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endpaper's review
3.0
I learned quite a bit about Mr. Leary with the section comparing him to Charles Manson being the most interesting. He was complex certainly, an egomaniac with a benevolent bent, who caused immense amounts of destruction to those closest to him and ultimately succumbed to his own set and setting. There is more than a trace of irony for a man who came up with the idea of reality tunnels being so completely blinded by his own.
patti_pinguin's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
ury949's review
3.0
This book gives a history of Tim Leary, mainly focusing on the period between 1967 to 1974. It delves into some of his theories and psychological conjectures and explains his thought processes as best possible. This made the book interesting and thought provoking.
Furthermore, the book relates the reader to the structure and evolution of America at that time. The wonderfully thorough and unbiased research on Leary's influence on politics, cultural movements, the gender gap, and his relationships with other prominent people in American history made me realize how big of an influence he had on the modern state of our
country.
I'm not saying this book is for everyone. At times I wondered if the points made would have any meaning for someone who had never tried LSD, or had only tried it once. I was a bit disappointed that so much of the book was like that and wished there was more description of his work with computers. One thing I really liked about the book is it explained everything - I was never left wondering why something happened or how a thought came about.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for some interesting history on LSD and America.
Furthermore, the book relates the reader to the structure and evolution of America at that time. The wonderfully thorough and unbiased research on Leary's influence on politics, cultural movements, the gender gap, and his relationships with other prominent people in American history made me realize how big of an influence he had on the modern state of our
country.
I'm not saying this book is for everyone. At times I wondered if the points made would have any meaning for someone who had never tried LSD, or had only tried it once. I was a bit disappointed that so much of the book was like that and wished there was more description of his work with computers. One thing I really liked about the book is it explained everything - I was never left wondering why something happened or how a thought came about.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for some interesting history on LSD and America.
lashlees's review
3.0
This was certainly interesting to read. Although I have never had much interest in LSD or Timothy Leary - someone bought this book for me when I was about 17 and at the time I was really into The Beatles - particularly the post LSD records. It’s nice to think that after all these years it’s finally been read.
The story was fascinating and I learned a lot more about the influence LSD has had (more than I thought) - I kind of thought Leary himself was a bit of a cunt? I was expecting to be amazed by him after the Winona Ryder forward but nah. The whole thing about him brainwashing his wife so that she would worship him has not aged well at all. I felt a lot of sympathy for his family.
The story was fascinating and I learned a lot more about the influence LSD has had (more than I thought) - I kind of thought Leary himself was a bit of a cunt? I was expecting to be amazed by him after the Winona Ryder forward but nah. The whole thing about him brainwashing his wife so that she would worship him has not aged well at all. I felt a lot of sympathy for his family.
roba's review against another edition
3.0
Fast-paced biog, and lots of interesting stuff (never knew the Black Panthers had an embassy in Algeria, for example). But I didn't get a very deep impression of what Leary might actually have been like, and crucially, the effect of psychedelics, so central to the book and to Leary, isn't very clearly explained. I mean, that's notoriously difficult to do, but quote some Huxley or something.
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