From opium in stone-age caves to crack on our own streets, intoxicants have always played a significant role in society. In this widely acclaimed look at drugs through history, Richard Ridgley shows how our attitudes toward these substances have been shaped, and how our own use of intoxicants, such as alcohol and coffee, is aprt of the age-old quest for altered states.

Rudgley cogently shows how the significance of these substances -- from peyote in the Americas, qat in Africa, and betel in Southeast Asia, to hallucinogens like LSD and marijuana, and stimulants like cocoa, coffee, and tea -- extends beyond simple pleasure to the economic, political, and sexual life of the community. In the process, he challenges our assumptions that deem certain intoxicants socially and legally acceptable while others remain taboo.