Book Summary – The Harvard Psilocybin Project 1960–1963 By Edward J. Reither This meticulously researched volume offers a comprehensive account of one of the most provocative and consequential research programs in American academic history. The Harvard Psilocybin Project 1960–1963 examines the origins, ambitions, controversies, and legacy of the psychedelic research led by Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert (later Ram Dass), and their colleagues at Harvard’s Center for Personality Research. Drawing upon archival materials from Harvard University’s libraries and rare collections, Edward J. Reither reconstructs the cultural and scientific environment that gave rise to nearly 400 psilocybin sessions involving artists, intellectuals, and students—before the project’s controversial termination and the dismissal of its leading figures. Positioned within a broader historical context, this study explores the philosophical, psychological, and spiritual implications of early psychedelic inquiry, and how the reverberations of this short-lived experiment continue to shape contemporary research and public discourse. Reither’s work not only chronicles a pivotal era but also illuminates the enduring question: what is the potential of psychedelics to expand human consciousness?