Last and First Men

This book by Olaf Stapledon was genuinely recommended once in the episodes we index, on Joe Rogan. The people who vouched for it on air: Rick Strassman. It comes up in conversations about addiction & recovery, consciousness, exercise & strength, psychedelics. Every quote below is verbatim, attributed, and linked to the exact second it was said. Sourced expert opinion, not medical advice.

One of the most succinct and accurate renderings of mankind's present state of mind and future progression. It documents the future of man from the start of WW2 and continues until the Sun engulfs the earth, and beyond. Considering this book was first published in 1931, it is remarkable, both in its honesty as regards human nature, and in its phenomenal span. By the time we reach chapter 3 of the 16 in this book, it is already 2300 AD and you feel like you have had the viewpoint of a God. So intense is the writing, that a few pages can take you hours to read and weeks to think about. What a writer, what a visionary.

• “a very cool book I try to mention as often as possible is called The Last and The First and Last Men by Olaf Stapleton.”

  Why it counts as a recommendation: “a very cool book I try to mention as often as possible”
  Rick Strassman · The Joe Rogan Experience · Sep 202500:19:17

  Said during "Joe Rogan Experience #2385 - Rick Strassman". The episode features Rick Strassman: Psychiatrist and DMT researcher who ran the first U.S. government-approved human DMT studies (1990-1995) and wrote 'DMT: The Spirit Molecule.' He later learned biblical Hebrew and now translates the Hebrew Bible, comparing prophetic experiences to the DMT state. DMT researcher Rick Strassman and Joe Rogan link psychedelic visions to Hebrew Bible prophecy, AI's future, giants, and the war on drugs.