The Nature of Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Social Impact, Volume 1 presents lectures from Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin’s popular course on what drugs are, how they work, how they are processed by the body, and how they affect our society.
Transcribed from the original lectures recorded at San Francisco State University in 1987, the series highlights Shulgin’s engaging lecture style peppered with illuminating anecdotes and amusing asides. Volume 1 features lectures 1 through 8, covering the origin of drugs, the history of U.S. drug law enforcement, human anatomy, the nervous system, the range of drug administrations, varieties of drug actions, memory and states of consciousness, and research methods.
The audiobook contains portions of the original 1987 recordings of Shulgin himself conducting his course and interacting with his students, interlaced with newly recorded narration. Shulgin’s work has been featured in the Netflix series “The Business of Drugs” and “How to Change Your Mind.”
-
Why this book matters
- A rare transcript of Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin’s legendary university course — the most accessible entry point into the mind of one of psychopharmacology’s greatest figures
- Covers the full arc from drug origins and U.S. drug law history to neuroscience, states of consciousness, and research methods, a complete foundation
- Shulgin’s voice is alive on every page: witty, humane, and intellectually fearless, with anecdotes that illuminate as much as the science does
- Featured in the Netflix series “The Business of Drugs” and “How to Change Your Mind”, essential context for the current psychedelic renaissance
- Both a historical record and a living philosophy, Shulgin’s views on psychopharmacology, freedom, and society remain as vital as ever
