“Provides the much needed ‘coming out of the closet’ that the psychedelic movement has lacked. These stories will captivate, inspire, caution, and educate. This courageous book exceeds expectations.” —Rich Doblin, President, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) A collection of transformational psychedelic experiences, and a guidebook for how to understand them Flash back to a generation ago, when the world of psychedelics still coasted in the gritty, adventurous, do-it-yourself ethos of Sixties counterculture. Hang on for the bumpy thrill ride of the psychedelic experience before it was traded in for the white lab coat of pharmaceutical medicine. Read up on the early anecdotes and field reports that have made ketamine and MDMA the newest drugs in mental health treatment. In Tripping, journalist Charles Hayes compiles fifty narratives of psychedelic odysseys—from respectable Baby Boomers and young ravers to renowned Beat poet Anne Waldman and preeminent spokesperson Terence McKenna—to give readers a glimpse into this transgressive, experimental world of self-discovery. As he liberates psychedelics from their social stigma, Hayes explores ancient Greek rites and ecstasy-fueled raves, sacred indigenous plants and synthetic “smart drugs,” alien encounters and connections with nature, the terrifying and the sublime. A history, cultural timepiece, and resource guide all in one, Tripping is a compendium of forbidden memories whose otherworldly tales and expository advice will provide insight and inspiration to readers even—and especially—now, twenty years after its original publication.

A mountain lodge 5,000 feet up in Washington State’s Cascades mountains, accessible only by skis—or an SUV tricked out with bulldozer-size snow tires. A sleek cabin just 80 minutes from Manhattan, overlooking the property’s pond and 19 acres of woodland. A romantic, eco-friendly escape in the misty mountains of Bali’s Gunung Agung volcano. A glass-domed Finnish hut offering unobstructed views of the Northern Lights. Whether readers are seeking a once-in-a-lifetime adventure or a quiet retreat, a cozy night around a firepit or a summery lakefront sojourn, Cabin Tripping delivers. Divided into six chapters—Forest, Tropics, Mountain, Arctic, Water, and Desert—the book features a curated collection of over 80 of the most incredible cabins available to rent all over the globe. Each cabin profile includes information on how to get there, activities to enjoy in the area (hiking trails, fishing holes, thermal spas, and more), and tips like when to plan your visit to maximize your “leaf-peeping” or whale-watching opportunities.

Legend Tripping: A Contemporary Legend Casebook explores the practice of legend tripping, wherein individuals or groups travel to a site where a legend is thought to have taken place. Legend tripping is a common informal practice depicted in epics, stories, novels, and film throughout both contemporary and historical vernacular culture. In this collection, contributors show how legend trips can express humanity’s interest in the frontier between life and death and the fascination with the possibility of personal contact with the supernatural or spiritual. The volume presents both insightful research and useful pedagogy, making this an invaluable resource in the classroom. Selected major articles on legend tripping, with introductory sections written by the editors, are followed by discussion questions and projects designed to inspire readers to engage critically with legend traditions and customs of legend tripping and to explore possible meanings and symbolics at work. Suggested projects incorporate digital technology as it appears both in legends and in modes of legend tripping. Legend Tripping is appropriate for students, general readers, and folklorists alike. It is the first volume in the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research series, a set of casebooks providing thorough and up-to-date studies that showcase a variety of scholarly approaches to contemporary legends, along with variants of legend texts, discussion questions, and projects for students. Contributors: S. Elizabeth Bird, Bill Ellis, Carl Lindahl, Patricia M. Meley, Tim Prizer

Chuck never thought too deeply about whether aliens existed — not until Jopp, an intergalactic transport pilot, drunkenly crashed on Earth and tried to steal his truck. Now, Chuck finds himself unwittingly roped into helping Jopp work off a debt to the universe’s most powerful corporation, the Prime Partners Intergalactic Consortium. Through a series of mishaps and misfortune, the duo finds themselves in possession of a mysterious black case. In order to survive, they must fend off murderous marauders, an interplanetary police force, a peculiar crime boss, and escape a backwater planet inhabited by alien hillbillies. It’s a big and scary universe out there, and Chuck and Jopp will be damned if they’re going to face it sober.

This unique book is the first to bring together a group of influential China experts to reflect on their cultural and social encounters while travelling and living in the People’s Republic. Filling an important gap, it allows scholars, journalists, and businesspeople to reflect on their personal memories of China. Private experiences—vivid and often entirely unanticipated—often teach more about how a society actually works than a planned course of study can. Such experiences can also expose the sometimes naïve misconceptions visitors often bring with them to China. China experts relate stories that are always interesting but also more: they tell not just anecdotes but telling anecdotes. Why are there no campus maps? (Because, if you don’t know where you’re going and why, you don’t need to be here.) What’s the allure of Mickey Mouse? (He could break all sorts of rules and get away with it.) What’s a sworn brother in China? (Somebody who fights for your honor even when you’re not looking.) Covering nearly a half-century from 1971 to the present, these stories open a vivid window on a rapidly evolving China and on the zigzag learning curve of the China trippers themselves.

Look outside the box and go on the ultimate adventure! Enter the exciting world of myth and monsters, the paranormal, UFOs and extraterrestrials, lost treasures and mysterious places. Delve into these awesome legends and learn how easy and inexpensive it is to search for the subjects of these stories, and what you’ll need to look for them. Robert Robinson presents this epic guide to the stranger sites in America and gives you some valuable pointers on legend tripping out your back door. Chapters include: Legend Tripping; Bigfoot; Other Cryptids; Bigfoot Legend Trip; Aquatic Cryptids; Aquatic Cryptid Legend Trip; Haunted Sites and the Paranormal; Paranormal Legend Trip; UFO Sites and Ghost Lights; Extraterrestrial Legend Trip; Treasure Legends; Treasure Legend Trip; Critical Thinking; Legend Trip Location; Outdoor Survival; Equipment and Tools; Your Legend Trip Begins Now!; Who’s Who in Legend Tripping; Legend Tripping in Popular Fiction; more.

This is a formal ball, and you'll be dancing with us all: your companion is a Soho New York zombie artist. The Prom King is the Vampire Dracula, dressed formally and very grim; music will be courtesy of an avante garde rock band as old as the stones upon the hills.