Chasms of Delight

Long before Timothy Leary told the world to “turn on, tune in, drop out,” humans were already experimenting with mind-altering substances. In Chasms of Delight, chemist John Mann offers a rich historical account of psychedelics, narcotics, and euphorics, from ancient rituals to 1970s excess. This book explores how artists, poets, politicians, and black-market dealers have shaped society through drugs—and how the debate still rages on.