Facebook

My book Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon has received praise from every quarter -- from bloggers, academic journals, psychologists and anthropologists, other writers on ayahuasca shamanism, and readers who have offered their own reviews on Amazon. I give some excerpts below of some of the very kind reviews that readers have posted on Amazon about the book.

As members of the Singing to the Plants group here on Facebook, we all share interests in shamanism, plant healing, entheogens, wilderness spirituality, sorcery, ethnobotany, and the culture of the Amazon. Some of you have even read my book. :-) If you have not, please let me encourage you to head on over to http://www.amazon.com/dp/0826347304/ and get a copy -- only twenty dollars!

I would be delighted if you would buy a copy and join the many readers who have enjoyed Singing to the Plants. And I would be pleased to hear from you what you think.

Warmest regards.

-- Steve

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

WHAT READERS SAY ON AMAZON:

***** “An encyclopedic analysis of ayahuasca shamanism… a work of impressive scholarship written in an engaging, conversational tone that is never dry or dense. From start to finish, it is a pleasure to read this book.”

***** “A great book… Manages to balance a rational perspective with a more intuitive one, in a way that is truly remarkable… Well researched and tremendously thoughtful… scholarly, yet joyful to read.”

****** “One of the most engaging and illuminating books on the traditional use of psychedelics that I've ever read… gives us a deeply involving account of mestizo shamanism, stripped of its 'holy' and transcendental Western interpretations and satisfyingly grounded in the perspectivist animism of the Amazon… Alert, observant, panoramic.”

****** “A superbly thorough treatment of mestizo shamanism in the upper Amazon… supplements his scholarship with information from his own experience as a student of two remarkable and accessible Peruvian healers… Admirably level-headed.”

***** “Incredible insight and accuracy… An exhaustive study of the shamans, the plants used, the people who participate… Highly recommended.”

***** “A clear and unique perspective. This masterful tome delves deeply, respectfully and honestly into shamanism of the Upper Amazon… judiciously filtered through his considerable personal experience living with and learning from the shamans themselves.”

***** “Best book I have read in a long, long time. The writer holds that wonderful line between scientific objectivity and true worldview- melting ethnography. He evidences a great sense of humor, an encyclopedic knowledge of all things ayahuasca, and a scholarly hold on its surrounding literature. This is a brilliant book by a brilliant mind on a fascinating subject.”

***** “So grateful for the many perspectives this book gives a western holistic healer studying South American traditions of shamanism and ethnobotanical medicine… answered so many questions, including those I didn't know I had… brought up many points for contemplation and further directed my study in amazing ways.”

***** “I whole-heartedly recommend this book for people who are interested in Amazonian mestizo shamanism or any kind of spiritual healing. But this book is of interest to a much broader audience… contains some extremely well-thought-out discussions about the nature of health and illness, the meaning of 'healing,' the nature of 'spirit,' the basis of good and evil in human relationships... The background of these discussions is classically shamanic, but the ideas and analyses apply to any serious healing practice.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I have created a number of book lists on Amazon that members of the Singing to the Plants group may find to be of interest, and that may give you some ideas for books you might want to read on long winter nights in the new year. The following book lists are now up:

-- Ayahuasca Shamanism
-- Amazonian Ethnobotany
-- The Secret Amazon
-- The Amazon in Film
-- The Identification and Pharmacology of Psychoactive Plants
-- The Anthropology of Psychoactive Plants
-- Wilderness Survival in Film
-- Wilderness Spirituality
-- The Idea of the Wilderness
-- Meeting with the Spirits of the Wilderness
-- Survival I: Fact
-- Survival II: Fiction
-- Survival III: Science Fiction
-- Plant Spirit Herbalism
-- The Identification and Pharmacology of Medicinal Plants

All the lists can be found at http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/byauthor/A2MQRVIARPR8ZS/. If you have found a list helpful, please let me know by clicking on the appropriate button on the right side of the page.

Don't forget that you can still buy the paperback edition of Singing to the Plants for just twenty dollars at http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Plants-Mestizo-Shamanism-Amazon/dp/0826347304/. If you have read and enjoyed the book, please feel free to write a brief review. Just click on the button that says "Create your own review" on the right side of the page.

I wish everyone a healthy and prosperous new year, and many hours of enjoyable reading!

Warmest regards.

-- Steve

Only one week to Christmas!

Singing to the Plants, "the best book on ayahuasca yet," is the perfect last-minute gift for the ayahuascophile in your life -- or for yourself. Only twenty dollars and eligible for FREE two-day delivery. Order it now at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0826347304/. Just in time to stuff that stocking!

Other great bargains on Amazon:

**Singing to the Plants AND Peter Gorman's Ayahuasca in my Blood -- BOTH only $44.77

**Singing to the Plants AND Rak Razam's Aya: a Shamanic Odyssey -- BOTH only $37.72

**Singing to the Plants AND Howard Charing's Plant Spirit Shamanism -- BOTH only $33.30

**Singing to the Plants AND Adam Elenbaas's Fishers of Men --BOTH only $36.24

**Singing to the Plants AND James Kent's Psychedelic Information Theory -- BOTH only $39.72

**Singing to the Plants AND Robert Tindall's Jaguar that Roams the Mind-- BOTH only $33.11

A very happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous new year to all!

-- Steve

As members of the Singing to the Plants group on Facebook, many of you have had the chance to read my book Singing to the Plants, which has been called "the best book on ayahuasca yet" and "the most comprehensive examination of Amazonian shamanism ever written." If you have read the book and enjoyed it, I would be very grateful if you would take just a few minutes and write a review for Amazon -- say, between 75 and 300 words -- to let others know what you liked about the book. The book's Amazon page is at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0826347304/. All you have to do is scroll down the page to Customer Reviews, and click on the button on the right-hand side of the page that says "Create your own review." Or you can go directly to the book review form at http://amzn.to/g487a6. I really appreciate your encouragement and support.

Just to give you an idea, the paragraph above is 149 words long. :-)

Warmest regards.

-- Steve

If you have not yet bought your copy of Singing to the Plants, "the most comprehensive examination of Amazonian shamanism ever written," now you can SAVE 30 PERCENT off the cover price for the brand-new paperback edition -- only $19.77! Now you can read "the best book on ayahuasca yet" at a price even students can afford. :-)

You can get your copy at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0826347304/.

Thank you for your support. Enjoy the book!

-- Steve

I think this is really exciting news. A review in the current issue of Cultural Anthropology -- the premier scholarly journal in the field of anthropology -- says that Singing to the Plants is "comprehensive and encyclopedic… details the rich diversity of mestizo practice in a gorgeously written and eminently practical field guide to posthumanist healing in the orbit of ayahuasca… The result is that rare admixture of exhaustive scholarship and gripping first person narrative… Scholars will appreciate the depth and breadth of the learning here, and would-be ayahuasca pilgrims should consider this a must read." Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0826347304/. A perfect Halloween present! :-)

Warmest regards.

-- Steve

On Thursday, September 16, at 11:00 am CDT, I will be interviewed about ayahuasca and the sacred plants by Agape Insitori, founder of Truebook, a new kind of social network to connect all those who are working towards a new societal paradigm. Tune in or download at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/agape-insitori. Don't miss this one!

-- Steve

FINALLY in stock at Amazon! -- the paperback edition of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon, "the single best book yet about ayahuasca." The paperback is as beautiful as the hardcover -- sturdy binding, good paper, outstanding typography, and costing a third less than the hardcover! If you've been waiting for the paperback, now is the time to order your copy at http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Plants-Mestizo-Shamanism-Amazon/dp/0826347304/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1256731716&sr=8-1

I'm back again for a further interview on Entheoradio with Trevahr Hughes on Wednesday, August 18, at 7:00 pm PDT. CALL IN LIVE at 347-855-8334! I would love to talk with you. Listen live -- or download the podcast -- at http://entheoradio.com/.

Howard Charing, author of Plant Spirit Shamanism, and Steve Beyer, author of Singing to the Plants, will be appearing together at Life Force Arts Center, 3148 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, Friday, August 6, 7:00pm - 9:00pm, to talk about ayahuasca shamanism, the art of Pablo Amaringo, and the spirituality of the Upper Amazon. Don't miss it!

Singing to the Plants has been named BOOK OF THE MONTH on Shaman Portal, The Resource for All Things Shamanic, joining works by such authors as Malidoma Patrice Some, Sandra Ingerman, Jeremy Narby, and Alberto Villoldo. Check it out at http://www.shamanportal.org/.

I'm back for a second interview with Christina Pratt, director of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing, discussing the use -- and misuse -- of the sacred plant hallucinogens in shamanic practice. Tune in on Tuesday, July 20, at 11:00 am PDT, at http://www.co-creatornetwork.com/hosts/shamanism/host_bio.htm#upcomingshow, and CALL IN LIVE with comments and questions at 512-772-1938 or Skype call-in1.

If you missed the MAPS conference, you can still see a video of my presentation on the cognitive psychology of ayahuasca hallucinations -- along with other video presentations and podcast interviews -- at the Singing to the Plants website, http://www.singingtotheplants.com/interviews/. Check it out!

On Wednesday, May 19, at 8:00 pm PDT, I will be interviewed about ayahuasca shamanism, sorcery, plant medicine, and my book Singing to the Plants, on Entheoradio, http://www.entheoradio.com/. Your host will be Trevahr Hughes. Call in to 347-855-8334 after 8:30 pm PDT to ask me questions!

IN CHICAGO? Book reading and discussion of Singing to the Plants, on shamanism, sorcery, and plant healing in the Upper Amazon, Tuesday, May 18, 1:00 pm, at the University of Chicago Bookstore, 970 E 58th St. Please drop by, browse in one of the great university bookstores, have a cup of coffee, and talk with me about ayahuasca shamanism.

Just a reminder -- You can call in live to my radio interview on ayahuasca shamanism with Christina Pratt, Tuesday, April 27, at 11:00 am Pacific time. Listen at http://www.co-creatornetwork.com/guests/Beyer_Stephan/_bio.htm, and CALL IN LIVE with comments and questions at 512-772-1938 or call-in1 for Skype.

TUNE IN! On Tuesday, April 27, at 11:00 am Pacific time, I will be interviewed by author and teacher Christina Pratt on her program Why Shamanism Now? on the Co-Creator Network. You can listen to the broadcast live at http://www.co-creatornetwork.com/hosts/shamanism/host_bio2.htm; or visit the podcast archive at iTunes, http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/why-shamanism-now-a-practical/id306485379. Christina is the director of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing in Portland, Oregon, and I expect a lively exchange of ideas. Don't miss it!

Tomorrow night in Chicago -- April 21 at the Tonic Room, 2447 N Halsted St, 7:30–9:00 pm. I will be the guest speaker at Evolver Chicago, having a conversation on The Mystery of Dreams, Ayahuasca, and Shamanic Reality. Please join us! Share a life-changing dream! http://www.evolver.net/group/evolver_chicago/event/2010/04/21/mystery_dreams_ayahuasca_and_shamanic_reality

Here are a few requests I would like to make to members of the Singing to the Plants group:

-- Post a link! Please feel free to post your interesting links, photos, and videos to the group, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=238372550327, or to ask questions of the other members. All of us clearly have many interests in common -- the sacred plants, herbal medicine, shamanism, the culture of the Amazon -- and we have lots we can share with each other.

-- Write a review! If you have read and enjoyed Singing to the Plants, please post a review on Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Plants-Mestizo-Shamanism-Amazon/dp/0826347290/. The review doesn't have to be long. Of course I would like effusively positive reviews; :-) what I really want is an honest appraisal -- something to guide potential readers.

-- Send a tweet! Can you write a 140-character review of Singing to the Plants? Consider this a challenge! :-)

Thank you!

-- Steve

James Kent on DoseNation says that Singing to the Plants is "by far the best book on ayahuasca shamanism I have ever read… Written with clarity and keen academic observation, Beyer deconstructs the methods of shamanic ontology and ritual with both a healthy skepticism and sincere admiration… Beyer pushes past surface elements of shamanic craft and takes an objective look at everything he reports… I would highly recommend this book to anyone studying ayahuasca, shamanism, or sorcery." Check it out at http://www.dosenation.com/listing.php?smlid=6617.

And don't miss James at the MAPS Conference in April!

Warmest regards.

-- Steve

The reading and discussion of Singing to the Plants will take place at 4:00 pm. Sorry about that.

Warmest regards.

-- Steve

Don't forget -- this Saturday, February 27, 2010, I will be reading from and discussing Singing to the Plants at Consciousness Cafe, to be held at Transamoeba, 1325 S Wabash Ave, Suite 101, in Chicago's South Loop. Join us!

Warmest regards.

-- Steve

There is a new video on ayahuasca shamanism now up on Reality Sandwich, http://www.realitysandwich.com/video/steve_beyer_aya_monologue. Story and narration by Steve Beyer, author of Singing to the Plants. Enjoy!

Warmest regards.

-- Steve

The Midwest Book Review says that Singing to the Plants is "an exhaustively researched and detailed study, unique among its kind, and an absolute 'must-have' for college library collections strong in anthropology and information on indigenous religions." Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Plants-Mestizo-Shamanism-Amazon/dp/0826347290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256731716&sr=8-1.

I think this is pretty exciting news.

Warmest regards.

-- Steve