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Dale Pendell

Gary Snyder

Pharmako/Poeia: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft Hardcover – August 3, 2009

by Dale Pendell (Author), Gary Snyder (Foreword)

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This is the first volume of North Atlantic Books’ hardcover edition of Dale Pendell's Pharmako trilogy, an encyclopedic study of the history and uses of psychoactive plants and related synthetics first published between 1995 and 2005. The books form an interrelated suite of works that provide the reader with a unique, reliable, and often personal immersion in this medically, culturally, and spiritually fascinating subject. All three books are beautifully designed and illustrated, and are written with unparalleled authority, erudition, playfulness, and range.

Pharmako/Poeia: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft focuses on familiar psychoactive plant-derived substances and related synthetics, ranging from the licit (tobacco, alcohol) to the illicit (cannabis, opium) and the exotic (absinthe, salvia divinorum, nitrous oxide). Each substance is explored in detail, not only with information on its history, pharmacology, preparation, and cultural and esoteric correspondences, but also the subtleties of each plant's effect on consciousness in a way that only poets can do. The whole concoction is sprinkled with abundant quotations from famous writers, creating a literary brew as intoxicating as its subject.

The Pharmako series is continued in Pharmako/Dynamis (focusing on stimulants and empathogens) and Pharmako/Gnosis (which addresses psychedelics and shamanic plants).

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

North Atlantic Books
Publication date

August 3, 2009
Dimensions

7.3 x 1.2 x 9.45 inches
ISBN-10

1556438877
ISBN-13

978-1556438875
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dale Pendell reactivates the ancient connection between the bardic poet and the shaman. His Pharmako/Poeia is a litany to the secret plant allies that have always accompanied us along the alchemical trajectory that leads to a new and yet authentically archaic future."
—Terence McKenna, author of True Hallucinations

"Much of our life-force calls upon the plant world for support, in medicines and in foods, as both allies and teachers. Pendell provides a beautifully crafted bridge between these two worlds. The magic he shares is that the voices are spoken and heard both ways; we communicate with plants and they with us. This book is a moving and poetic presentation of this dialogue."
—Dr. Alexander T. Shulgin, University of California at Berkeley, Department of Public Health

"Pharmako/Poeia is an epic poem on plant humours, an abstruse alchemic treatise, an experiential narrative jigsaw puzzle, a hip and learned wild-nature reference text, a comic paean to cosmic consciousness, an ecological handbook, a dried-herb pastiche, a counterculture encyclopedia of ancient fact and lore that cuts through the present ‘conservative’ war-on-drugs psychobabble."
—Allen Ginsberg, poet

"Dale Pendell’s remarkable book will make it impossible to ever again underestimate the most unprepossessing plant. This compendium of how-to-get-high-by-eating-your-lawn ethnological data is mind-boggling, useful, and serves as a fine end run around the guardians of ‘official’ consciousness."
—Peter Coyote, actor

About the Author

Plant student Dale Pendell established himself as one of the foremost popular exponents of shamanic ethnobotany with his unprecedented Pharmako trilogy. A noted poet, he was the founding editor of the avant-garde magazine Kuksu and a co-founder of the Primitive Arts Institute and has led workshops on ethnobotany and ethnopoetics for the Naropa Institute and the Omega Institute. Pendell was part of the Oracular Madness theme camp at Burning Man for a number of years (his book Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man was published by Frog Books in 2006). Also an experienced computer scientist, he lives in California's Sierra foothills.

Foreword author Gary Snyder is well known as a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Beat-era associate of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg and as a pioneering environmental thinker and activist.

Product details

Publisher : North Atlantic Books; 0 edition (August 3, 2009)
Language : English
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1556438877
ISBN-13 : 978-1556438875
Item Weight : 1.58 pounds
Dimensions : 7.3 x 1.2 x 9.45 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,009,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,135 in Pain Medicine Pharmacology
- #4,407 in Herbal Remedies (Books)
- #6,694 in Plants in Biological Sciences

Customer Reviews:
123 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Kiki

a must have for psychonauts and herbalists

Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2020

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Hands down the most interesting thing I've read this year. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the outer edges of plant medicine or the lore surrounding it. I've never read any book that combines hard science and research so seamlessly with poetry, mythology and human experience in a way that's so enjoyable to read. The author is well-informed and thorough in his writing, with a voice that's humorous and amicable. Useful as a reference for both traditional uses of plants and modern pharmacology, along with so much more. It helped me round out my understanding of a few familiar plants and introduced me to many new ones along the way. I ordered the rest of the series before I'd even finished this one and can't wait to add them to my collection!

2 people found this helpful

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S. Cranow

Nectar of the Gods

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2013

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Poison have been used by seekers of wisdom for thousands of years. Ever since early prehistoric times the poison and the allies of the plant world have been teaching mankind sometimes directly and sometimes through animals. Dale Pendell has written a nice compendium of these poisons. Based on years of research and experimentation Dale describes the chemistry of these allies, how they are used by indigenous societies and how we may prepare them for today's usage. The author also gives us associations connected with these plant allies that would jibe well with anyone who is interested in alchemy.
The allies are broken up into five allies and they are inebrienta,phantastica, excitianta,thanatopathia and Eurphorica. More than several allies are discussed many of which we are familiar with. Marijauna,wine, absinthe,mugwort,ether, laughing gas, opium and laudanum just to name a few. Read this book and you will get a glimpse into the history of these allies as well as an insight into their benefits and pitfalls.
The author uses poetic insight to inspire your imagination while you are reading. A huge plus and one factor that would encourage me to read the next two volumes of his work. While I am not sure I would wish to indulge in the poison path. As marijuana leaves me rather paranoid and reclusive. I hate being trapped in my own imagination. Ether and laughing gas do not seem a safe bet to abuse or use regularly. Forget about Opium and Laudanum as the poppy is not legal here in the states. Nicotine can be deadly with just one or two drops. It was used to generate a religious high. If I can try without smoking it hey I might be game.
Parts of the last section speak about The Greenman whose face it seems is on every cathedral and building in Europe some would call him Osiris or Robin Hood maybe even Dionysus. He is the god of revelry and intoxication. Highly recommended read.

4 people found this helpful

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Kat Stone

Get the whole series!

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2006

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I've read a lot of books on herbalism, but this series of books is a unique and extremely valuable find. Dale Pendell covers a wide variety of herbs and their affects on the human mind, body and spirit. What makes his book different from others is the poetic way in which he conveys his information. It makes reading the books far from dull or dry, and some herbal books read like medical textbooks in that sense. The authors brilliance, wisdom and sheer depth and bredth of knowledge shines through in this series, and I can't think of any other books that cover the "poisonous" herbs and substances in such a way. Read Pharmako/Poeia and you will probably want to buy Pharmako/Dynamis and Pharmako/Gnosis. They are all valuable to the herbalist, folklorist, entheobotanist, or anyone who just wants to know about the uses and side effects of various plants that are often stigmatized in our culture. Subjects range from:

Opium

Marjuana

Alcohol (beer, wine, distilled spirits)

Absinthe

Salvia

Tobacco

Nitrous

Kava Kava

And even, fossil fuel.

But don't think that he advocates the use (or abuse) of all these plants. He gives you the information, what they do, their history, and side effects. You will find no propaganda or scare tactics, just the truth (and the truth of what some of these plants can do is scary enough without embellishment!)

Another plus of these books: They're aesthetically pleasing. I honestly can't think of any problems with this series of books: Informative, accurate and beautiful. Dale Pendell is an asset to the herbalist community.

30 people found this helpful

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Excellent!!

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2002

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I am an herbalist, and I found this book by Pendell and Snyder to be full of information that was presented in a fascinating way. Interestingly, finding information about herbal poisons isn't as easy as it might seem, but is still important. I can honestly say I learned a few things from this book that I did not realize, particularly from a historical standpoint! I can't wait to get my hands on the other two volumes as soon as they become available - however I have been waiting for almost a year for the promised second and third volumes of the book. I am hoping that the publisher or author can give us a firmer lead time for their final release.

12 people found this helpful

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Relentless

Useful info with humor

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2017

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Still valuable information in here though the last revision was 7 yrs past. Definitely a classic...with a sense of wry humor embedded.

3 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

I'll keep trying but it reads like someone relating their dream to me

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2018

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I don't get it. I'll keep trying but it reads like someone relating their dream to me.

One person found this helpful

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W. Paul Blakey

A new dimension

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2011

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Finally a book on plant allies that allows the ally to speak for itself. Poetic, funny and dare I say it ... a contact high all on its own.

Well done!

Highly, highly recommended.

For mad men and women only.

Sex and Light: How to Google your way to Godhood

One person found this helpful

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Lucie

He is well recommended for those

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017

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Pendel is a real modern shaman. Pendel don't play with us. He talk only from experience and facts. He is well recommended for those.who.like poetry and plants lore.

3 people found this helpful

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