[An] interesting book ... [that presents] anthropological insights on different uses of tobacco among indigenous peoples of Western Amazonia. Anthropos Tobacco, the ubiquitous and foundational plant of South American Indian shamanism, has too often been taken for granted. This edited collection puts tobacco back in the limelight where it rightly belongs. With its broad-ranging ethnographic cases, historical depth, varied analytic approaches and contemporary relevance, this landmark collection will remain the standard reference for years to come. -- Stephen Hugh-Jones, University of Cambridge, UK With The Master Plant, Russell and Rahman have created an invaluable and pragmatic resource about people in Lowland South America who integrate tobacco into ritual practices, including personal transcendence through shamanism. The authors promote a discourse that moves beyond the view of tobacco use as vehicle for tobacco industry profits. This book should be required reading for global public health and tobacco control researchers, policy makers and advocates, who see themselves working in a culturally competent manner with non-dominant communities. -- Marty Otanez, University of Colorado, USA