KETAMINE

Few substances are as enigmatic as ketamine. Is it a particularly effective anesthetic, a psychiatric tool, a path to transcendence and spiritual enlightenment, or a dangerously addictive drug? Opinions abound, reflecting the diverse experiences of those who encounter it.

As ketamine's psychiatric applications expand, however, it's vital for clinicians and patients to move past misconceptions and more fully understand its history, uses, effects, and future potential. Ketamine: The Story of Modern Psychiatry's Most Fascinating Molecule is a meticulously researched, engagingly written exploration of ketamine's evolution.

From its roots as a PCP alternative, to its widespread use as a recreational drug, to its role as a therapeutic agent, this book explores ketamine's history, its complex pharmacology, and its use in treating schizophrenia, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and other conditions.

Far from being simply a dry chronicle, this is an engaging, revealing, and comprehensive exploration of a substance of tremendous consequence to psychiatry and neurology.

Keith G. Rasmussen, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.