Pharmako/Poeia, Revised and Updated: Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft

by Dale Pendell

Book Overview

Immerse yourself in the fascinating universe of psychoactive plants with Volume 1 of Dale Pendell's celebrated Pharmako trilogy

The bestselling magical fusion of science, poetry, history, and philosophy

In this updated paperback edition of the first volume of Dale Pendell's renowned Pharmako trilogy, readers are welcomed on an absorbing journey through the history and applications of psychoactive plants and their synthetic equivalents...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556438052
• ISBN13: 9781556438059
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.9" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Get the whole series!

I've read a lot of books on herbalism, but this series of books is a unique and extremely valuable find. Dale Pendell covers a wide variety of herbs and their affects on the human mind, body and spirit. What makes his book different from others is the poetic way in which he conveys his information. It makes reading the books far from dull or dry, and some herbal books read like medical textbooks in that sense. The authors brilliance, wisdom and sheer depth and bredth of knowledge shines through in this series, and I can't think of any other books that cover the "poisonous" herbs and substances in such a way. Read Pharmako/Poeia and you will probably want to buy Pharmako/Dynamis and Pharmako/Gnosis. They are all valuable to the herbalist, folklorist, entheobotanist, or anyone who just wants to know about the uses and side effects of various plants that are often stigmatized in our culture. Subjects range from: Opium Marjuana Alcohol (beer, wine, distilled spirits) Absinthe Salvia Tobacco Nitrous Kava Kava And even, fossil fuel. But don't think that he advocates the use (or abuse) of all these plants. He gives you the information, what they do, their history, and side effects. You will find no propaganda or scare tactics, just the truth (and the truth of what some of these plants can do is scary enough without embellishment!) Another plus of these books: They're aesthetically pleasing. I honestly can't think of any problems with this series of books: Informative, accurate and beautiful. Dale Pendell is an asset to the herbalist community.

Wonderful overview of medicinal plants....

PHARMAKO-DYNAMIS and PHARMAKO-POEIA by Dale Pendell contain much of interest to gardeners, artists, historians, drug counselors, and drug users. Pendell suggests that how a plant substance is defined (poison, drug, medicine) depends on the dosage, length of use, and intent of the user. In other words, if plant-based drugs are "abused" the problem lies not in our plants but in our selves. He says the reader can begin anywhere in either of his two books and arrive at the same place. I read PHARMAKO-POEIA last, not because it isn't interesting, but because coffee, tea, and cocao are covered in DYNAMIS. As a tea drinker, I wanted to find out more about my herb of choice before I ventured onto others. POEIA includes a wonderful section on Absinthe which may be related to the seduction of angels. Students of 19th Century French art history and the Belle Epoch know about Absinthe. Absinthe is that lovely green substance the Impressionist painters liked to portray, which according to some was the devil's own drink (he being a fallen angel). Wilde was fond of Absinthe, and may have been using it when he wrote "The Portrait of Dorian Grey." On the other hand, it may have been his drug of choice when he developed his witty and amusing stage plays. Readers associated with Lewis' Screwtape Letters will recognize Absinthe's plant name-Wormwood. Wormwood was probably the bitter herb offered Christ in his last hour of agony and Revelations 8:10,11 has something to say about it. Artemisia is Wormwood's proper name, and the Greek Artemisia is the Roman Diana, Goddess of the Moon. Pendell says Oberon uses `Dian's bud' to reverse the effects of a love potion in A Midsummer Night's Dream. What was Shakespeare thinking?? Besides Artemisia and Valerian, Pendell discusses a few other suspect plants I grow in my own garden, such as Papaver, the Opium Poppy. Oh the feds tried to ban it once, but all the little old ladies came after them and Poppy reigns supreme in American cottage gardens. According to Pendell, the worldwide persecution of the Poppy plant continues even though Poppy plants (and Cannabis) have killed far fewer people than tobacco plants. This is wonderful wise book for crafty gardeners and their friends.

Excellent!!

I am an herbalist, and I found this book by Pendell and Snyder to be full of information that was presented in a fascinating way. Interestingly, finding information about herbal poisons isn't as easy as it might seem, but is still important. I can honestly say I learned a few things from this book that I did not realize, particularly from a historical standpoint! I can't wait to get my hands on the other two volumes as soon as they become available - however I have been waiting for almost a year for the promised second and third volumes of the book. I am hoping that the publisher or author can give us a firmer lead time for their final release.

A Classic in the Genre

Dale Pendell brings together the magic and mystery of plant intelligence and the poison path. He taps into the ancient wisdom that human beings have developed as human beings from their close association with plant intelligence and plant body. A long time associate of Gary Snyder and the other poets of the San Francisco Bay area Pendell is a major voice in his own right. He weaves the magic of his verse deeply into the stream of consciousness flowing through his work and takes the reader, like the plants he discusses, into worlds that themselves change consciousness. A tremendous work in the field.

The most entertaining and informative reference book today.

This excellent book is a resource of poetry, herbcraft, history, magic, and altered consiousness. The only difficulty so far has been waiting for the second volume to come out and continue the story. But now it is available. The author uses poetry and images mixed with concrete chemical information about the psycoactive substances in each plant. The chapters are well arranged, in the categories the author has devised with the help of his plant allies to divide the plants into compatable chapters. I've never read anything like this, and read the book over and over, I have my favorite chapters, and the detailed information included on how to prepare and use the plants is reference information too keep on hand.