LSD My Problem Child: Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism and Science

This book gives tremendous insight into Albert Hoffmann's life and research. Hoffmann is the scientist who, in 1938, first isolated the compound LSD-25 from ergot. At the time, Hoffmann had no idea that this compound had what we've come to know as psychedelic properties. He certainly didn't foresee the psychedelic craze of the 1960s.

Hoffmann, who died in 2008 at the age of 102, tells us how his research began, how it progessed, and what, ultimately, went wrong. Some of the early researchers (including Hoffmann) took the LSD and detailed their "trips" in journals. Excerpts of these are shared with us, which make for fascinating reading.

Hoffmann talks a lot about the psychiatric research associated with LSD, though he doesn't get into show more the other research, such as the amazing work done with alcoholics and heroin addicts. He mentions in passing the CIA's experiments on unknowing victims. I would have liked a bit more information on these issues to be included, since these were such important parts of LSD's history. However, Hoffmann didn't stray far from his own personal research and experiences. show less

Outstanding history of an important discovery in biochemistry and the man who discovered it.

signed and has drawn LSD molecular structure by Albert Hofmann

Nel 1943 Albert Hofmann sintetizzò la dietilamide dell'acido lisergico (LSD) L'autore - in questo libro - racconta la storia della scoperta dell'LSD e cerca di fare chiarezza sugli eventi che ne sono seguiti: i primi 15 anni in cui l'LSD è stato impiegato quasi esclusivamente in psichiatria e nella ricerca biologica; poi, negli anni Sessanta, la sua comparsa nel panorama delle droghe, fino a diventare la droga di più largo consumo negli Usa, il suo diventare una droga di culto fra gli hippy e altri movimenti di contestazione; l'interruzione dell'uso terapeutico, la messa al bando. E l'altra faccia della medaglia: le caratteristiche e le proprietà della sostanza, le motivazioni avanzate da parte della psichiatria sulle istituzioni show more sanitarie affinché l'LSD possa essere di nuovo disponibile per il trattamento terapeutico. show less