Pharmako/Dynamis
  • Published: 1 January 2011
  • ISBN: 9781556438035
  • Imprint: North Atlantic
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 312
  • RRP: $49.99

Pharmako/Dynamis

Stimulating Plants, Potions, and Herbcraft

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Anyone with an interest in the psychoactive and healing properties of plants and related substances will find Dale Pendell's Pharmako trilogy an entertaining yet profound overview of this emerging field. The series has rapidly assumed cult status as an unparalleled exposition of its subject, and this North Atlantic updated paperback edition will bring this underground classic to a wider readership than ever.

Dive into the potent world of plant-based stimulants and empathogens with Pharmako/Dynamis—Volume 2 of Dale Pendell's authoritative Pharmako trilogy.

Embark on an enriching journey through nature's stimulants—and our complex relationship with them—in Pharmako/Dynamis: Stimulating Plants, Potions, and Herbcraft. Pendell's poetic narrative expertly weaves together scientific understanding and enchanting literature, making this book an enticing read for enthusiasts, herbalists, and psychonauts alike. 

Readers will delve deeper into the fascinating universe of psychoactive plants, investigating a variety of stimulants and empathogens, each with its own unique history, usage, and cultural significance:

  • Amphetamines
  • Betel (Areca catechu)
  • Chocolate
  • Coca (Erythroxylum coca)
  • Coffee
  • Khat (Catha edulis)
  • Kola (Kola nitida)
  • Ma huang (Ephedra)
  • MDMA (Ecstasy)
  • Tea
  • And more
The book explores these substances in detail and more, offering a profound understanding of their impact and roles. With an engaging blend of scientific knowledge, historical context, and spiritual insights, Pendell presents a meticulously detailed study of each psychoactive substance. His authoritative and delightfully playful voice elucidates not just the pharmacological aspects, but also the subtle effects of these substances on human consciousness.

This volume is more than just a resource; it's a thrilling voyage into the intricate dance between humans and the psychoactive plant kingdom.
  • Published: 1 January 2011
  • ISBN: 9781556438035
  • Imprint: North Atlantic
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 312
  • RRP: $49.99
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About the author

Dale Pendell

Plant student Dale Pendell established himself as one of the foremost popular exponents of shamanic ethnobotany with his unprecedented Pharmako trilogy. A noted poet, he was the founding editor of the avant-garde magazine Kuksu and a cofounder of the Primitive Arts Institute and has led workshops on ethnobotany and ethnopoetics for the Naropa Institute and the Omega Institute. Pendell was part of the Oracular Madness theme camp at Burning Man for a number of years (his book Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man was published by Frog Books in 2006). Also an experienced computer scientist, he lives with his wife Laura in California’s Sierra foothills.

Also by Dale Pendell

The Great Bay
Inspired Madness
Pharmako/Gnosis
Pharmako/Poeia, Revised and Updated
See all

Praise for Pharmako/Dynamis

“A poet, ethnobotanist, and amateur chemist, he’s the best writer on drugs to come along since the late Terence McKenna.”

—The Village Voice

“Dale Pendell, most elegant eloquent writer on drugs because both scientist and poet, has exuded a book as charming as The Compleat Angler or Brillat-Savarin’s Physiology of Taste. It will be preserved amongst the scriptures of an entheogenic revival that will recognize the scribe Pendell as an inspired prophet and forerunner.”

—Hakim Bey

“Dale Pendell’s books are elegant tapestries of accurate chemistry, pharmacology, and botany, interwoven with rich poetical imagery. I use them as textbooks in a large annual undergraduate class which I teach at the University of California in Berkeley. The students love them.”

—David E. Presti, PhD, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley