From the first fermented fruit to the last digital dopamine hit - this is the ultimate story of humanity's oldest habit: getting out of its own head. High Spirits is a darkly funny, brutally honest journey through thousands of years of intoxication - from sacred brews and opium dreams to caffeine addictions, love obsessions, and virtual highs. Historian-philosopher Heinrich Wilson uncorks the truth about our species: we've always been drunk on something, whether it's wine, religion, technology, or ourselves. Why do we chase pleasure knowing it ruins us? Why do comfort and chaos taste so similar? And what happens when the next big high isn't in a bottle, but in a microchip? Blending history, psychology, and wicked humor, Wilson traces the rise of civilization through its hangovers - revealing that every empire, every invention, and every idea was born from one irresistible impulse: the desire to feel more alive. Raise a glass, plug in, and take the trip.
Because sobriety was never humanity's strong suit.