Consuming Habits

Psychoactive substances have been central to the formation of civilizations and the growth of the world economy. This book describes how and why: tea and coffee replaced beer on the breakfast tables of 18th century Europe; in Islamic emirates at the turn of the century, kola nuts formed part of tax payments, and were given as gifts by so-called "big men"; in 1902, opera singers had their doctors prescribe them cocaine to aid singing; and the original version of "coca-cola" was described as a "brain tonic". This collection of essays explores the rich analytical category of psychoactive substances from challenging historical and anthropological perspectives.