Enjoyable but unstructured

I really enjoyed this book - so much so that I want listen to it again, and soon. Having said that, it didn't deliver what I expected, especially given that I understand it's primarily regarded as a textbook. I thought it would focus on the development and dissemination of LSD, and it certainly started that way, but somewhere after the first third of the book, it became more and more an account of some key events of the late 60s and early 70s and a (selective) look at some of the personalities of that time. (I know it describes itself as a 'social history', but I still expected there to be a greater focus on the drug itself.) I liked the narrative turn, but unfortunately it felt pretty unstructured from this point: another reviewer described it as 'kaleidoscopic' - it certainly could be dis-orienting at times, as the authors focussed on one social movement or one personality, then circled back (in time) to follow another, rather than showing how these events and individuals interacted or influenced one another. I also hoped for more of a discussion about the development of the drug itself as manufacturing expanded, and the experience of users: it is clear that there is a wealth of evidence from the (then-legal) use of the drug in therapy, in government and defence contexts, and in personal journals, but the authors barely touch on this area.

Also, was it my imagination, or did the narrator change suddenly, towards the end (and then the original narrator returned)?! The narrator/s were good. The treatment of footnotes was a little odd: the footnotes seemed to be read at exactly the point they appeared in the original text, resulting in some strange diversions in already complex narratives! It would have been better to have treated them as endnotes, or at least to finish the sentence to which they related before reading the footnote in!

These negatives aside, if you are prepared to approach this book as more of a historical (though not linear) narrative of the 1960s and early 70s, albeit with a selective focus, constructed around the thread of LSD - rather than a concentrated consideration of the drug itself - then I am sure you will find plenty to keep your interest.

18 people found this helpful

Mind. Blown.

You may THINK you know all about the CIA and its LSD experiments on soldiers and civilians— but you don’t know the half of it.

Thought the hippies came up with the phrase “trip?” No— it was the military. The CIA was OBSESSED in the Cold War idea of a truth serum, convinced the Soviets had their own, but their experiments went way further. Their perversion will astound you: force-fed acid trips, doses there was no way to come back from, secrets and lies.

"Acid Dreams" is a thorough and serious book, but it’s full of juicy details and the kind of improbable stories that turn history into entertainment.

There have been other books about LSD after this, but nothing has surpassed this gem. It should have been on audio long ago. Tune in and turn on!

14 people found this helpful

Great Narrator

I've never heard a narrator do such accurate impersonation. His Leary, RFK, Hunter Thompson, and Mario Savio voices are surprisingly accurate.

3 people found this helpful

Ultra Interesting

Acid Dreams is two books in one, both of them interesting, at least to those (like me) who remain fascinated by the 1960s. That is one strand followed closely by Lee and Shlain -- the history of the 1960s as seen through the prism of one of its primary catalysts, the drug that fuelled a generation that altered the course of American politics and society.

The other thread may prove to be topical even to readers who have no explicit interest in the 60s or in LSD -- the CIA's involvement in experimenting with this and other drugs as tactical tools during the Cold War, and possibly in illegal domestic efforts as agents provocateurs to discredit political dissidence, and maybe even (if you're into diehard conspiracy theory) to enrich themselves at the expense of the general welfare via the drug trade.

The book begins, after quickly reviewing the discovery of LSD, with the CIA's MK Ultra program, undertaken during the 1950s, centering around acid as a biological weapon, and going so far as to test the potent hallucinogen on unsuspecting Americans riding the New York subway system, released in aerosol form in a subway car. Crazy stuff, extremely disturbing. The book concludes with a look at the elusive Ron Stark, drug dealer supreme and formentor of revolution in the U.S. and beyond while likely working for the CIA.

There is an incredible cast of characters here, from the well-known -- Timothy Leary, Ken Kesey, Allen Ginsburg, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, Charlie Manson, the Beatles -- to others who exemplify the aphorism that truth is often stranger than fiction -- the Diggers, the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, Captain Al Hubbard, Billy Mellon Hitchcok, Owsley Stanley, the aforementioned superspy Ron Stark, and assorted figures of pure evil working for the CIA, epitomized by George White, his subway test only the most outrageous of his systematic dosing of unsuspecting people.

My only quibble with the book is that it cannot really be a "complete social history" without a closer look at the cultural aspects of psychedelia. There is no escaping the music, with the Beatles getting their due attention, but there was more to it than that, and the influence on cinema and art is ignored altogether -- which is a shame, because one of the biggest names to emerge from the psychedelic cinema of the 1960s, Jack Nicholson, is never mentioned in this book.

2 people found this helpful

Captivating and insightful.

This was an incredible listen. A thorough overview of the wild history of LSD in the US, and the counterculture that it helped stoke. I found it absolutely fascinating, and learned so much about the 60's and 70's in the process. Especially given the trajectory of our current drug reform, this topic feels very relevant.

1 person found this helpful

A history of substance and cloture

While the second half of the book does tend to dull over some small sections; overall this was a fantastic history of the substance. The authors did a great job of weaving in the counterculture in a way that shone light on the ideals and morals without making an overall judgment. I have already recommended this book, with the caveat that at times it only appealed to the scholar in me, and left part of me longing for more classic historical context.

1 person found this helpful

Educational

If you could sum up Acid Dreams in three words, what would they be?

Surprising, eye opening

What did you like best about this story?

Details of the pre-sixties government involvement.

Which character – as performed by Oliver Wyman – was your favorite?

na

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Extreme interest.

Any additional comments?

Such a powerful part of my youth hitherto not understood. I have generally found LSD to be a taboo subject. Perhaps because the "experienced" fear a social stigma. Perhaps they are left with many questions and uncertainties better left undisturbed. Yet it remains one of the most powerful experiences of many lives.

This history of acid provided me with perspective. The authors illustrate amply the many conflicting points of view; the positive and negatives of the psychedelic experience. And, most importantly, it provides an opportunity for discussion.

Many thanks to the authors.

1 person found this helpful

Narration kills much of the quality

The book has a terrific amount of “everything one should know to be versed in the history and understanding of LSD and other illicit drugs. It’s fascinating simply from a curiosity and information perspective, though it bypasses the huge ethical component of CIA in those days. But Audible, UPDATE these great books/classical with better narration.

absolutely worth a listen - good info

I've finished this audio book at least 4 times. Love all the new info that wasn't given out through the media outlets. This book will blow your mind and change your perception.

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what an amazing book. I now understand the 60s for the first time . recommend reading for every one. i am 39 and never took acid before but looking forward to