Psychoaktive Drogen weltweit. Zu Ethnologie und Kunstgeschichte, Schamanismus und Hexerei
Löhrbach: W. Pieper & The Grüne Kraft 2000
156 pp., DM 20,-; ISBN 3-930442-51-5
Psychoactive drugs worldwide. On anthropology, history of art, shamanism and witchcraft
The book is conceptually divided into three major sets of chapters: introductory (chemical substances such as saccharides, alkaloids, glycosides; techniques of administration, effects and their categorizations, the anthropological perspective) and the substances themselves (sugar/sweets, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, cocoa, opiates, cannabis and other hallucinogens). Then, additional chapters treat substances according to their prevalence: limited prevalence (e.g. betel nut, some nightshade plants, vanilla...) and regional use according to continents (e.g. Ska Maria Pastora, Iboga, Soma...). Two more chapters deal with recent drugs (like tranquilizers, ecstasy, but also: nutmeg) and 'inefficient' drugs: white chocolate, sweeteners, coffee surrogates...). The author combines, in a narrative style, basic information with historical, anthropological and other information on the substances. The book includes an annotated list of ethnonyms, an extensive index and bibliography.
Keywords: psychoactive drugs, medical anthropology, drugs and anthropology, hallucinogens, shamanism, witchcraft
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