This book has the story and the science, the fantasy and the dry reality. I love there is a love story here as well. This is inspiration for couples to dive deeper into each other.

I thought this book very infomative and educational.
It gives great insight to DR.Shulgin & his wifes life work.
A must read for any aspiring chemist.
This book cuts away all the propaganda surrounding many of these recreational compounds and chemicals. The facts and nothing else.
Educate yourself, knowledge is always your friend.

I purchased PIHKAL from Amazon and read it in it's entirety.

The most poignant aspect of this book reveals that as we are organic machines, our consciousness is just another chemically induced perception and therefore only one valid reality predisposed by evolution for survival.

Shulgin's Genius is honed with such objectivity, innocence, dedication and clarity that he is able to both successfuly and interestingly document the human-mind altering effects produced by the synthesised compounds entirely dedicated to the second-half of this book.

Furthermore, I have read all of the Amazon reviews regarding PIHKAL and feel that some just do not get the extreme depth of this work. Reading this incredibly open account of Human reality means that there will always be dull bits and parts that make one cringe because that's how real life is for one and all.

The potential reader needs to approach this work with an open mindset and absorb the content without pretence, preconception or professional envy affecting clarity because this book is about the other side of the coin.

Finally, to dedicate ones life to recording Human perception so openly in hardcopy is a tremendous quantum leap ahead of the absurd revisionist realities that people in our "Soap World" prefer to pretend that they live via TV and use to deal with personal issues through the application of anger, violence and greed which are wrongly accepted as legitimate relief mechanisms.

In summary, PIHKAL is an extremely important piece in the Jigsaw of the "age of reason" and awareness. Don't be threatened, it definitely deserves at least "5 Stars". Read it, do it and get to the next level...... the evolution of mind.

I purchased PIHKAL from Amazon and read it then noted the poignant point that consciousness is just another chemically induced state of reality.

Only a borderline austistic Chemist such as Shulgin could focus with such objectivity to be able to accurately record the self-reality-altering effects of the compounds synthesised within this book. This is a classic example of turning the potential liability of flat emotional response into an asset and then utilising it's power for the benefit of the majority and best of all, this one is provable.

I have read all of the Amazon reviews and notice that some people just do not get the extreme depth of this work because by reading this open account of Human reality there are always going to be dull bits and parts that make one cringe because that's how real life is for all of us, it's not always peaches and cream and never easy so one needs to turn the pages without either pretence or professional envy.

This book is about the other side of the coin. To put reality down so openly on paper is a tremendous quantum leap ahead of the revisionist realities that people in our "Soap World" like to pretend they live and who largely choose to deal with personal issues through the application of anger, violence and greed which are wrongly accepted as legitimate relief mechanisms.

Forget the hollow criticisms and fear and hoist yourself to the next level.

In summary, PIHKAL is an important piece in the Jigsaw of the "age of reason" and awareness. Don't be threatened, it definitely deserves at least "5 Stars".

For the person looking for both hard information regarding the world of psychoactive substances (and The Drug War), and an enjoyable honest and heartfelt love story, this is for you. A real masterpiece!

For the person looking for both hard information regarding the world of psychoactive substances (and The Drug War), and an enjoyable honest and heartfelt love story, this is for you. A real masterpiece!

Very interesting. Very well explained, and the chemistry is flawless. 6 Stars to be truthful.. A must have for any chemist.

Probably the best book I've ever read. Makes you look at life in a new light. Highly recommended.

Probably the best book I've ever read. Makes you look at life in a new light. Highly recommended.

Very rarely would one find a scientific journal worthy of study. This is one. It is jam packed with experiments, observations, thoughts and procedures related to the chemistry of mind altering substances. As I am not a chemist, I glossed over the more technical aspects of the work, but as an Engineer, I was "blown Away" by the methodology and unique perspective. In his own way, he is a trail blazer and a real inventor. A person who like Telsa, Bell, and Howard Huges persued a dream of discovery and exploration. He used his scientific training to forge ahead where other fear to tread, and he makes light of it in such an off hand way. THis book is an INSPIRATION to any BUDDING young CHEMIST. I found myself wishing to take night classes in Chemistry after reading this book. It is that powerful!

I found the first half of this book to be rather unintersting. It is disconnected from the second half and should essentially stand as its own autobiography.

The second half of this book is an encyclopedia. The discussion of the mechanism of action of the substances in the book is limited to the point of being useless. The discussion on the metabolism of these drugs is also quite limited. For example, there is even one point where the author simply asserts that 'the [other] textbooks' are simply wrong about the metabolism of some phenethylamines by monoamine oxidase. He doesn't bother to go on explaining how they're wrong, or what evidence is available to the contrary.

There is way too much rambling in the second half of the book about why he named one substance this-or-that instead of naming it something else. That provides no insight into these drugs.

It is, of course, important to have the synthetic procedures documented. That is why I call this book an encyclopedia. I can't call this an insightful book about PEA-derivatives as drugs. This book is mostly just a collection of large amounts of data, with an autobiographical book tagged onto the front.

For anyone studying these drugs (i.e. psychedelics or phenethylamine derivatives) from the perspective of pharmaceutical chemistry, this book is a starting point, and that's all. The structure activity relationships of these substances is discussed, but that discussion is limited to purely the chemistry of each compound in isolation. That is, Shulgin has done his work by synthesizing a number of substances, testing them and documenting their effects. His summary (or conclusions) based on the vast amount of data in PIHKAL only generalizes about how structure relates to activity, but without speculating on why these structure-activity relationships are observed.

The book says nothing about how structure relates to pharmacokinetics, receptor binding, or mechanism of action. This book simply serves as a stepping stone for you, the interested reader, to try figuring out why Shulgin observed what he observed. The book is a very small peice of a very large puzzle about psychedelic drugs and consciousness. Shulgin has provided us with a lot of data with this book, but little discussion.

In my opinion, however, the book is way too long to acheive what it ultimately acheives. The first half of the book serves no purpose and seems like a pretentious addition. The second part of the book could be cut by about a third in length if he left out the parts about how he named each substance. IMO, there should be an additional section at the end where he discusses the general observations in more detail. Ultimately, the book is just a collection of syntheses with little meaningful discussion piled on top.

this is one of a kind.

It stands proud in my library and with good reason.

buy this book its an order.

Only people who already use psychedelics could actually like this book. The first parts (the story parts) are horribly written. Dr. Shulgin sees fit to add the line, "And he's a good friend to this day" after he introduces anyone. Ann Shulgin's part is no better. The part where she describes her first use of Peyote is so contrived she might as well have lifted the dailogue from a 50's propoganda film. The story they tell could be interesting if they could actually write, but sadly they can't. Each chapter, a chemical is picked, and they write the story about it. Sometimes, Dr. Shulgin even describes its effects. This is so obviously some fan service for the users who read it, because the effects sound in no way enticing. If you're looking for an entertaing read, look elsewhere. If you're looking to learn about psychedelics, look elsewhere. The final part of the book, the recipe collection is quite useless unless you're a chemist who knows how to get those compounds and make them. Don't let anyone say different, he doesn't teach you how to trip off of the nutmeg in your kitchen. If you already do psychedelics, this book will just reinforce all that you believe. This book would've been better if Dr and Ann Shulgin could write, and if they weren't so dogged in trying to convince that psychedelics are good for us.

I have found this to be a very interesting story. It's fascinating to read Dr. Shulgin's account of his own life.
He seems like a very talented and worldly individual. I would be quite afraid to ever try any of the compounds in the book but it's interesting to read about them anyway. The way I read it, Dr. Shulgin's mission focus is one of cognitive enhancement, not getting stoned. I applaud him for writing this book.

This book is a fine addition to any organic chemist's library. Entertaining, informative, and free-spirited! I proudly display a copy in my own lab. Better living through chemistry!

No psychedelic library is complete without PIHKAL. Some day in the future, when it may again be acceptable to use chemical tools to study the mind, this book will be a treasure-house, a sort of sorcerer's book of spells, to delight and enchant the psychiatrist / shaman of tomorrow.

Having only read the excerpt - the flavor of the writing and some of the author's interests - seem similar to that / those of people with Asperger's syndrome. Could these pharmaceuticals be helpful in ameliorating the emotional flatness associated with disorders on the autistic spectrum?

a powerful, thorough look inside the intricacies of a relationship between two people, their relationship to psychoactive powers within their universe, and nitty gritty details about the nature of politics and philosophy.

Romance and science coalesce symphonically here.

An encyclopedic undertaking that achieves success on a number of fronts, this work shatters delusions and opens your mind. There is really something for everyone here: an inspiring love story and a challenging counter-culture tome written by geniuses.

Not to mention the fact that you get a lot of pages for a nice price.

A must for any extensive library.

While the story itself is rather interesting, the last section of PIHKAL ('book II') is the true star. It's not a story...it's a list of aprox. 200 psychoactive and potentially psychoactive drugs, each lovingly described as to structure, synthesis, dosage, and effects. Each item is based on the core skeleton of phenyl-ethyl amine, which Shulgin laboriously explored at virtually every point, substitutive alkyl groups, thio groups, halides, etc. (Methoxy ring substituents are especially popular in his work.) The result is an astonishing array of hallucinogens, amphetamines, and some seemingly inert materials. While he is perhaps best known for his work on MDMA, the drug that would later gain infamy as the illegal drug 'ecstasy', it will surprise most readers to discover that MDMA is only one of an entire family of psychoactive drugs, each with their own sometimes subtle, sometimes astonishing differences. A truly extraordinary, landmark work for the pharmacologist, or simply those curious about psychoactive drugs from a more technical, exploratory stance. (That said, if you wouldn't know a carbon atom from a Honda Civic, you'll still like the biographical part, which is anything but dry and technical.)

Yes, this is THAT book. And I am shamed to admit the reason I read it was to see if all the rumors were true. They are. But that's not the interesting part of this book. The interesting part is that it has a really wonderful story about the athors and their lives. Alexander Shulgrin seems like kind of a jerk but his philosophy on life and why he does what he does more than makes up for his behavioral quirks. Also, it has some good guidelines for people who are looking for something spiritual rather than just a good high.It is an incredibly informative book, I recomend it highly. (no pun intended)

The first half of this book is excellent. It tells us about the chemists life and how he discovered exciting new drugs. It also tells us about his experiences taking them.

The second half is terrible. It is written by his wife and it is a love story. She has to be the most pathetic person I have ever come across. I don't know how anyone can be so needy and insecure. The amount of times I cringed at her "inner thoughts" (written in italics in the book). Agh. It really ruined the book.

Overall, I recommend this book because the first half is so good. Maybe I'm too cynical and you might enjoy the second half, but I doubt it...

I had assumed this book to be new-age fluff after having
seen it referenced so often in other new-age fluff books.
So I was quite surprised to find that it is really a
fascinating scientific biography, a genre I am
personally addicted to. The 'love story' wanders into the
fluff zone occasionally, and the chemistry recipe book
wanders into extreme alchemical arcana, but overall its
a comprehensive compendium that is unique as far as I know,
and a valuable record of the behind-the-scenes history
of the California new-age 80's. I am only puzzled at
Dr. Shulgin's lack of comment or experience in the traditional
spiritual practices, since even though he frequented Zen centers
while doing his assays, he seems not to be the least curious
as to the perspectives of these traditions.

I was also interested to read more about the mysterious therapist
referred to as 'Jacob' in the book 'The Secret Chief' by author
Myron Stolaroff. Check out this book after 'Pikhal' and you
will get a fresh and equally important perspective on the
practices of this seminal group of psychic healers/explorers.

somebody oughta make a movie! :)

I will not give a full review as others have, all i will say is if you have any interest in psychedelics and want to learn some chemistry this should be your first port of call. Written by the leaders of psychedelic research.

This book is divided into two halves. The first half is the story of Shulgin's life, from childhood to modern times. It is a moving and beautiful tale of one man's attempt to make sense of the world and his place in it. Intertwined in this personal experience is a budding love affair with a woman who could only be rated as amazing.

The second half consists of Shulgin's recipes and notes on the synthesis of every compound in the Phenethylamine category that he has ever made.

Overall, this book will change the way you feel about psychedelics, and the reasons that people use them. The story is at times inspiring, at times heartbreaking, and always genuine. Highly recommended as an introduction to the spirituality behind psychedelics and some of the issues involved with them.

What's amazing about the Shulgins is their ability to isolate the nuances that make drugs like MDMA and MDE different from one another. The separate entries at different dosage levels are not only insightful, but essential to the potential experimentor. Reading this will make anyone cautious about buying what is considered "ecstasy" by the current youth culture.

The Chemistry is beyond me, but it's still fascinating. Buying this book is worth being put on any government list. Yes, it's that good.

After reading this book I felt inspired to take a chemistry class. Now that I have taken one I have decided to pursue a career in pharmaceuticals. After reading this book I was awakened to another world.

If you've ever been curious as to what the chauvinistic governmental regulations have been keeping from you, here's the place to discover all you'll need to know. The author offers brilliant and informative insights into the chemically altered human states of mind. With his wife and life long partner also offering her point of view. If you've been curious as to what it's like and how to get there, this book is for you!

One of best books I have ever read. It is a must for everyone who was interested in or just plain curious about psychedelic drugs or drugs in general. It is real shame that DEA wanted to stop the publishing of this book ??????? This book is very educational and opens the readers mind to the universe within! KUDOS TO SHULGIN!

True genius at work here. Left me with some hope for this troubled world. A book everyone should own, no matter what your position is on the war on drugs.

"PIHKAL" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

Shulgin and his wife give a very entertaining, educational, and fascinating account of their exploration of psychedelics, with a separate section on their chemistry. The DEA hated this book so much that they harassed the authors and their friends for months after it was published.... but you'd have to be a narrow-minded pinhead to hate this book! Shulgin goes on my short list of "heros".

This book is fascinating. It is not an "I like trippin' and listenin' to the Dead" book. It is a very thorough, interesting account of the work of two very intelligent and thoughtful people in the area of psychedelic drugs and their influence on/application to human life. Here's a quote that gives some idea of the orientation of the book: of marijuana (not a phenethylamine, and thus, not really addressed fully in the book), Shulgin writes, "I have chosen not to use marijuana, as I feel the light-headed intoxication and benign alteration of consciousness does not adequately compensate for an uncomfortable feeling that I am wasting time." Of psychedelics, he writes, "the potential of the psychedelic drugs to provide access to the interior universe, is, I believe, their most valuable property." This isn't a book about seeing jerry-bears and setting up clandestine labs. It's an introduction to a new way of exploring one's relationship to the rest of the universe. It is wonderful and an invaluable resource to all who are willing to try to deal with this piece of the puzzle.

What could be more important than the exploration of consciousness

This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. This is the Shulgins' first autobiographical account of the search for new derivatives of mescaine, includuing the re-discovery of ecstasy (MDMA).. It lies on the cusp between top-level synthetic chemistry and guru-level self development, and is a must for anyone interested in selfdevelopment or recreational drug usage. Cannot be too highly recommended.

If you've heard about this book, you have probably heard of the 179 recipes for "designer drugs" (which, as Shulgin points out, is a moronic concept as all chemicals synthesized are made by design), whether inactive, active, or just plain weird in effect. They are there, in full detail for the chemist though lacking basic instructional material for the enthusiastic but untutored. (Like, they might not say what LAH in Et2O is, or that LAH can explode...) The syntheses include not just the overall gist, but grams of this and mls of that, including the extractions and purifications.

However, what Shulgin will give you that you didn't plan on is an insight as to why this is interesting in a scientific sense - the benefits in psychotherapy, the DRASTIC differences between effects of these chemicals in humans as opposed to rats, to the point where one compound is a highly effective analgesic in the one "taster" who has tried it so far, yet was ignored because rats had no effect, for example.

Last but not least, note that his DEA-approved research laboratory was busted and shut down in retaliation for his publication of this book. Solidarity...!

The "love story" itself (biography of the authors) ranges from fascinating to dull as you go along. Still, it gives a taste of what it is like to try so many bizarre drugs in a circumspect manner, and reminds you that this is someone who has subjected his brain to this for 20 years and is still smarter than YOU.

A very good book especially if you have tried or like to try any psychedelic substance. More studies should be published for a wider range of people not only scientist!!

It's not often that you find a combination of scientific objectivity and readability, but this joint effort by Shulgin and his wife Anne was entertaining, enlightening, and passed on a wealth of information, both personal and professional in nature.

Here you find a fascinating account of their brave excursions into the inner unknown, an account of the plusses and minuses of their experiences, a glimpse of the theraputic possibilities that lay in MDMA, and a wealth of technical information, layed out in a manner that even a layman can appreciate and enjoy.
For further reading by the same author I also recommend TIHKAL, a book that tells the story of the Tryptamine family of compounds in the same entertaining manner.

A very interesting book, with something for everyone, from chemists to the curious. Rarely have I seen a book published on the subject with such scientific objectivity, yet it is still filled with anecdotes that are very interesting and fun to read. I enjoyed every page