Food of the Gods
The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution
Terence McKenna
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
“Deserves to be the modern classic on mind-altering drugs and hallucinogens.”—The Washington Post
Ethnobotanist Terence Mckenna, hailed by Tom Robbins as “the most important—and most entertaining—visionary scholar in America,” explores humanity’s symbiotic relationship with spirits, tobacco, marijuana, opium, psilocybin, and more, from prehistoric times to today.
Why, as a species, are humans so fascinated by altered states of consciousness? Can altered states reveal something to us about our origins and our place in nature?
In Food of the Gods, Terence McKenna’s research on man’s ancient relationship with chemicals opens a doorway to the divine, and perhaps a solution for saving our troubled world. McKenna provides a revisionist look at the historical role of drugs in the East and the West, from ancient spice, sugar, and rum trades to marijuana, cocaine, synthetics, and even television—illustrating the human desire for the “food of the gods” and the powerful potential to replace abuse of illegal drugs with a shamanic understanding, insistence on community, reverence for nature, and increased self-awareness.
Ethnobotanist Terence Mckenna, hailed by Tom Robbins as “the most important—and most entertaining—visionary scholar in America,” explores humanity’s symbiotic relationship with spirits, tobacco, marijuana, opium, psilocybin, and more, from prehistoric times to today.
Why, as a species, are humans so fascinated by altered states of consciousness? Can altered states reveal something to us about our origins and our place in nature?
In Food of the Gods, Terence McKenna’s research on man’s ancient relationship with chemicals opens a doorway to the divine, and perhaps a solution for saving our troubled world. McKenna provides a revisionist look at the historical role of drugs in the East and the West, from ancient spice, sugar, and rum trades to marijuana, cocaine, synthetics, and even television—illustrating the human desire for the “food of the gods” and the powerful potential to replace abuse of illegal drugs with a shamanic understanding, insistence on community, reverence for nature, and increased self-awareness.
Product Details
| Publisher | Bantam |
| Publish Date | January 01, 1993 |
| Pages | 336 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9780553371307 |
| Dimensions | 9.0 X 6.0 X 0.9 inches | 0.9 pounds |
About the Author
Terence McKenna, author and explorer, traveled the world to work and live with shamans. He added to their shared knowledge of rituals his own efforts to preserve the plants used in these ceremonies. Co-author of The Invisible Landscape and Psilocybin: The Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide, Terence mesmerized his many lecture audiences with tales of science and shamanism. He was co-manager of a botanical garden in Hawaii for endangered tropical plants. He died in 2000.
Reviews
“Deserves to be the modern classic on mind-altering drugs and hallucinogens.”—The Washington Post
“Terence McKenna is the most important—and most entertaining—visionary scholar in America.”—Tom Robbins
“The culture’s foremost spokesperson for the psychedelic experience . . . Those who know and enjoy Joseph Campbell’s work will almost certainly appreciate McKenna.”—L.A. Weekly
“An eloquent proposal for recovering something vital—a sense of the sacred, the transcendent, the Absolute—before it’s too late.”—Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Meaning & Medicine, Recovering the Soul, and Space, Time & Machine
“Terence McKenna is the most important—and most entertaining—visionary scholar in America.”—Tom Robbins
“The culture’s foremost spokesperson for the psychedelic experience . . . Those who know and enjoy Joseph Campbell’s work will almost certainly appreciate McKenna.”—L.A. Weekly
“An eloquent proposal for recovering something vital—a sense of the sacred, the transcendent, the Absolute—before it’s too late.”—Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Meaning & Medicine, Recovering the Soul, and Space, Time & Machine
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