Pharmako/Dynamis
Stimulating Plants, Potions, and Herbcraft
by Dale Pendell
(Volume II of the Pharmako trilogy)
The bestselling magical fusion of science, poetry, history, and philosophy.
Embark on an enriching journey through nature's stimulants—and our complex relationship with them—in Pharmako/Dynamis: Stimulating Plants, Potions, and Herbcraft. Dale Pendell's poetic narrative expertly weaves together scientific understanding and enchanting literature, making this book an enticing read for enthusiasts, herbalists, and psychonauts alike.
Readers will delve deeper into the fascinating universe of psychoactive plants, investigating a variety of stimulants and empathogens, each with its own unique history, usage, and cultural significance:
Amphetamines
Betel (Areca catechu)
Chocolate
Coca (Erythroxylum coca)
Coffee
Khat (Catha edulis)
Kola (Kola nitida)
Ma huang (Ephedra)
MDMA (Ecstasy)
Tea
And more
The book explores these substances in detail and more, offering a profound understanding of their impact and roles. With an engaging blend of scientific knowledge, historical context, and spiritual insights, Pendell presents a meticulously detailed study of each psychoactive substance. His authoritative and delightfully playful voice elucidates not just the pharmacological aspects, but also the subtle effects of these substances on human consciousness.
This volume is more than just a resource; it's a thrilling voyage into the intricate dance between humans and the psychoactive plant kingdom.
About the Pharmako trilogy, Revised and Updated edition
Anyone with an interest in the psychoactive and healing properties of plants and related substances will find Dale Pendell's Pharmako trilogy an entertaining yet profound overview of this emerging field. The series has rapidly assumed cult status as an unparalleled exposition of its subject, and this North Atlantic updated paperback edition will bring this underground classic to a wider readership than ever.
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Table of Contents
PREFACE
PLANT ALLIES
a poet’s guide
On the Nature of Poison
Nigredo: A Turn of Darkening
EXCITANTIA
provokers and agitators
Speed limits
Coffee: Coffea arabica
Tea: Thea sinensis
Chocolate I: Theobroma cacao
Plant Wars
Chocolate II: Theobroma cacao
The Black Drink: Ilex spp., Guarana
Kola: Cola nitida
Betel: Areca catechu
Hecate’s Garden
Ma Huang, Ephedra spp.
Khat: Catha edulis
Speed Freaking amphetamine
Coca: Erythroxylum coca
Stealing from Tomorrow
Wandering and the Vision Quest
EMPATHOGENICA
mammalian raptures
Cleansing the Temple
Nutmeg Reveries Myristica fragrans
Flipping and Raving MDMA, Ecstasy
GHB
The Gift
Dream Stutters
References
Credits
Supplemental Notes, 2010
Index
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Paperback Edition
312 pages. Printed card cover.
ISBN: 9781556438035
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Press, reviews, endorsements
"A poet, ethnobotanist, and amateur chemist, he's the best writer on drugs to come along since the late Terence McKenna."
The Village Voice
"Dale Pendell's books are elegant tapestries of accurate chemistry, pharmacology, and botany, interwoven with rich poetical imagery. I use them as textbooks in a large annual undergraduate class which I teach at the University of California in Berkeley. The students love them."
David E. Presti, PhD, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley
"Dale Pendell, most elegant eloquent writer on drugs because both scientist and poet, has exuded a book as charming as The Compleat Angler or Brillat-Savarin's Physiology of Taste. It will be preserved amongst the scriptures of an entheogenic revival that will recognise the scribe Pendell as an inspired prophet and forerunner."
Hakim Bey
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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 cofounder of the Primitive Arts Institute and has led workshops on ethnobotany and ethnopoetics for the Naropa Institute and the Omega Institute. Also an experienced computer scientist, he lives with his wife Laura in California’s Sierra foothills.
