 1987) based on Leary's 8-Circuit Brain model (one of his many valuable contributions to society). Though this biography seems to get all the details right about Tim Leary the man (warts and all), his failed relationships and struggles with the law, I was dismayed and disappointed by the lack of mention and extrapolation of his many actual intellectual and psychological accomplishments. So much dirt , so little gold. If you're looking for the gossip that makes us all fallible and ethically questionable in the eyes of others, this book is for you. If you're looking for, as I was, any kind of depth and investigation around Leary's research into intelligence increase you will probably be, as I was, let down. A hefty tome for Leary-haters. -- Antero Alli
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Tune in, listen up, but watch out
This was an absolutely fascinating book to listen to. It covers the sprawling history of this man's astonishing life in a lot of detail, and is therefore not just a book about a... Read more
Published 4 months ago by T. Burrows
A Hatchet Job on Science
Having read Robert Greenfield's biography of Dr. Timothy Leary, I am left wondering what inspired Greenfield to write this gigantic book at all. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Patrick King
Exhaustively researched
Very in-depth look at one of the most fascinating characters in Amerikan history. This is a balanced account; those who are offended by the digging up of dirt will be offended. Read more
Published 8 months ago by César Chávez
Monumental biography with an all star cast
This is indeed a monumental, if somewhat problematic, biography. The problematic part should not deter anyone from reading this extraordinary book, especially people interested in... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Juan Camaney
Envy 2.0? Poor little Greenie.
Wow a fantastic ride through the canyons of Tim Leary's brains, peep in on Harvard mushroom parties, visit an LSD cult, get your ass thrown into Americas hardore prison complex,... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Halifax Student Account
The Man Who Drugged America
A fascinating, even-handed look at the life of a man who may have done more to bring psychedelic drugs to the United States than any other single person. Read more
Published on January 25, 2010 by Jeremy Garber
Loved it...and got bored
Timothy Leary turns out to be a very complex, very messed up character, and there's enough solid data in this book to leave one wondering what the world would look like if Leary... Read more
Published on August 29, 2009 by John W. Gastil
Okay....Yeeeaaaahhh
This book has only served to more humanized the memory of Timothy Leary, for me, anyway. He was made aware of his divinity through the use of psychedelics, but was not able to... Read more
Published on June 17, 2009 by Smokey Haze
Hack biography of Leary
I'm glad I only paid $0.01 for this book-- that says it all. Greenfield is simply cashing in on the fame or, notoriety if you like, of someone he clearly dislikes and doesn't... Read more
Published on January 19, 2009 by Lost Johnny
a very depressing trip
Reading this book one wonders two things.
What did Timothy Leary do to Robert Greenfield, and why write a biography about someone you despise. Read more
What did Timothy Leary do to Robert Greenfield, and why write a biography about someone you despise. Read more
Published on August 5, 2008 by read it in books
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Late at night, a young boy lies in bed in his room. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
hippie mafia, psilocybin research, given psilocybin, undated transcript, honor committee, first classman, meditation house, psychedelic research, plebe year, sacred mushrooms, psychedelic experience, prison project Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Tim Leary, Timothy Leary, San Francisco, Los Angeles, United States, Allen Ginsberg, West Point, Richard Alpert, Orange County, Frank Barron, Michael Kennedy, Ralph Metzner, Jack Leary, Holy Cross, Laguna Beach, Father Michael, Jerry Rubin, Rolling Stone, Peggy Hitchcock, Abbie Hoffman, Aldous Huxley, Eldridge Cleaver, Ken Kesey, Peter Owen Whitmer New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Late at night, a young boy lies in bed in his room. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
hippie mafia, psilocybin research, given psilocybin, undated transcript, honor committee, first classman, meditation house, psychedelic research, plebe year, sacred mushrooms, psychedelic experience, prison project Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Tim Leary, Timothy Leary, San Francisco, Los Angeles, United States, Allen Ginsberg, West Point, Richard Alpert, Orange County, Frank Barron, Michael Kennedy, Ralph Metzner, Jack Leary, Holy Cross, Laguna Beach, Father Michael, Jerry Rubin, Rolling Stone, Peggy Hitchcock, Abbie Hoffman, Aldous Huxley, Eldridge Cleaver, Ken Kesey, Peter Owen Whitmer New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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