Ernesto Londoño’s 'Trippy: The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Psychedelics' offers a compelling exploration into the evolving landscape of psychedelic therapies. Anchored by Londoño’s personal journey—from battling severe depression to seeking relief through ayahuasca ceremonies in Brazil—the narrative provides an intimate perspective on the potential of these substances in mental health treatment. His experiences serve as a gateway to a broader investigation, introducing readers to a diverse array of individuals: Indigenous elders who view psychedelics as spiritual conduits, clinicians advocating for their therapeutic use, and war veterans finding solace from PTSD through these unconventional treatments. 

The book has been lauded for its meticulous research and balanced viewpoint. Kirkus Reviews notes that Londoño “blends solid research and personal experience,” highlighting the potential of psychedelics in addressing trauma. However, some critiques point out areas where the narrative could delve deeper. A review from Harvard’s ReVista observes that while Londoño provides a captivating examination, the book could benefit from a more thorough integration of Indigenous perspectives and a deeper exploration of traditional practices. Overall, 'Trippy' stands as a thought-provoking contribution to the discourse on psychedelics, offering readers both personal anecdotes and a comprehensive overview of this reemerging field.

This book was very captivating. I highly recommend this book. It's a very easy read and worth reading

This book was so enlightening. It was well researched with a wealth of citations. Trippy was also well balanced in regards to presenting, as the tagline says, the perils and promise of medicinal psychedelics. Ernesto shares much of his own life and what brought him to a considering medicinal psychedelics. His writing was captivating and vulnerable.

I look forward to purchasing a copy, re-reading and annotating it in the near future.

I feel like this gave me such fantastic insight on the use of psychedelics, especially through an investigative lens. It is a constant topic of controversy and conversation and this was a fresh take that gave new life to the debate.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Trippy by Ernesto Londono!

Trippy is a captivating blend of personal memoir and hard-hitting journalism that offers a comprehensive look into the world of psychedelic therapy. Ernesto Londoño's candid exploration of his own mental health struggles and subsequent journey with psychedelics is both poignant and inspiring.

What truly sets this book apart is its balanced approach. Londoño doesn't shy away from the potential risks and challenges associated with psychedelic use, while also highlighting the immense therapeutic benefits. His meticulous research and insightful analysis provide a much-needed perspective on this rapidly evolving field.

I'm grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this thought-provoking book. If you're interested in the intersection of science, spirituality, and mental health, Trippy is a must-read.

Trippy is a wildly engaging book that beautifully scratched my ever-present itch for a good piece of long-form first person journalism. A subject like the use of psychedelics to treat mental health issues really needs to be anchored by a great narrator and that's Ernesto Londoño for you as he lays bare the personal issues that led him to seek this kind of treatment. He meets fascinating (and terrible) people along the way and portrays it all with unflinching honesty.

It's a great read for anyone interested in psychedelic therapy, especially women as some chapters cover the bad actors in the industry who prey on women in particular. Londoño is gay, and as a queer person myself I appreciated how this influences his perspective on his own mental health. To be problematic for a moment, I think this book wouldn't have worked nearly as well had it been told by a straight white guy. You just imagined that and winced a little, didn't you? You know I'm right!

Highly recommended all around.

My thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Trippy by Ernesto Londoño was an absolute hit for me, especially as someone who’s a bit of a nerd re: psychedelic medicine and fascinated by fungi. The book dives deep into the growing field of psychedelic therapy, and Londoño weaves his own personal journey with it in such an engaging way. His experience at a Brazilian ayahuasca retreat had me hooked, and it was fascinating to see how the trips gave him a sense of relief from depression. But what really got me were the people he met along the way—Indigenous healers, veterans, and clinicians—all trying to make sense of how these substances can help heal deep traumas. The personal accounts given really rounded out the book and added perspective that was profound.

I loved how this book wasn’t just a clinical breakdown of psychedelics, it carried emotional weight as well. Londoño’s exploration of his own childhood trauma made the whole thing feel raw and real, and the blend of personal narrative with journalistic reporting was really great. From the crazy variety of psychedelics he explored (including psilocybin, but some even I have never heard of) to the spiritual, almost mystical side of it all, it was super thought provoking and gave me renewed fervor in regards to how much these therapies are changing the game for mental health. Thanks so much to Celadon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this, I loved it!

Having read Michael Pollan’s book, “how to change your mind”, I was curious what another book on this subject could add. While both books inject personal experiences with psychedelics, this book showed the journalistic chops of Mr. Londoño. I highly recommend, especially if you’re contemplating use of psychedelics. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. The book ended where I thought it would start talking about the MAPS clinical trials. It started with a Bungy jump into the world of pseudo-science and shamans. Definitely a journey, i would recommend.

Trippy was a really interesting and engaging read. I appreciated the exploration of pros and cons of using psychedelics and would read more from this author.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I received free access to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review. With that being said, let's talk about Trippy by Ernesto Londono.

This book is...interesting. I selected it to read partly because I loved the fictional novel Nine Perfect Strangers and wanted to learn more about the real-life versions of retreats of that nature, and partly because I and others in my life have discussed psychedelic treatment for mental health and wellness, and reading this book felt like it would be good research.

And in some ways, it was. But more than anything else, this book felt like a memoir to me. Which, having read the full thing, I can understand the importance that psychedelic retreats and treatments place on examining your life with a microscope, letting the medicine tease it apart and stitch it back together in ways that help you reframe and better understand it. I found many of the stories interesting, emotionally evocative, and, to be honest, triggering. If you had titled this book Heavy instead, the title would ring just as, if not even slightly more, true to me.

However, as someone who assumed by the title that we would receive a balanced take, laced with research, written by a New York Times reporter, I have to admit I was disappointed with just how sparsely it feels like we get the occasional conversation with an expert, mention of research, or other trustworthy source woven into the often pages-long narratives of the author's (and quite a few other retreat-goers') experiences.

That's not to say that this book isn't worth reading. You do learn quite a bit about the various kinds of retreat: the good, the bad, the cultish, the morally dubious money-grabs, and the outright awful things that can occur in many of these places. You just also learn what feels like the entire life story of the author with those lessons inserted into pockets along the way. More often than not, personal experiences from other retreat attendees feel disjointed and standalone, unless, of course, they somehow manage to weave into the author's story about himself, in which case verbosity abounds.

I have read other investigative-adjacent nonfiction, and while I found this topic among the most interesting of the ones I've read, I also found this book among the ones I had to actively motivate myself to finish reading.

Ultimately, I found the book an interesting mix of enjoyable and effortful to get through. If half-stars were possible on Goodreads, I'd end up leaving this book a 3.5 and suggest to potential readers that you give yourself time and space to read through it. Much of this book is, as I've said above, Heavy. It can feel like emotional labor on your part to read, but there are things in this book that make it worthwhile and interesting. However, if you're looking for a book that more directly lays out a nuanced, research-heavy look into the world of psychedelic retreats, you won't find that here. What you'll find instead is a journalistic memoir and human interest story. So, like psychedelics, come into it with the proper expectations, and you'll likely get exactly what you need from it.

Thanks so much Celadon Books & NetGalley for the arc.
I really enjoyed this book. It was quite the trip! 😉
It felt like reading a VICE style documentary and was very informative about the good and bad of psychedelics.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in mental wellness but also anyone who wants to read about an interesting subject by a very talented writer!

*There is description of abuse, trauma and PTSD, so that could potentially be triggering for some people.

This book was truly enlightening during the current moment of heightened discussion and opinion surrounding the recent uprising of psychedelics. I learened a great deal from this book and will recommend it to others. Thank you for granting me access to it!

This was a fascinating read. The way Londono shares the experiences of others and himself throughout kept me engaged. This was an excellent read and did a great job diving into medicinal psychedelics.

This topic touches a lot in mental health, specifically depression and suicide. Pleas be mindful and protect your mental health.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

"Tippy" by Ernesto Londoño is the perfect blend of research and personal experience on medicinal psychedelics. Londoño doesn't just tell readers about medicinal psychedelics but experiences them. His writing is a balancing act of vulnerable writing and how medicine plants can play a trivial role in mental health.

I would absolutely recommend this book to folks interested in medicinal plants, or because this was slightly part memoir-ish (investigative journalism) to readers who are looking for an easy-to-read non-fiction. I really enjoyed Londoño's wiring because it wasn't pretentious and it remained informative while also being accessible to a reader who may not have a lot of background knowledge in psychedelic medicine-- I think this is largely due to Londoño journalism background.

I can't wait to stock this title, I wish the price was a little lower for the hardcover, 30.00$ is steep. Lastly for future readers, there are discussions of sexual assault, physical assault, emotional abuse, and suicide.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Ernesto Londoño and Celadon Books for bringing this title to us readers.

I will not be finishing this book because, although it's a great read, there are graphic descriptions of sexual assault and I am unable to read books with that type of content. But it's a really interesting topic and we carry it in my store!

This book follows the author on a journey through researching and trying different psychedelic therapies for mental illness. The story was heartbreaking to read through the hopeless and trying thoughts of the author and the other people he follows. Those sad and honest stories help give perspective to why this field of study is so important and why many patients are turning to it in desperation when more traditional methods haven't worked for them. The writing kept me interested and the author did a good job of balancing the human experiences with what research is or isn't there. If you have been curious about why a patient may use a substance like ayahuasca, peyote, ketamine, or MDMA, this book explores the question in an informative, yet entertaining way.

This book blew me away. Ernesto Londoño is such a strong writer, and I loved how he combined his personal life with his research. It felt so natural and effortless. He poured so much of himself into this book, and it felt like an honor to read it. I was also impressed by how he threw himself into researching this book. He has had so many interesting experiences that were fascinating to read about.

His years of experience as a journalist really shine through as he presents the promising potential and opportunities for abuse when it comes to psychedelics. I appreciated the way he thoroughly investigated the many different points of view on this subject.

I would recommend this to readers interested in learning more about psychedelics and those who love non-fiction in general. I think this could also appeal to people who like moving memoirs. I look forward to reading more from Londoño in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the free advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting book about some new ways that mental health can be treated in different ways with drugs that were once used only for getting high and “seeing” things. In this age of trying things in a new ways, mental health professionals are taking a new look at how drugs from the past can help people break through the stigma of mental health and look at things through a new lens,. Psychedelics Are now being looked at as a way to help people with mental illness to break through the traditional modes of help and make things better for those people.