Acid Test by Tom Shroder

Acid Test by Tom Shroder

"A book that should start a long-overdue national conversation." --Dave Barry 

With the F.D.A. agreeing to new trials to test MDMA (better known as Ecstasy) as a treatment for PTSD--which, if approved, could be available as a drug by 2021--Acid Test is leading the charge in an evolving conversation about psychedelic drugs. Despite their current illegality, many Americans are already familiar with their effects. Yet while LSD and MDMA have proven extraordinarily effective in treating anxiety disorders such as PTSD, they still remain off-limits to the millions who might benefit from them. Through the stories of three very different men, award-winning journalist Tom Shroder covers the drugs' roller-coaster history from their initial reception in the 1950s to the negative stereotypes that persist today. At a moment when popular opinion is rethinking the potential benefits of some illegal drugs, and with new research coming out every day, Acid Test is a fascinating and informative must-read.

Tom Shroder is an award-winning journalist, editor, and the author of Old Souls, a classic study of mysticism and science. He conceived and edited two Pulitzer Prize-winning feature pieces while editor of The Washington Post Magazine. Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte, his most recent editing effort, was a New York Times bestseller.