{"product_id":"what-are-drugs-for-an-exploration-of-stolen-fire-9781506497181","title":"What Are Drugs For?: An Exploration of Stolen Fire","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe live in a pharmaceutical age where drugs contribute to and are a potential solution for many personal and societal problems. But instead of serious ethical inquiry into these substances' role in our lives, we've embraced harmful political and cultural trends of wholesale rejection of \"evil\" drugs while searching for \"miracle\" cures. But for most of human history, what we today call drugs were considered gifts from the divine with the potential to bestow healing, power, and wisdom. These were gifts of fire, essential to our lives but with underlying danger.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur pursuit and fear of this pharmacological fire helped build empires and destroy civilizations. At the heart of today's problem is a mistaken understanding of our history with drugs. In \u003ci\u003eWhat Are Drugs For?\u003c\/i\u003e Timothy McMahan King excavates the evolutionary, religious, and social histories of humanity and its relationship with drugs, showing how these fiery divine substances have shaped and continue to influence religions, societies, and our notions of the good life. By retrieving that history and recontextualizing contemporary political, legal, and social challenges within them, King offers clues to building a path forward. Drugs are tools for human flourishing, yet are best known for their powers of destruction. \u003ci\u003eWhat Are Drugs For?\u003c\/i\u003e is about what makes the difference.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Timothy McMahan King\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Fortress Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 328\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.22h x 5.92w x 1.11d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781506497181\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/01\/2026 pg. 102\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKing, Timothy McMahan:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTimothy McMahan King\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer, nonprofit professional, senior fellow for Clergy for a New Drug Policy, and owner of Vagabond Strategies. He has worked as a community organizer in Chicago, a chief strategy officer with Sojourners, and a consultant for national nonprofits, advocacy campaigns, and political candidates. He is the author of \u003cem\u003eAddiction Nation\u003c\/em\u003e (2019).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Timothy McMahan King \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":48944179282077,"sku":"9781506497181","price":38.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_8386cf39-5bdf-4575-a93b-bf71076a79f8.jpg?v=1790155294","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/what-are-drugs-for-an-exploration-of-stolen-fire-9781506497181","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}