Tihkal: The Continuation

Rating:
Summary: Fun to read
Review: I think I liked this one even more then PIHKAL for entertainment value. A lifetime's work for a value price. Highly recommended !

Rating:
Summary: Less substantial than "PIHKAL" but still worthwhile
Review: This book is thinner (in every sense) than it's more famous older sibling "PIHKAL", but is well worth getting if you're curious about what became of Shulgin after angering the government by publishing PIHKAL. For those with an academic interest in psychedelic drugs, it's almost a mandatory purchase, containing dozens of novel new tryptamine-based psychoactives (including several LSD derivatives), many of which are now available through the so-called "research chemical" trade. For better or worse, Shulgin's two books are landmark works in the developing relationship between the public, the government, and a dizzying array of new psychoactive drugs.

Rating:
Summary: yet another gem
Review: This is a fine contribution although 'The Continuation' might lead one to believe that both Pihkal and Tihkal are of the same sphere. I suppose they are, if one isn't well-read regarding the metabolism and synthesis of these two very different families of compounds. As a synthetic organic chemist, I appreciated not only the autobiographical sketch but also the synthesis/observation section. Some of his methods are a bit dated. However, they are indeed valid if you don't mind sacrificing yield and purity.