I just finished up the classic: The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test a couple weeks ago and I need another book to read! Any other good books about the Merry Pranksters and their adventures, psychedelic drugs, or even books on philosophy that I should get? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Up from Eden, a transpersonal view of human evolution by Ken Wilber. Very consistent with some of the psychedelic philosophies. I haven't gotten through it yet. I had to start over, it's very meaty.
Cleansedreality, Nice name. Recent books along those lines are -with all comments imo: Amazing Dope Tales by Stephen Gaskin - as close to tripping as a book can get - Stephen was/is one of my Teachers, so may be some bias. I've been reading this book for years. Monday Night Class by the same author is based on tripping and is very high. Tripping by Charles Hayes - collection of accounts of trips. Storming Heaven by Jay Stevens - about the LSD scene & because it's about it rather than is it, the book is less trippy than the first two.
I just finished reading Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now and A New Earth (for class and for interest...and i have to say however cliche it is it has changed me i will be reading for fun again in about a week when school ends i have to read this now, thank you
Hmm, been perusing TIHKAL, just bought the book of five rings by miyamoto musashi. How many people here can actually find real books on psychelics in their local bookstores? Not clinical documents on LSD's effects on the human brain, or books on the hippie culture from the outside perspective, but real info from informed writers, such as Leary, Mckenna, Alpert, Shulgin, etc? I have trouble finding books with actual information in them, all I can find are accounts of MKULTRA, clinical studies and misinformed bullshit. my friend found 'breaking open the head' at barnes and nobles, and that is more than Id expect from them. But PIHKAL? slim chance Ill find that in a bookstore.
okay, so i've been reading a lot lately. like, a lot. more in the past month then in the last year, actually. my favorites recently... "the corrections" - jonathan franzen (probably the best i've ever read. can't recommend it highly enough) "shutter island" - dennis lehane (oh my GOD, this one fucks with you. soooo good) "the lovely bones" - alice sebold (beautiful. i don't think the movie will come close) "the story of edgar sawtelle" - david wroblewski (amazing, caught me off-guard) "case histories" - kate atkinson (brilliant, unpredictable mystery) "saturday" - ian mcewan (very dense prose, but ultimately rewarding)
Whoa, that is pretty cool! I must recommend everyone read Thoreau's "Walden", it is short, written in a prose we can only crudely imitate today, and so packed full of wisdom you will read passages over and over again.
huh, maybe I just need to look harder! People have been telling me I need to read Walden since I was in high school, but ive never gotten to it. Its going to be the next book I get.