Michael Pollen made me crave psychedelic mushrooms. Mega-star nonfiction author Pollan changed American food culture almost single-handedly with The Omnivore's Dilemma. This one won't do the same for psychedelic drugs, but perhaps it should. Pollan's gift for weaving his own experiences and perspectives with historical and scientific research and firsthand accounts makes this compelling and digestible. He makes a near-watertight case that the closing off of these drugs to (at the very least) scientifc and pharmaceutical research and testing makes zero sense. Along the way, there are interesting insights into some of the recent literature on neuroscience and neuropsychology.

I read this one in the "green tunnel" of Oregon, dodging mosquitos, swimming in cool lakes and watching as the mushrooms proliferate to disturbing density on the trail. If it was a sign for me to turn my trip into a trip, I wasn't bold enough to do so. But it got me thinking about suffering, joy, perspectives and consciousness. Just like the trail itself.