This is the story of LSD told by a concerned yet hopeful father, organic chemist Albert Hofmann. He traces LSD's path from a promising psychiatric research medicine to a recreational drug sparking hysteria and prohibition.

We follow Dr. Hofmann's trek across Mexico to discover sacred plants related to LSD, and listen in as he corresponds with other notable figures about his remarkable discovery.

Underlying it all is Dr. Hofmann's powerful conclusion that mystical experience may be our planet's best hope for survival. Whether induced by LSD, meditation, or arising spontaneously, such experiences help us to comprehend "the wonder, the mystery of the divine‹in the microcosm of the atom, in the macrocosm of the spiral nebula, in the seeds of plants, in the body and soul of people."

More than sixty years after the birth of Albert Hofmann's problem child, his vision of its true potential is more relevant, and more needed, than ever.

"The discovery of the psychedelic properties of LSD was a milestone in the history of consciousness. Albert Hofmann's personal story of that discovery and its consequences is one of my favorite books." Andrew Weil, M.D., author of From Chocolate to Morphine, The Natural Mind, and Eight Weeks to Optimum Health

"Aldous wrote about LSD that 'it is a gratuitous grace neither necessary nor sufficient for salvation.' However, it provides the opportunity to discover and make creative use of the infinite possibilities of the human mind. Probably The Doors of Perception might not have been written were it not for Albert's 'Problem Child.' Thank you, Albert." Laura Huxley, widow of Aldous Huxley and author of This Timeless Moment

"The current revival of the psychedelic aesthetic in art, design, fashion, music and film is testament to the revolutionary power of LSD. Its complex nature and true impact, however, remains unrecognized and this book provides both a personal history as well as rigorous analysis of this enduring phenomenon." Christoph Grunenberg, Director of Tate Liverpool and curator and editor of Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era

"It is our good fortune that Dr. Albert Hofmann, a nature mystic and Nobel-prize-worthy scientist, made such an amazing discovery." Martin A. Lee, co-author of Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD: The CIA, the Sixties, and Beyond

Albert Hofmann (1906-2008) was born in Baden, Switzerland.