Scan barcode
A review by rbruehlman
Psychedelics: The revolutionary drugs that could change your life – a guide from the expert by David J. Nutt, David J. Nutt
4.0
Finally, a book that comprehensively covers the science of psychedelics! This has been surprisingly hard to find. How to Change Your Mind is the usual recommended primer on psychedelics, and, make no mistake, that book is very well-written. However, I was disappointed by how much that book focused on the history of psychedelics, as opposed to how they work. David Nutt's book is the book I was actually looking for.
Nutt does a comprehensive job exploring what a psychedelic is, the different types and their effects, how psychedelics work more generally, and what issues could be treated by psychedelics. His writing is exceptionally clear and concise; he doesn't skimp on technical details or water anything down, but it's also an extremely accessible read and is never dry. Considering how academic bioscience can be, this is a feat.
I don't think I learned a lot new from the book, but this isn't a demerit of the book at all; I had to painstakingly piece together the content by talking to people in the field and reading research papers to learn the things he covers. Having a comprehensive, easily digestible survey of the literature to date in one place, written without academese, is a big deal.
I really liked that he emphasized psychedelics are not a wonder drug where you take it once and your depression / OCD / anxiety / etc. disappears forever. For lots of people, that really does happen! But for many depressed patients, some of the effects wear off a bit--much better than they were before taking it, but they do relapse a bit. Three steps forward, one step backward, and additional experiences help keep the brain "in tune". Ketamine in particular has gotten a very rosy reputation in the press for being a one-time wonder drug, when in reality most people need multiple infusions to see an effect. Nutt is excited about the promise of psychedelics, but he's not a blind evangelist--he's refreshingly realistic about it. Psychedelics are not a silver bullet, but rather a very promising new tool in the toolbox against mental illness.
Overall I'm pretty satisfied with the book, although I wish he had explored a couple topics more. He mentions a few times in the book that not everyone responds to psychedelics, or have milder experiences--why? Similarly, I wish he had spent longer talking about the negative effects of psychedelics. He mentions Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), but it was a pretty brief byline. I suspect perhaps he didn't because it would have made the book more technical, and, also, in some cases, robust research probably just simply isn't there, especially in terms of psychedelic non-responders.
All in all, a good read for someone who actually wants to understand how psychedelics work and likes the science behind it all.
Nutt does a comprehensive job exploring what a psychedelic is, the different types and their effects, how psychedelics work more generally, and what issues could be treated by psychedelics. His writing is exceptionally clear and concise; he doesn't skimp on technical details or water anything down, but it's also an extremely accessible read and is never dry. Considering how academic bioscience can be, this is a feat.
I don't think I learned a lot new from the book, but this isn't a demerit of the book at all; I had to painstakingly piece together the content by talking to people in the field and reading research papers to learn the things he covers. Having a comprehensive, easily digestible survey of the literature to date in one place, written without academese, is a big deal.
I really liked that he emphasized psychedelics are not a wonder drug where you take it once and your depression / OCD / anxiety / etc. disappears forever. For lots of people, that really does happen! But for many depressed patients, some of the effects wear off a bit--much better than they were before taking it, but they do relapse a bit. Three steps forward, one step backward, and additional experiences help keep the brain "in tune". Ketamine in particular has gotten a very rosy reputation in the press for being a one-time wonder drug, when in reality most people need multiple infusions to see an effect. Nutt is excited about the promise of psychedelics, but he's not a blind evangelist--he's refreshingly realistic about it. Psychedelics are not a silver bullet, but rather a very promising new tool in the toolbox against mental illness.
Overall I'm pretty satisfied with the book, although I wish he had explored a couple topics more. He mentions a few times in the book that not everyone responds to psychedelics, or have milder experiences--why? Similarly, I wish he had spent longer talking about the negative effects of psychedelics. He mentions Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), but it was a pretty brief byline. I suspect perhaps he didn't because it would have made the book more technical, and, also, in some cases, robust research probably just simply isn't there, especially in terms of psychedelic non-responders.
All in all, a good read for someone who actually wants to understand how psychedelics work and likes the science behind it all.