In this book the author, an investigative journalist, traces the social history of marijuana from its origins to its emergence in the 1960s as a defining force in an ongoing culture war. He describes how the illicit marijuana subculture overcame government opposition and morphed into a multibillion-dollar industry. In 1996, Californians voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. Similar laws have followed in several other states, but not without antagonistic responses from federal, state, and local law enforcement. The author draws attention to underreported scientific breakthroughs that are reshaping the therapeutic landscape: medical researchers have developed promising treatments for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, diabetes, chronic pain, and many other conditions that are beyond the reach of conventional cures. This book is an examination of the medical, recreational, scientific, and economic dimensions of the world's most controversial plant.

What happens when two women drag a barely sane man on a cross country trek in search of stolen riches? Bob Neebaum, a New Yorker happily losing touch with reality and more than ready to take the plunge into insanity, is pulled back from the edge by his ex-wife's former lover and a young woman who makes a startling claim about her past. They request Bob’s assistance in tracking down his ex-wife and the money she stole from them. Bob would rather not go, but circumstances prevent him from having a say in the matter. A wild cross-country trip portents the strange and unexpected events that Bob encounters once his traveling companions and him finally reach San Francisco.

In his first collection of short fiction, Bill Barich gives us cause to celebrate a prose stylist who can gracefully cross the boundaries of genre. As stated by Anne Tyler, Hard to Be Good is so large and complete that you tend to look up at the end and find yourself surprised that it’s still the same day. Set in the American West, as are three other of the seven stories in this book, it is about the unselfconscious struggle for wholeness in a divided family. Its adolescent protagonist moves from innocence to experience in the course of a summer vacation with his mother and her third husband, and the result is satisfying, rather than harrowing. The attempt to make signification relationships cohere, to weather the transformation of innocence, informs all the stories in this book, and in Barich’s worlds the outcome is often good—knowledge does not always lead to hopelessness. Highly disparate mothers covering on a couple in Idaho Falls (“Where the Mountains Are”) have much to teach and learn, a nineteen-year-old American studying in Florence accepts the surprising human complications of an outsider’s great pensione adventure (“Caravaggio”) . . . and that’s just a few of Barich’s brilliant stories. Hard to Be Good is a book of real feeling, breadth, and narrative movement. As Frederick Exley wrote, “Barich is a splendidly gifted writer.” Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

A unique reference guide to the finest marijuana. Astounded by the lack of books dedicated to the wondrous variety of his favorite plant, author Jason King set out on a four-year mission to document the world's finest cannabis. Traveling around North America, Hawaii, and Europe, he captured over 1,500 strains on film (benevolently sampling a good number as well). Here in THE CANNABIBLE, images of the best 200 varieties are included alongside engaging and informative descriptions of their aromas, flavors, effects, and origins. Study this holy writ and figure out whether Purple Haze, Magic Kush, and the "P" is da kine or da shwag; learn which strains will give you the munchies or the wobbles; discover how appropriately named are Doc Kevorkian, Black Widow, and Cat Piss; and find out which strains are good for productivity, creativity, or just sitting on the couch, staring into space. With over 400 mind-blowing, full-color photographs of the world's most beautiful nugs, this book will have you on the floor, bowing to the mighty bud-dha.