This volume investigates the complex historical and cultural processes through which specific substances are categorized as drugs and integrated into or excluded from social practices. The editors, Andrew Sherratt, Jordan Goodman, and Paul E. Lovejoy, assemble a multidisciplinary collection of essays that examine the shifting definitions of psychoactive substances across different eras and civilizations. By analyzing the intersection of trade, medicine, and social regulation, the authors argue that the concept of a 'drug' is not a fixed biological reality but a socially constructed category that evolves alongside human economic and political systems.

Scholars in the fields of anthropology and history frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the social construction of psychoactive substances. Experts highlight the academic rigor of the essays and the breadth of the historical scope provided by the contributors.