Human History on Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous but Entirely Truthful Look at History Under the Influence

Human History on Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous but Entirely Truthful Look at History Under the Influence

A lively, hilarious, and entirely truthful look at the druggie side of history’s most famous figures, including Shakespeare, George Washington, the Beatles, and more Did you know that Alexander the Great was a sloppy drunk and William Shakespeare was a stoner? Or how about the fact that Steve Jobs believed taking LSD helped him create the Apple computer, or that Sigmund Freud loved cocaine so much he took it all the time and prescribed it to his patients? In Human History on Drugs , Sam Kelly introduces us to the history our teachers never told us, offering up irreverent and insightful commentary as he sheds light on some truly bizarre aspects of the historical characters we only thought we knew. With chapters spanning from Ancient Greece (“The Oracle of Delphi Was Huffing Fumes”) to modern times (“Carl Sagan Got Astronomically High”), Kelly's research covers all manner of eras, places, and, of course, drugs. History is rife with drug use and drug users, and Human History on Drugs takes us through those highs (pun intended) and lows on a witty and entertaining ride that uncovers their mind-boggling impact on our past. "Sam Kelly makes a promise to readers that he doesn’t glorify the use of drugs or alcohol here, a promise he’s kept inside “Human History on Drugs.” Instead, he’s honest about how such substances have affected history. He’s fun, flippant, and playful about it, and he invites readers to engage in that pure lack of stuffiness.... Readers will be sympathetic while enjoying some of the stories here, astounded at others, and gleeful at the ones that are humorously, wonderfully outrageous." — Bookworm Sez "The book covers 40 historical figures and their penchant for getting stoned, high and hammered." —New York Post "A nonstop, eye-popping panorama... Besides serving up a multitude of entertaining stories, Kelly provides genuine food for thought about the medical and spiritual applications of psychedelics. Brimming with enthusiasm for history’s nooks and crannies, this charms." —Publishers Weekly “ Human History on Drugs brings famous historical figures and eras to life in a way we’ve never seen them before. You’ll never look at history the same way again.” — Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author Sam Kelly , a history grad from Stanford University, is on the autism spectrum and his interest and passion for history has become an almost physical compulsion. He loves to dig up forgotten and weird stories from the past and spends hours uncovering every last stubborn detail. As a deep believer that history can be as exciting as any Marvel movie, Sam aims to—whether on TikTok or through a book—make history both engaging and accessible to all. Human History on Drugs is his first book. Chapter 1 The Oracle of Delphi Was Huffing Fumes You've heard of the Oracle of Delphi, right? The all-knowing seer of the future who channeled the wisdom of the gods and advised Greek kings on their most momentous decisions? Yeah, she was on drugs.When the ancient Greeks had important decisions to make, they wanted advice from the gods, so they'd travel all the way to the Oracle of Delphi. It was quite a schlep. The oracle was located a hundred miles away from Athens, on a high mountain surrounded by treacherous cliffs. Getting there required either a long trek over mountaintops or a perilous sea voyage. Either way, the trip would take days, or even weeks. So why'd they go to all that muss and fuss? After all, the ancient Greeks had developed all sorts of highly scientific methods to determine what the gods were thinking, such as drawing lots, rolling dice, studying the cracks in chicken bones, and-this is my personal favorite-massaging the entrails of a dead animal, especially the liver, which was considered to be the ripest organ for purposes of prophetic prognostication. Yet they chose to visit the oracle for one simple and compelling reason: the oracle was never wrong. Palpating a sheep's liver was fine for the mundane decisions of everyday life, such as which crops to plant that year, but when it came to making crucial decisions that would potentially determine whether an empire would rise or fall, you couldn't half-ass it. You had to seek out the oracle. You see, the Oracle of Delphi was no ordinary priest. The oracle was the handpicked messenger of Apollo, a human conduit to the all-seeing gods. Apollo's words flowed through the oracle, transforming her into a perfect vessel of wisdom, insight, and knowledge of future events.That's right, "her." The oracle was a woman-which is shocking when you consider that ancient Greece was an immensely patriarchal society in which girls were not allowed to go to school and were typically married off by the time they reached age fourteen. Yet when the alpha males who ruled over ancient Greece needed advice on their most vital matters of state, they sought the counsel of a woman-and not always the same woman. The Oracle of Delphi was an institutio