"Scholars will appreciate the depth and breadth of the learning here, and would-be ayahuasca pilgrims should consider this a must read. Find room in your backpack for a paperback edition, but be sure to add a waterproof sleeve. You'll want to return to this one again and again as your quest, should you be called on one, unfolds."—Cultural Anthropology
"Beyer has provided a very useful sourcebook for anyone who wants to know more about shamanism and ayahuasca than is available from drug-focused websites and sensationalized tourist brochures for 'authentic' shamanic experiences in the Amazon. I hope that is a large audience, as the book merits wide attention."—Medical Anthropology Quarterly
"Building an inclusive bridge between a layman's accessibility and comprehensive scholarly research, Beyer has effectively embodied and integrated his intellectual understanding and knowledge with years of first-hand experimental encounters with Ayahuasca and other plant medicines of Upper Amazonia."—International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
"An exhaustively researched and detailed study, unique among its kind, and an absolute 'must-have' for college library collections strong in anthropology and information on indigenous religions."—Midwest Book Review
"As plant-based shamanism peaks in the Western consciousness, a number of books have recently been published documenting different facets of this archaic revival. Few are more carefully researched or as delightfully presented as Stephen V. Beyer's magnum opus, Singing to the Plants, which as the subtitle suggests, is the invaluable guide to mestizo shamanism in the Upper Amazon....This is a serious and scholarly compendium for the academic and layperson alike. It is to be most highly recommended to those with an interest in Amazonian medicines, shamanism, culture, and the current impact these evolving traditions are having as the West undergoes its own global shamanic resurgence."—HerbalGram
