This book was a little too 'out there' for me. What's wrong with just enjoying life and enjoying the 'highs' when they come, without trying to artificially induce a high. I know that is exactly what the book is getting at, but life is full of ups and downs, without having to turn it into something deeper than it is. It was all a little too hippy for me!

Thank you for the opportunities to read this book. I have attempted it on a number of occasions but unfortunately I haven’t been able to get into it.

The Book Of Highs summarises over 200 different ways of achieving a high-level of consciousness without the use of drugs.

WHO WOULD ENJOY READING IT?
Contrarians. Also, people seeking to quit drug habit might find a bit of use out of this.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT
The book itself has a bit of information on many of the methods here in case the reader wants to do some research. Also, the information provided about how to get high has a bit of common sense to it. Most importantly, there is a lot of diversity as to the methods - from sensory awareness, to prayer, to spinning, to fasting and extra-sensory perception... there is something for everyone here.

MEMORABLE PASSAGE

"Drugs reinforce the illusion that highs come from external chemicals when, in fact, they come from the human nervous system. The practical consequence of this illusion-making tendency is that users find it hard to maintain their highs: one always has to come down after a drug high, and the down can be as intense as the up. The user who does not understand this may become dependent on drugs because the easiest way to get out of a low following a high seems to be to take another dose of the drug. I make no distinction between legal and illegal drugs here.

"Coffee, an innocent “beverage” in the eyes of many persons, is as dependence-producing as any illegal drug in just this way. The stimulation it provides is offset later by lethargy and mental clouding, usually in the morning. In full-blown coffee addiction a person cannot get going in the morning without his drug, and the more that’s consumed, the more the need increases."

.......

The Book of Highs: 255 Ways to Alter Your Consciousness without Drugs by Edward Rosenfeld is available to buy on all major online bookstores. Many thanks to Workman Publishing Company for review copy.

The Book of Highs is a good book if you want to get into an altered state of conciousness without actually doing drugs. (Which I think is a good thing, the not doing drugs part). There are different methods to attaining altered conciousness including meditation and self-hypnosis among others. There are also graphics which fit well with the book.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I already had heard of and how much I had yet to learn about. This is one of those books for the curious and with an open mind to explore many different ways to experience "highs". I have since reading, been exploring about 10 different highs that are fascinating and the book provides alternate materials to learn more about each of the highs you may be interested in. Let your mind run free and explore the many varied ways to experience altered states.

The way this book is written, I found it more of a book to reference for various topics which I wanted to learn a bit about. As stated there are 250 topics, which are placed in nine categories. All of which are nicely referenced in the front of the book. You simply look for what you want to learn about. From Afterimages to Zen Power Yells. There is a brief, sometimes very brief explanation. After the explanation, there is a "further resources" section which gives items such a book recommendations and websites. I did not read each topic, as I stated I liked it as an easy to use reference book and will continue to use it as such. If you are looking for in-depth data on these 250 topics, you might not want this book or you can look at it as a jumping board and use the "further resources" sections to learn where to gain more knowledge.

Very interesting content. I thought the graphics were a bit much but it fit with the overall feel. I liked how Rosenfeld described altering your perceptions and awareness. It wasn't too outlandish and fairly grounded for most individuals to understand and attempt.

I want to thank NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate this opportunity.

Synopsis: Some people may call it consciousness, mindfulness or even getting high but we all seek a way to alter our consciousness in some way or fashion. This book gives details on 250 ways you can alter your mind without the use of drugs. This book is an updated version of The Book of Highs written by the same author back in the 70s after psychedelic drugs were made illegal. This non-fiction book has different facts on different ways you can alter your conscious mind such as; tantric sex, self hypnosis, certain devices, different types of music, meditation, laughing and sleep deprivation.

Review: I give this book 5 out of 5 trippy stars! I didn't pick up this book because I'm a druggie or anything like that I just wanted to learn something new. I'm glad I recieved this ebook! When I downloaded it today I figured why not just browse a few pages but I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting. I'm usually a fiction lover all the way but am glad I opened my horizons and read The Book of Highs. I have always been fascinated how the mind works and with a Psychology degree I always want to learn more about the human mind and thoughts. So I put my mysteries and fantasy books aside for a few hours and devoured this non-fiction book. I think this is a great book if you are open minded and looking to learn something new. I enjoyed that the book didn't ramble on about the different topics. I felt this book gave me the right amount of information and was a fun read!