Timothy Leary's dead - no, he's outside, looking in. Conspiracy theory, failed predictions, accurate analysis, boundless optimism - this book has a bit of all of these, and filled me with what I believe to be an honest wave of nostalgia. Most of the essays herein were written in 1973, a seminal year if ever there was one, from cells in Folsom and Vacaville prisons in California. Deep insights and wacky theories - if you aim to get a grip on the 60's, this would be a good place to start. ( )

Been a while since i have read any Leary and now i realise that his ideas are best read through a Robert Anton Wilson filter, or maybe i am just biased. Lots of interesting philosophy and future predictions, its the future predictions that i am sure most people have some issue with. Many would call him naive however i think that it is a combination of wishful thinking, genuine belief in the abilities of the human race and possibly a good old attempt at a self-fullfilling prophecy. Many of his predictions especially space migration could have been attempted and be well on its way by now but he failed to predict the nature of mans love for and drive to get more money, or as i said he may of thought this but attempted the self-fullfilling prophecy. Just thinking now i cant recall any cynicism or negative predictions at all. ( )

The Tactics of Evolution are SMI2LE: Space Migration, Intelligence Increase, Life Extension.

Most paleo-anthropologists today agree that the Cave Paintings had to do with rituals of Drug Use -- hallucinogenic "opening" of imagination. There can be little doubt that in that period as expressed in the Paintings, human beings made a qualitative leap into a new consciousness of themselves. If only this could happen again. Where is Leary when we really really need him? And such an improvement over the amanita muscaria and the Ayahuasca, where is the LSD, the metamorphic oracle?