"Even if read while sober, Andy Lechter's A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom , is a near-transcendent experience." -New York Times Book Review Since its rediscovery only fifty years ago, the magic a hallucinogenic fungus once shunned in the West as the most pernicious of poisons, has inspired a plethora of folktales and urban legends. In this timely and definitive study, Andy Letcher chronicles the history of the magic mushroom—from its use by the Aztecs of Central America and the tribes of Siberia through to the present day—stripping away the myths and taking a critical and humorous look at the drug's more recent manifestations. Informative, lively, and impeccably researched,  Shroom  is a unique and engaging exploration of this most extraordinary of psychedelics.