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From Native American's use of tobacco for solemnizing oaths to the spread of New Age religious beliefs in Haight-Ashbury coffeehouses, drugs have been intimately associated with American spirituality. Stairways to Heaven illustrates how such substances as peyote, jimson weed, hallucinogenic ...

From Native American's use of tobacco for solemnizing oaths to the spread of New Age religious beliefs in Haight-Ashbury coffeehouses, drugs have been intimately associated with American spirituality. Stairways to Heaven illustrates how such substances as peyote, jimson weed, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, marijuana, wine, and coffee have stimulated ecstatic revelations of spiritual truth and strengthened the social bonds that sustain communities of faith. The book deftly moves from historical examples to an engaging consideration of the legal, ethical, and spiritual controversies that surround drug use in contemporary America. Clearly written and accessible, Stairways to Heaven is a significant scholarly review of the relationship between religion and drugs in America.

""The $800 Million Pill is a masterful work of explanatory and investigative journalism. Merrill Goozner has versed himself in the interlocking worlds of medicine, business, politics, and basic science to explain how pharmaceutical breakthroughs truly occur. He also explains why drug costs are now ...

""The $800 Million Pill is a masterful work of explanatory and investigative journalism. Merrill Goozner has versed himself in the interlocking worlds of medicine, business, politics, and basic science to explain how pharmaceutical breakthroughs truly occur. He also explains why drug costs are now so needlessly high.JThis is a compelling and important book."--James Fallows of The Atlantic Monthly, author of "Breaking the News

"Merrill Goozner does a superb job at explaining just how the pharmaceutical industry gets away with systematic overcharging, and why bio-medical advances do not require the current profiteering. This is the definitive book on this vital topic."--Robert Kuttner, Co-Editor of "The American Prospect and author of "Everything for Sale

"Why do your prescription drugs cost so much? The real answers may surprise you. In a lively and straightforward narrative, veteran journalist Merrill Goozner goes behind the headlines and pharmaceutical industry spin to uncover the politics and the practices that drive up drug costs. His diagnosis and prescriptions make a valuable contribution to the growing national debate over safe, quality and affordable health care for all Americans."--Clarence Page, syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune

"Merrill Goozner has written an important book. The high-stakes national debate over what to do about prescription drug coverage and costs too often suffers from a dearth of facts and analysis. This volume helps to fill that gap by illuminating the seemingly opaque world of pharmaceutical research and development."--Susan Dentzer, Health Correspondent for "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS

Psychiatric drugs are prescribed to more than twenty million Americans but can these drugs do more harm than good?

While a doctor may take fifteen minutes to determine the need for a psychiatric drug, the patient may end up taking it for months, years, or a lifetime. We deserve to know the dangers in ...

Psychiatric drugs are prescribed to more than twenty million Americans but can these drugs do more harm than good?

While a doctor may take fifteen minutes to determine the need for a psychiatric drug, the patient may end up taking it for months, years, or a lifetime. We deserve to know the dangers in advance -- including the difficulties we may encounter when trying to withdraw. Your Drug May Be Your Problem is the only book to provide an up-to-date, uncensored description of the dangers involved in taking every kind of psychiatric medication, and it is the first and only book to explain how to coordinate a safe withdrawal from them.

Psychoactive substances have been central to the formation of civilizations and the growth of the world economy. Consuming Habits describes how and why:* tea and coffee replaced beer on the breakfast tables of 18th century Europe* in Islamic emirates at the turn of the century kola nuts formed part ...

Psychoactive substances have been central to the formation of civilizations and the growth of the world economy. Consuming Habits describes how and why:* tea and coffee replaced beer on the breakfast tables of 18th century Europe* in Islamic emirates at the turn of the century kola nuts formed part of tax payments, and were given as gifts by so-called 'big men'* in 1902 opera singers had their doctors prescribe them cocaine to aid singing* the original version of 'coca-cola' was described as a 'brain tonic.'This pioneering collection of original essays explores the rich analytical category of psychoactive substances from challenging historical and anthropological perspectives.