I went into this book knowing a bit about mycology but not much about psychedelic mushrooms at all, and learned a fair bit along the way. From the physiological process of how "shrooms" do their "magic" to the legalities and indigenous origins, and cultivating, as well as clinical trials and retreats. This book toed the line between science journalism and memoir, personally I wish it had leaned more one way or the other, but it was still a captivating read regardless. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a "door opener" that touches on a handful of topics about psilocybin.
This eArc was provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions shared are my own.

Over the past sixty years there have been waves of interest in magic mushrooms and psychedelic experiences. For most of this period, possession and distribution of such things has been frowned upon by the legal authorities. Many people have claimed to have enjoyed profoundly moving experiences which have led to many benefits while using psychedelic mushrooms. Others have had terrifying experiences.

In Have A Good Trip: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience, Eugenia Bone thoroughly examines any and all things related to psilocybin. And I mean thoroughly examines any and all things. She describes everything we know about how and why psilocybin produces psychedelic effects in the brain. She sets forth the different types of experiences which can be had based on how much is consumed. She explores the modern history of mushroom exploration and use as well as what can be known about more ancient antecedents. She forthrightly explains her own experiences and the experiences related to her about people on various trips. She explains how trips can go well and what benefits could be had and for how long. And she is just as forthright about the trips that go wrong, some of the reasons which may be behind it, and how much more research is necessary about such things. She considers the forms of community and support engendered by mushrooms, and the prospect of the business of mushrooms and incorporating trips into a psychiatric and therapeutic framework. She also considers the religious and spiritual connotations of mushrooms and psilocybin trips.

I was interested in the work on account of whisperings I have heard about how psilocybin might provide some benefit to those experiencing autoimmune conditions. As a Christian I have many reservations about the use of psilocybin, especially in a recreational context. It is possible psilocybin could open the brain and mind in healthy, freeing ways. But could it also be a means by which one encounters the realms of the evil and demonic? Where does psilocybin fit into the pharmakeia of it all - as medicine or as sorcery? Such will no doubt have to be a growing conversation as society becomes more open to potential therapeutic applications of psilocybin.

"Have a good trip" by Eugenia Bone is an educational overview of psychedelic mushrooms. Eugenia Bone teaches on this topic at places including the NY Botancial Garden, and she also shares her personal experience. The book discusses topics such as neurology, how to avoid a bad trip, clinical trials, retreats, spiritual and therapeutic experiences. I appreciated her descriptions of the indigenous origins of psychedelic mushrooms and some of the ceremonies involved. This book is recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about this topic. Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

Many thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Eugenia Bone’s great new book Have a Good Trip: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience. Bone’s book follows some other more recent books detailing a growing acceptance and use of psychedelics in the general population as well as their application to therapeutic and medical settings like palliative and end of life care for cancer patients. While other books like Ernesto Londoño’s Trippy and Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind focused on different forms of psychedelics, Bone’s book primarily focuses on the use of mushrooms, in particular the Psilocybe cubensis, in various settings, recreationally, communally, spiritually, educationally, therapeutically, and medicinally. I was amazed to learn more about the different uses and applications of mushrooms, and in particular, how technology, especially the internet, seems to have helped facilitate and foster (maybe even cultivate) a growing community of explorers (or sometimes known as psychonauts) who are all seeking different outcomes, whether it is mental well-being, more knowledge of self and self-understanding, or just looking to expand their minds.

Bone’s book is divided into different sections, focusing on the background of the use of psychedelic (or entheogenic mushrooms), growing and cultivating one’s own mushrooms, and different types of trip settings. The book’s first two sections are informative, but at times delve deep into the science. I found the parts about how brains respond to mushrooms interesting, but I also had to go over this section a few different times, finding myself a little lost in the technical terms. Nevertheless, Bone uses more practical metaphors and explanations to bring these complex biological processes to a more understandable level for the layperson. Similarly, I found the section about growing and foraging mushrooms not as compelling as the other sections that look at the different applications and settings for trips and uses of mushrooms. It is fascinating to learn about the growing subculture of mushrooms, one that has persisted and grown over the past 70 years. However, as someone not that familiar with mushroom cultivation, I struggled at times to keep some of the terms straight. The best part of the book was the last section, Trip Types, where Bone explores the different communities that have grown over time to engage in the use of psychedelic mushrooms. It was fascinating to see different uses and applications and consider the speculation that mushrooms have been used in religious experiences for thousands of years. Whether it is true or not, different cultures, especially in Mexico and Central America, have made use of magic mushrooms in ceremonial experiences to seek insight and growth. I think it is important to consider this kind of sacred and spiritual application when considering mushrooms. Although recreational use has become more popular since the 1960s, it does seem like the spiritual and ceremonial (as well as communal) use has been a more effective use in learning or growing from a trip. One of the greatest aspects of Bone’s book is that the research is all so new and many of the developments in these psychedelic communities have been so recent. I also loved learning about the various medical applications for mushrooms as a way to treat both mental health issues like depression as well as end of life care for cancer treatments, something that Pollan also explored in his book. One of the other more interesting areas that Bone explores (and experiments on herself as well) is the use of microdosing, taking small amounts of mushrooms that have no perceptual impact, but are meant as a way to enhance creative thinking and performance/focus. These small doses have no real effect on functionality beyond enhancing work or performance. Bone regularly stresses that microdosing should not affect one’s ability to do different activities throughout the day, especially things like driving or cooking. It is interesting to consider, but Bone also makes note that it is hard to consider effective dosing since response to mushrooms varies from individual to individual and there’s really no clear dosing protocols. Furthermore, individual responses can be impacted by family histories of mental illness, which takers may not be aware. Thus, it does seem like a potential risk, but an interesting way to consider improving work or performance. Bone also explores her own use of magic mushrooms, noting in the epilogue that she took more trips for this book than she had in her previous experiences with mushrooms. I really enjoyed her writing about Burning Man, seeing how the descriptions and visions kind of gradually meld into flashes and sights not previously seen.

Bone’s book provides a wonderful addition to some of the other books about psychedelic experiences and how these plants and fungi are becoming more accepted and accessible, as well as their applications to address a broader range of health issues that have previously been challenged by more traditional medicine. Her writing is descriptive and engaging, and she incorporates considerable research into various areas—whether it is the communities that trip together for various reasons, mushroom cultivation, or the ways that mushrooms interact with the brain and nervous system. Furthermore, she writes in an engaging manner that takes complicated and complex ideas and makes them more understandable for a general audience. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an advance copy of this book that seeks to instruct people on the proper use of psychedelic mushrooms, and how to look past the hype of what it might hold for the future of mental health, and focus on what it can do today.

As a person who has dealt with depression for their whole life, I have heard many stories about magic pills, pharmacological, psychedelic, even religons that will lift the cloud I always have around me and make me happy. In addition to curing my depression, there are magic pills to help me deal with my portly physique. Lexapro, Prosac, Fenfen, Ozempic, mushrooms, LSD, MDMA. I have never been a diet pills person, which has probably saved my internal organs a lot of abuse, but I have tried all the different pills and therapies. Hypnosis, biofeedback, antidepressants and more. For the last couple of years starting with quite a few best sellers there has been talk about the drugs used to make people like the music of Phish and The Grateful Dead might do wonders for depression, dealing with trauma, and other crippling mental problems. Most of these books though while dealing with science, also spoke to a certain population that could travel to far distant locals, or find a guy who knows a guy who can get what you need. What I never found was a practical guide, one that is both science and well from someone who walked the walk, and did so locally. Have a Good Trip: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience by Eugenia Bone is a book that is not only useful and informative, but answers questions that one might not think of, and tries to look beyond all the hype that is promised from these miracle cures.

The book begins with the author sharing the details of her last trip on mushrooms. Bone did this surrounded by a group of friends opening herself up to the world, especially nature, and all it could revel to her. Bone goes to into the effect of mushrooms on the brain, the chemicals released, why one has experiences, sometimes good sometimes bad. Bone also looks at the possible uses to treat mental issues, but really makes no promises. For all the hopes, psychedelics are sill illegal, and Bone discusses how getting into clinical trials can be difficult. Bone looks at cultivating and foraging for mushrooms, but this can be quite dangerous in a lot of different ways. There are discussions about retreats, and how for all the cost, and the promise, how dangerous and how much of a rip-off these can be. Bone looks also at the science involved, how years of restrictions have really set back research, and what might be possible.

There was much I liked about this book. One was the fact that Bone makes it quite clear this isn't a miracle pill. Bone looks at the research and points out the benefits of controlled trips, with trained professionals, in proper settings do have a habit of wearing off. Some have great trips that help their lives, some do not, and things do not change. Bone is a very good writer, detailing her life in Mycology, and her experiences, foraging, tripping and researching. Bone has a very nice writing style instructing and showing without being to dry or even worse know-it-all as I have seen in quite a few books about psychedelics. I feel I learned far more, and more importantly have tempered a lot of my hopes of what be to come. Which I find very helpful.

A book that would be helpful for the burgeoning psychonaut, or for those who want to know more about alternate ways of dealing with mental issues. This is an excellent book to start with, as the writer has a very good understanding of the subject, and an even better understanding about people who are drawn to this. A very interesting and hopeful read.

I wanted something different to read, something I possibly would never do. This gave me the insight of consuming mushrooms that could give you a out of body experience. I appreciate that not only do we get memories, experiences but information on the different types, how the body handles and absorbs them. This person is well educated and was able to make an informed decision, what, how, and why to use them. I appreciated this read overall.

“Have a Good Trip” by Eugenia Bone delves into the intriguing world of psychedelic mushrooms, charting the rising interest and the current state of scientific research. As a famous science writer and amateur mycologist, Bone provides a comprehensive overview of how people from various backgrounds use magic mushrooms, from microdosing to full-blown trips. Her narrative, rich with personal anecdotes and scientific exploration, attempts to unpack the complex effects of psilocybin on brain chemistry and how different settings influence psychedelic experiences. However, the book straddles a fine line between anecdotal evidence and scientific rigor, sometimes leaning too heavily on personal narratives that may not resonate with all readers. While “Have a Good Trip” offers fascinating insights and vividly portrays the community around psychedelic mushrooms, it occasionally lacks the depth that seasoned enthusiasts might expect. Nevertheless, it’s an accessible entry point for those new to the topic or curious about the cultural phenomena surrounding psychedelics.

I'm a real nerd about mushrooms/fungi/food science so I took a lot away from this book, but it was clear throughout that the author was writing somewhere lost in the gap between journalism and memoir, and I wish she'd leaned heavier on the memoir side, because the journalistic side simply didn't measure up. There were soooo many factual inaccuracies, many not even related to psilocybin, many that could have been easily avoided with a simple Google search, some so far off base that I simply had to laugh. I understand that actual science and research-based information on psilocybin is hard to come by because of their illegality, but I just didn't find her arguments, methodology, or sources very trustworthy. If she'd written from more of a personal perspective, it would have at least been a more engaging and entertaining read instead of trying to position itself as primarily informative.

In "Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics," Eugenia Bone delves into the fascinating world of psychedelic mushrooms with a blend of scientific inquiry and personal narrative. As interest in psychedelics surges, Bone offers a comprehensive look at how and why people from all walks of life are turning to magic mushrooms to enhance their lives.

Through engaging storytelling, Bone explores the various ways in which psychedelics are being used today, from microdosing to full-blown psychedelic experiences. She discusses the evolving scientific research on psilocybin and how citizen science and anecdotal accounts are shaping our understanding of these powerful substances.

One of the book's strengths is Bone's ability to break down complex scientific concepts into accessible language. She explains how the psychoactive compounds in magic mushrooms interact with our brain chemistry and explores the importance of mindset and setting when embarking on a psychedelic journey.

Bone also provides vivid portraits of the personalities and protocols that populate the world of psychedelics, from renegade "’Noccers" dispersing magic mushroom spores in Washington to indigenous curanderas conducting traditional ceremonies in remote Mexican villages.

What sets "Have a Good Trip" apart is Bone's personal journey through the world of mushrooms. She shares her experiences cultivating her own stash, grappling with personal challenges, and offering insights gleaned from her adventures.

Whether you're a seasoned tripper or simply curious about mushrooms, "Have a Good Trip" offers a balanced, entertaining, and provocative look at this rapidly evolving cultural phenomenon. Bone's blend of scientific rigor and engaging storytelling makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in the world of psychedelics.