In the 1950s, d'Azevedo (anthropology, U. of Nevada, Reno, emeritus) recorded first-person narratives from Washoe tribe members, who were followers of the Native American Church and whose sacrament was the peyote cactus. Although the narratives have been edited and synthesized by d'Azevedo, they offer a glimpse into the insiders' understanding of the peyote ritual before it was popularized. The volume was first printed in 1978 in a letterpress edition. Heyday Books published the first trade paper edition in 1985. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)