Dispatching people with poisonous plants isn’t just an Agatha Christie plot, it began thousands of years ago and continues to this day. Intertwined with human history, Deadly Fascination follows the trail through medicine, witchcraft, warfare, literature, and art and shows how our fascination may have begun in childhood.

From the penny dreadful novels, murder mysteries, and true-crime television programs to the popularity of Halloween, we seem to have a penchant for ghoulishness. And though we may fear it, we also have a fascination with the mystery of death. Poisonous plants and fatal fungi fit into and feed this dark enchantment like a gothic charm. Some plants and fungi have a sinister beauty that piques the imagination and makes us wonder how something so alluring could be so dangerous. Sometimes we delight in the things that scare us and sometimes we are fascinated by the things that horrify us. Deadly Fascination will take you on a journey to see how poisonous plants and fatal fungi fuel this fascination.

Deadly Fascination provides an entertaining and informative look at poisonous plants and fungi and peeks into some of the dark past. The book reveals a parallel between the witch trials of Europe and the subjugation of Indigenous healers. It follows the use of poisonous plants in the development of medicine and the murky roots of toxicology. Deadly Fascination explores the sacred and medicinal use of psychedelic plants and fungi and looks at the political and commercial interests that enabled the proliferation of dangerous plants. A peek over the proverbial fence shows how some poisonous plants are grown intentionally (or unwittingly) in gardens.

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