Hallucinogens

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This intelligently written, objective title provides students with detailed information. Chapters define hallucinogens and note the different types; discuss archaeologists' discoveries of evidence that they were used in spiritual rituals in most regions of the world, including ancient Greece; and explore LSD's development and experimental and recreational usage. The effects and problems associated with ecstasy and ketamine are stated as are the debates policy makers have had over the legal status of hallucinogens and problems of law enforcement. Average-quality, black-and-white photos, reproductions, and charts accompany the text; diagrams explain how the drugs work in the brain. The book concludes with source notes that include primary and secondary resources, a list of organizations to contact, an annotated list for further reading, a bibliography, and a detailed index. This well-documented title offers more information than Ann Ricki Hurwitz and Sue Hurwitz's Hallucinogens (Rosen, 1999) and Jane Ellen Phillips's LSD, PCP, and Other Hallucinogens (Chelsea, 1999).-Debbie Stewart, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.