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Human History on Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous But Entirely Truthful Look at History Under the Influence

by Sam Kelly

A history of famous figures and drug use

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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A history of famous figures and drug use

Sam Kelly ranges from Ancient Greece to modern times, gathering accounts of drug use associated with figures including Shakespeare, George Washington, the Beatles, Sigmund Freud, and Carl Sagan. The chapters pair recognizable names with less familiar episodes, using drugs as a thread through social history. The book also considers claims about their influence, such as Steve Jobs’s belief that LSD helped him create Apple. Its broad historical sweep makes the subject a way to revisit well-known people and periods through an often-overlooked part of their stories.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in social history and the lives of well-known historical figures
  • Readers curious about the history of drugs across different eras and places

Themes

Drug use in social historyFamous figures and their habitsThe relationship between drugs and creativity

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

A lively, hilarious, and entirely truthful look at the druggie side of history's most famous figures, including Shakespeare, George Washington, the Beatles, and more

Did you know that Alexander the Great was a sloppy drunk and William Shakespeare was a stoner? Or how about the fact that Steve Jobs believed taking LSD helped him create the Apple computer, or that Sigmund Freud loved cocaine so much he took it all the time and prescribed it to his patients?

In Human History on Drugs, Sam Kelly introduces us to the history our teachers never told us, offering up irreverent and insightful commentary as he sheds light on some truly bizarre aspects of the historical characters we only thought we knew. With chapters spanning from Ancient Greece ("The Oracle of Delphi Was Huffing Fumes") to modern times ("Carl Sagan Got Astronomically High"), Kelly's research covers all manner of eras, places, and, of course, drugs.

History is rife with drug use and drug users, and Human History on Drugs takes us through those highs (pun intended) and lows on a witty and entertaining ride that uncovers their mind-boggling impact on our past.
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