Shots from the Hip: Sex, Drugs, and the Tao

"Thirty years after its debut, The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity remains Reid’s best-selling title, though his Shots from the Hip deserves to take that crown. It is an exceptional work: unvarnished, beautifully written, thought-provoking, and occasionally infuriating. Combining tales of earthly pleasures and spiritual meditations, Shots from the Hip is one of a kind, very much like the eccentric author himself." —Bookish Asia: The East Asian Book Reiew Shots From the Hip is the memoir of Daniel Reid, a world-renowned expert on consciousness, holistic medicine and living life to the full. It recounts a life lived footloose and free, unbound by convention and driven by a quest for new experiences on roads less traveled. From the sex, drugs, and rock & roll scene of Late Sixties America to the opium dens, bars, and bordellos of far-flung Asian outposts, the author recounts his outlandish escapades in a rollicking narrative told with flair and candor. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Shots From the Hip is also an in-depth commentary on life itself, and a deliberation on death drawn from the author's own close encounters. Reid, who calls himself a "Sinopath," felt a link with China early in life, compelling him to cultivate his taste for all things Chinese, from poetry and philosophy to food and women. His sinologisms entice the reader with tasty treats from the gourmet feast of traditional Chinese life. There is also a love story running through these pages, a tender tribute to the redemptive power of a woman's love for a man in the extremes of adversity. For readers with an appetite for the exotic and bizarre, the author offers a generous banquet of vicarious experience, while for those interested in loftier ideas, he shares new insights about ancient spiritual questions and the enduring mysteries of the mind. Reid's explanations of alternate ways to understand reality, drawn from Eastern teachings, may provide readers with new perspectives on their own lives.