Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Note to the Reader

Introduction: “The Big Smoke”


Part I -- Opium and Its Allure Through Time

1 The Herb of Joy: Historical Background

2 Flower Power: The Cultivation and Harvesting of Opium

3 Papaver somniferum: The Pharmacology of Opium

4 Alkaloids and Alchemy: Physical and Cerebral Effects

5 The Velvet Underground: Psychological and Social Aspects

6 A Decision to Be Taken: Addiction and Withdrawal

7 Swallowing Clouds, Spewing Fog: Opium Smokers--Past and Present

8 “Pipe Dreams” and “The Alchemist’s Song”: Opium Poetry by Martin Matz

9 To Smoke or Not to Smoke: Reviewing the Evidence

Part II -- The Art and Craft of Smoking Opium

10 Black Gold: Refining and Blending the Smoking Mixture

11 Smoking Guns: Chinese Opium Craft

12 The Way: The Art and Philosophy of Smoking Opium


Afterword: Coming Full Circle

Appendix: Chronology of Opium Milestones

Selected Reading

About the Author

Peter Lee was born in Peking, China, in 1936. He studied at the University of California at Berkeley and the Sorbonne in Paris and has worked as a writer, translator, magazine editor, and professor. He now lives in retirement in Thailand.

Reviews

"In this book, the timeless mysteries of opium, the nectar of the gods that has entranced alike the seekers, visionaries, and lost of the ages, are delved with an intimacy and depth of knowing as never before. This is, simply and superlatively, the best and most entrancing exploration into the fabulous, forbidden, and little-understood world of opium; simply and superlatively, the only book written from within that world, the only book about opium worth reading through which one truly may enter that world."
*Nick Tosches, author of Hellfire and Power on Earth*

"Every aspect of opium is covered, from how it came to be smoked for pleasure in China to its connections to Taoism, Chinese medicine and traditional Asian custom. Add quotes and insights from literary and artistic figures and you have a text which is packed with sociological insights."
*Diane Donovan, California Bookwatch, May 2006*

"Unique among books on the topic, [Opium Culture] takes a nativist view of the customs surrounding opium in China, dispersing the romance and propaganda that have clouded this most storied of vices. Opium is presented as herbal medicine whose alkaloids produce a hardy balance of effects that aren’t stuporous, but stimulating."
*Charles Hayes*

"This book is among the best I have read on this powerful plant medicine that is so important in traditional and modern medicine. Any student, health professional, herbalist, ethnobotanist, lover of Chinese culture, or person interested in the history of medicine will want to own and read this book."
*Steven R. King, Ph.D., HerbalGram, No. 75*