This book is absolutely fascinating, especially to me as a pharmacist. That said I think I would have enjoyed it more had it focussed less on the authors illicit drug taking - but that’s just because I’m a pharmacist! I found the caffeine section to be the most interesting with lots of new facts. It was a slow read for me, partly because of the content but also because my NetGalley ARC version was missing every ‘ff’ ‘fl’ and ‘fi’ meaning I had to guess a lot of words.. for instance flower became ower. Doesn’t take away from the content of the book though and I have found it interesting!

This was an interesting book, but not written at all how I expected. That said, it was very informative, and I came away with knowledge that I didn’t have before reading this.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Would have enjoyed it more if it was less about the author's experiences of drug use, and more about the 'drugs'. Less memoir/personal, more informative, science-based essays . However, having read Pollan before, I should have gathered that this would be the case . I like the 'Caffeine' section best. Even though it can get a bit self-indulgent, I appreciate that Pollan backs his theories up with neat references.

I feel like I had higher expectations from the book, maybe because of the title, I don't know. Anyway, I thought it would be much more about the plants themselves than the author's experience with the three plants mentioned in the book. Still, I learned some interesting facts about the mescaline, the opium and even the coffee.

Humans have used natural plants to alter mood for thousands of years and here Pollan explores three. Opium, illegal and powerful yet opiates are the greatest drug problem of our time. Caffeine, the daily drug of choice for many. Mescaline, associated with mind-altering.
I found the book somewhat patchy and very nearly gave up during the section on opium. This just came across as a repetitive and overly wordy exploration of legalities. the section on caffeine, by contrast, was great - interesting and relevant with a good balance of personal and social/historical. Finally mescaline was a little self-indulgent but had interesting sections of Native American culture which just about saved it. the book is essentially three very long essays!

I learned a lot reading this as it's well researched, well written and informative.
It's thought provoking and it made me reflect on mind altering plants and their role in history.
An excellent and highly recommended book.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This Is Your Mind On Plants is a thought-provoking exploration of opium, caffeine and mescaline, three very different mind-altering substances that start as plants. Michael Pollan does a good job of blending memoir with history and science as he clearly did research on the topics at hand, but also shares his own experience with the drugs. I can see plenty of discussion being sparked from this book. I'll certainly read more Pollan in the future.

I found this book to be absolutely fascinating and written in such an engaging and lyrical way that it captivated my attention throughout.

Considering opium, caffeine and mescaline, the writer provided a rich historical and political context which I found deeply interesting.

Then, in finite detail, the use and effects of each was examined and I for one, found my curiosity piqued.

Such an interesting phenomenon that plants can produce substances that alter our consciousness. Why do they?

This book was so much more than I was expecting and has definitely made me want to read Huxley now to read of his expereince on mescaline.

Even if you're not particularly into botany, this is still a book I would recommend for any open minded people who are curious about different levels of consciousness.

Three chapters, opium, caffeine, and mescaline. The opium one was recycled from some time ago, it would have been interesting to read more about the opiate crisis in modern times in the USA and the drug companies.
The coffee chapter was quite fascinating, given it is the one of the three drugs I use. The social/political aspects were an interesting introduction to the area.
The mescaline chapter dug into some Native American/American Indian information and ideas. Including that some prefer the name Indian to Native American. I found this and the surrounding politics of mescaline more interesting that the effects of the drug.

A well-written and thought-provoking dive into different drugs and their workings on the brain. I though Michael Pollan's prose was clear and engaging, I will never think about my morning cup of coffee in the same way again!

Every day many of us steep socially acceptable leaves in hot water or infuse ground beans to prepare us for the day ahead versus other plants that are illegal to steep and drink. What is a drug and what isn’t? Coffee has been outlawed in the past in Europe and the Arab world.
I’ve been looking forward to reading ‘This is Your Mind on Plants’ by Michael Pollan since I started to hear the buzz about it and it doesn’t disappoint. I’d read about the effects of caffeine with great interest in ‘Why We Sleep’ by Matthew Walker (highly recommended) and learnt about the effects of psychedelics from David Nutt and Tara Austin at #nudgestock2021. A fascinating read that educates and makes you ask many new questions.

This book was more like a memoir of the author experiences with the 3 types of drug listed ( opium/poppies, caffeine and Mescaline) rather than any scientific background. found the book very interesting though.

In well-researched and engaging, often downright chatty prose, Pollan sets out to illuminate and dispel some of the many myths surrounding three of the world’s most infamous plant-based drugs: opium, mescaline and caffeine. To take any of these drugs in whatever form is, Pollan believes, to be ‘engaging with nature in one of the most profound ways possible’, and his book takes the refreshing (though not risk-free) approach of presenting them in a relatively neutral manner, viewed not necessarily through the social lens of ‘drugs’ – a word that is heavy with connotations – but merely in terms of their effects on the brain and the various historical, cultural, political and religious positions they have come to occupy.

[. . .]

The book seems to lose its way a little almost before it has begun, with the first section on opium providing an interesting look at legal wrangling over drugs in the USA, but not informing the reader much about opium itself. In the following sections on caffeine and mescaline, however, Pollan really begins to find his thread and the book picks up in both pace and interest, offering an extremely thought-provoking and refreshingly angled take on how caffeine has impacted on Western society, and asking important questions about cultural appropriation and the violent repression of people and beliefs within the context of mescaline.

[. . .]

Pollan’s mind is evidently an active one: as a writer, he is intelligent and enthusiastic, pushing lines of reasoning and offering his readers new ways of looking at subjects they may not have given much previous consideration. Though at times he seems to become distracted – a botanist catching sight of an unusual-looking specimen – This Is Your Mind On Plants is a thoroughly entertaining read. A healthy dose of fresh insights packaged in a trustworthy, accessible narration, it remains critical of humanity, in awe of nature, and all the while pleasingly willing to accept that some things in this world can’t or shouldn’t be explained.

[abridged review, full version available on my blog]

I found this a truly fascinating read, wonderfully compelling, an exploration of plant-based psychedelics, America’s war on drugs and the country’s drug laws. The book is divided into three sections, the first about opium, a sedative, the second is about caffeine, a stimulant, and the third focusses on mescaline/peyote, a hallucinogen. Each section combines a scientific and historical examination with the author’s own personal experience with the drugs. Caffeine, he reminds us, is the most popular psychoactive drug on the planet – and I must admit I’d never thought of the numerous cups of tea I drink every day in quite in those terms. He also suggests that it was the move from alcohol to coffee that led to Europe’s’ cultural revolutions and the Enlightenment in the 17th century, “sparked by a switch form drunken to caffeinated brains.” I was interested to learn that for the Native American Church, peyote is sacred (and legal) and they do not consider it a drug. I did get a little bored when the author described his own experience on it – I don’t think we needed such a long section – but really that’s the only quibble I have. As for opium, buying poppy seeds is apparently perfectly legal and they are available from seed catalogues, but growing them in your garden is risky as the plants are illegal, and making opium tea not a good idea. The book is wide-ranging and full of interesting snippets like that, and I learnt a lot. A great read.

Interesting and engaging discussion of the use of plants as drugs, including the type of effects and why some are considered more socially acceptable than others. The author focuses on three plant produced drugs: opium, caffeine and mescaline, to represent the three broad categories of psychoactive compounds :sedative, stimulant, and hallucinogen.

This is a fascinating and very personal investigation into our relationship to and interaction with three plants. The writing style is both analytical and reflective. The explanations are enriched by the backstories and efforts to engage with the plants' effects. The 'research' is well-grounded in the literature and is effectively referenced. This was an enjoyable read and each investigation provided its own areas of interest. As a broad-based investigation, this is a highly recommended read

Thanks to net galley for this free read. I found it very interesting. I particularly like the history that the author gives when talking about the different plants as well as it's place in society today.

I love home remedies and curing myself with plants and herbs how my grandmother thought me, so I really enjoyed this book. It has great insight into these natural substances and how they affect our bodies. Definitely recommended!

I found this a very interesting read. Although it's very much US based in research, you can't take away facts.
I have a condition called Premenstrual dysphoric disorder and take some intense medication to help me function. I also had a really bad episode from too much caffeine 12 years ago. Which is what compelled me to request and read this book. I also run an online support group with 18k people on it. They are constantly asking questions re medication, I will be pointing them towards this book.

Thank you #netgally thanks to the author for writing this book.

4.75*

I rarely read non-fiction but "This is your mind on plants" blurb caught my attention immediately. It sounded fascinating!

The book is divided into 3 main chapters, the first one describes opium, the second one caffeine, and the third one peyote.

It was really interesting to see what is a legal status of the substances, and also how unclear it can be! Can you grow poppies in your garden? When does your gardening become a threat of 20 years in prison? What happens with your body when you stop taking caffeine? I've known nothing about peyote before, so that was a good chapter! It's actually legal to grow the plant in the UK (illegal to make it ready for consumption), so I'm thinking of getting one.

I truly enjoyed the history of tea and coffee, especially in the context of Britain where I live. I had no idea about the first coffee shops and how women hated them, because men would spend their entire spare time there! I must admit that whenever I drink coffee, I now think about this silent addiction. Coffee sounds like something that everyone drinks, it's normal, it's not like a 'drug'... isn't it though?
Learning about the plants producing caffeine and why they do that was *fascinating*.

I think this book will be interesting to everyone who loves science and biology... and who wants to learn more about drugs, which are actually around us.

I'll definitely read more books by this author!