This book has an interesting premise, but it reaches conclusions without adequate evidence. I appreciate the author's efforts. There has undoubtedly been drug use throughout history, and that piqued my curiosity. Unfortunately, I found the supporting material to be limited. Additionally, the writing style tends towards a gossip-like tone. I found it difficult to read the information as truthful with the offhanded delivery. Could I have done better? Decidedly no. However, I would have liked something between dry-as-dust and this style of communication. If I had been high while reading the book, I would have fared better. I was provided a copy of Human History on Drugs by Sam Kelly by NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Plume for an honest review.

Unserious but very educational. Absolutly loved the illustrations!

Thank you to the publisher Dutton and NetGalley for this copy

A chronological look at famous people throughout history and the drugs they were on, or most likely on since history tends to muddy the waters a bit when it comes to someone like Shakespeare. Easy to read and very informative while also taking a very neutral stance on drug use as a whole (drugs aren't inherently bad and addiction is an easy trap). A pleasant read and a few surprises as to who partook in the past and how it affected their outlook and productivity.

As an avid history fan, I found Human History on Drugs utterly readable, engaging, and unexpectedly fun. Sam Kelly delivers a quirky and offbeat take on history, weaving together fascinating stories of how various substances have shaped human civilization. The book strikes a great balance between being informative and entertaining—I learned plenty along the way without ever feeling bogged down. My only complaint? I wish it had been longer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was an unexpected fun "trip" through history and the various narcotics used over the different eras and centuries.

Less fact based than super assumptions makes it a fun "Speculative Fiction" book to read, enjoy and open a discussion with others to realize all parties perspectives.

Having lost people to their addictions, I don't wish to make light of the true risks out there. But those people were lost from their unhappiness, loneliness, and despair. Drugs, simply became the murder mechanism. Perhaps a book like this can provide a common ground to rebuild those lines of communication, avoid the sense of being alone out there and help save some really hurting souls.

This was a fun read that I’d recommend to anyone who loves the weirder parts of history. It is as advertised - a history of humans on drugs. It doesn’t glorify or vilify drug use but rather illustrate the positive and negative effects on the behaviors of 40 individuals over millennia.

It was interesting reading the Nixon chapter while my spouse was reading “The Final Days” and discussing how Nixon’s substance abuse put far more on the brink than just his presidency.

I also thought the illustrations were a fantastic addition (especially Queen Victoria).

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Plume for the opportunity to read and review.

Human History on Drugs by Sam Kelly—A lighthearted look at historical figures and celebrities and their various using of drugs/alcohol. From ancient times, to the Victorian age, to modern day, Kelly discusses how and why these folks used drugs and the results of it. The chapters are short and easy to pick up and put down without losing the plot. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book which releases on July 8.

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.