I found this book very entertaining and not even explicitly due to the drug content. The author synthesizes historical events and recontextualizes them in a very informative and undull way. An interesting stab a a history book for sure.

thanks to netgalley and penguin for the ARC

i really wanted to like this, and there's nothing wrong with it per se.... it just isn't very funny while trying very hard to be funny. your mileage may vary

My thanks to NetGalley and Penquin Group Dutton for an advance copy of this book that profiles famous people throughout history not by achievements, not by their good acts, nor their infamy, but how pharmaceuticals, natural, lab made, or distilled effected their lives and in turn affected the world.

As I person who deals books for his trade I met a lot of odd customers. The ones who don't read books and want to make sure that others don't also. The bestseller lovers who want what the others cool cats are reading, and don't show them anything but. The cooler than cool, with their small press lists, and authors familiar to people in writing schools, but no one else. And a lot of people with biases. One of these is against books that could be considered pop history. I do get asked a lot about the references of certain authors, what makes them an expert in this, or that. Or why the book covers so many different parts, not focused on one theme. I am a big fan of history, and now that most schools have taken the fun, the interest and frankly the facts out of history. Especially if the textbooks are made in Texas. I learned a lot about Washington and not telling a lie, but never about where his teeth came from. Spoiler, slaves. History can be a dull reciting of facts, but behind the facts there are stories, and these are always different than what we are told is the truth. I have probably learned more about the world from books that are considered Pop History, than in any textbook, especially again from Texas. This book while coached in the cool aspect of everyone gets high, teaches much about the world, looks at what we are told and goes, nope there is more. Much more. And once one starts reading it is very hard to put down. Human History on Drugs: An Utterly Scandalous but Entirely Truthful Look at History Under the Influence by TikTok'er Sam Kelly is a look at people we thought we knew, and the addictions that drove them, ruined them, killed them, and in many ways made them look at the world with new eyes and go, hmm.

The book begins with a fun essay by Kelly discussing his love of history. Taking home the teacher's copy of the textbook just so he could read ahead, and enjoy the footnotes. Kelly discuses about becoming a teacher, and realizing that was not his thing, but being on social media seemed to be. The book deals with drugs, from natural, to synthetic, legal, illegal and in the case of one person, constantly being created, tested and banned. The book is broken into different subjects, Modern Mystics, Showbiz, Wartime, Ancient times and more. Forty chapters follow starting with the ancient Oracle at Delphi and the weird gas and that gave her visions to Steve Jobs and his love for LSD and putting his feet in toilets. The chapters give a history of the person, what they are known for, their addiction and how things might have changed for the better or for the worse. Washington and opium, which seems to be a big thing. Carl Sagan and marijuana, which was new to me. Queen Victoria being the biggest drug cartel leader in history, with her own love of opium. And many more.

The book is very well written, funny and very informative. Many might pick it up for the subject matter, oh they get high like me, and will maybe learn something. That's always the goal. Kelly writes in a nice style, talking about the drug of choice the person might like, the times they found themselves in, and the good and bad. Hitler being a meth head, Van Gogh addicted to drinking paint. The history is very well presented, and makes one understand the world better in many ways. Again history is more than facts. Some might be insulted that their idols, country's heroes and such are treated like addicts. I love the fact that these people are treated as what they are, human. Prone to greatness, but also prone to making mistakes, and thinking that they can handle things.

I really enjoyed this book and love that I learned a few things. A good Father's Day gift, or a late Mother's Day Gift, blame the drugs. Funny, interesting and gives a different view of the world, one that might speak to a lot of people.

Anyone who writes "Andrew Jackson was a Mean, Crazy, Racist, Murderous Drunk" is keeping it 100% in my book! This was a punchy, immersive, novel narrative. I love the concept and felt pulled in immediately. Engaging & fun! I hope to get the audiobook.

DNFed at 20%. I love the premise and found it important as a topic to share & discuss. But it does read as it's trying to be funny on purpose, and I don't know that I have enough historical background on every figure to really "get" it. I think it's awesome, but I just may not be the intended audience, after all.

This was a fun and informative read—fast-paced, fascinating, and deeply appreciated for its humanizing depiction of some of history’s most important figures..

This was actually such a fun and interesting read. It explores the way prominent figures in history used substances and honestly puts into perspective just how many people, even those who are historical figures, have indulged a bit. This book is far from boring and is perfect for those who want a fun, non-fiction read.

Love the idea of telling history as if we're learning gossip about the people in the past! It was very entertaining and kept me engaged throughout the whole book. A few I already knew about, but some really took me by surprise! If you could teach me all of history like this, it would be my favorite subject ever! (Ok ok... I already love history. This just made me love it even more!)

This book was fun and kept me engaged, like other reviewers I loved getting the tea on previous history that we were taught about and getting to learn more in a fun new way. Sam Kelly did well with this one and I will be recommending it to my friends who love this genre :)

(3.5 stars)
This book definitely balanced making me laugh and teaching me new things. I was unfamiliar with the works of Jean Paul Sartre, I knew vaguely about Queen Victoria's involvement in the opium trade, and knew that Steve Jobs was weird about fruit. This book built on anecdotes that I had heard through social media and history teachers who were brave enough to utter the evil and taboo word "marijuana," and Kelley expanded on these topics well. True to his word, he didn't glorify the usage of drugs nor did he encourage their use. He was open and honest about how so many of these figures ruined their own lives due to their inability to quit.

I enjoyed this book, but at times I found myself wishing it preferred depth over breadth instead. Others liked the bite sized pieces of information, but I personally was hoping for a bit more of a deep dive into some of the figures. I assume this is more difficult to do with the more ancient figures, but certainly there was more that could have been written for the more recent sections. The illustrations, while quality, took up a fair bit of real estate within the book. I also would have preferred a more explicit separation between the jokes/theories and the history. For example, he claims that Carl Sagan was perhaps denied tenure at Harvard because he was too much of a superstar/public figure. There’s no cold hard evidence to support that as far as I could find and I wish that was more apparent. Non academics really don’t understand the tenure process in the first place, let’s not spread theories that aren’t clearly labeled as such.

I think this book is a good starting point to learn more about the influence of drugs on history and the bibliography is very rich. Your friend who was obsessed with the Guinness Book of World Records as a kid would love this book as a gift.

4.5 rounded up to 5 ⭐️

This book was so fun and engaging. I subscribe to the idea that history should be taught in the form of hot gossip, because we'd all be better at retaining it then. Sam Kelly delivered the hot goss. It could've even been longer. I was captivated.

Human History On Drugs is a trippy exploration into a history rarely revealed. The witty writing kept me engaged while learning about famed leaders, writers and politicians getting high out of their minds.

I really enjoyed the way this book was organized and written. Kelly touches on time periods from Ancient Greece to modern day Hollywood.

You'll never look at Genghis Khan the same after reading this.

Human History on Drugs by Sam Kelly is a public history book about the use of drugs scattered throughout human history. It is not about the creation of drugs (except in a few specific cases as they relate to specific people), nor is it about policing of drugs (again, except in specific narratives related to specific people). It is simply about historical figures and it is great fun.

Rather than proselytizing about drug use, Sam Kelly presents stories of the lives of some famous people whose lives have been touched, and often changed, by drugs. The goal isn't to argue for or against drugs or their use; it is, instead, to tell these stories. I found the stories highly enjoyable and, in some cases, completely unexpected.

Kelly's form of history is one written for the masses: laid-back, easy-to-read tone that speaks directly to the reader. Kelly is telling stories rather than repeating dates and events, as do all of the best public historians.

My one complaint with the book is more of a question or request for more -- I would like to see more historical figures from outside of America featured in the book. Kelly hits all of the high points in drug history (pun definitely intended), but I'd love to see a sequel maybe with more of the unexpected characters in history from around the world.

Finally, the end of the book features an extensive bibliography broken down by chapter that is a wealth of resources for any readers who would like to dig deeper on the topic or any of the individual historical figures included in the book.

This review is my honest opinion of the book. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing a copy for me to read in advance of the publication date.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

I absolutely love this book. It does not glorify drug use in any way, merely just shows examples of how drug use influenced history. Like all of the drugs that John F. Kennedy was on. He was in constant pain and had Addison's disease and became addicted to pain medication, not to mention all the recreational drugs he took. Then there is MK-Ultra and the Unabomber . . .

The book explores 40 different stories, with some things I knew and forgot, but even more that I had never heard before.

Definitely would recommend

This book was a humorous deep-dive into some of the lesser-known historical facts involving well-known figures who used various drugs during their lives and how it impacted the influence they had on the world around them. Written in a tone of voice that will keep the reader engaged and learning throughout. The illustrations are a great addition that also add to the reading experience.

This book was absolutely fascinating. When I first saw the title, I was a bit skeptical because I was unsure if the author was aiming to glorify or rationalize the use of drugs. That was not the case at all as Kelly clearly outlined the disadvantages of using drugs like cocaine or opium.

From queens to psychiatrists, this hilarious book recounts how the most inspirational or most notorious historical figures used drugs and how its impacted their lives and legacies.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sam Kelly's 'Human History on Drugs' offers a fun ride through time, exploring how mind-altering substances have shaped our past in unexpected ways.

Covering 40 historic figures from the Oracle of Delphi to Steve Jobs, there is a lot of ground covered. Each chapter is a quick read of just a few pages along with a fun illustration. It took me a few chapters to get into it though as there was the occasional line that was a bit more frat-bro than academic. For example:
• “Ramses the Baked”—the pharaoh who loved weed so much
• They were like, “Screw it, who do I have to kill?”
• trust me, dude—you’re not going to be able to accomplish much while you’re tripping balls.

That said, once I realized what I was in for, I enjoyed it. The pop culture references and casual tone made it a fun read and I learned some fun new history facts. While it may seem that this book would glorify drug use, Kelly did a good job of showing the damage they did to many while still showing the benefits for some and not demonizing them as a whole.

Chapters I particularly enjoyed included:
• Marcus Aurelius’s Sleepy-Time Medicine
• Bill W. Took LSD to See God
• The Pope Who Loved Cocaine Wine
• Dock Ellis Pitched a No-Hitter While Tripping on Acid (check out the song “Dock Ellis’ No-No” for the short version of this one)

Definitely recommend this for history buffs who are looking for a different take. Or even those that are not as into history but are looking for a fun read about famous folks from years gone by.

Thanks to author Sam Kelly and the publisher Plume for an advanced copy.

A very interesting book where the author showcases famous historical figures and their relationship to certain drugs. I enjoyed how the author spoke directly to the reader and enjoyed reading this immensly.

THIS is how I like to learn about history! Human History on Drugs had short, informative, and FUNNY chapters. You can't help but laugh when you come across a phrase like, "the Johnny Appleseed of Opium" !

Quite an interesting look at drugs from the very early days. I’m unsure of how much is accurate, but it was very thought provoking nonetheless. Enjoyable.