Shroomies - by John Biggs (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An in-depth exploration of psilocybin and its resurgence, use, impact, and potential.

Once upon a time, John Biggs thought mushrooms were for hippies and ravers. Now he calls them medicine.

In Shroomies tech journalist and unapologetic skeptic John Biggs trades Silicon Valley for psilocybin. What begins as a personal experiment to escape depression becomes a sweeping exploration of the psychedelic renaissance--how mushrooms are transforming minds, mending trauma, and redefining what it means to be human.

From underground retreats in Brooklyn to cutting-edge neuroscience labs and legal mushroom clinics, Biggs chronicles a cultural revolution in real time. Along the way, he meets grieving widows, veterans with PTSD, and burnt-out tech founders--all drawn to a strange little fungus promising something antidepressants can't deliver: meaning.

Smart, funny, and unexpectedly moving, Shroomies bridges memoir and reportage with a cynic's wit and a seeker's heart. Biggs offers a grounded, clear-eyed look at how psilocybin works, why it's capturing the world's imagination, and what happens when an exhausted generation decides to look inward instead of logging on.

For readers of Michael Pollan, Merlin Sheldrake, and Rachel Nuwer, Shroomies is both a guide and a trip--a story of transformation, connection, and the ancient intelligence hiding in plain sight.

Review Quotes

"Shroomies is an important contribution to the research into psilocybin mushrooms and mental health. The book combines both a comprehensive study of mushrooms--dating back to when the earth was still forming--to the party era of hallucinogenic drugs--then finally revealing Biggs's own very personal and very honest journey in seeking help for his struggles with depression. He offers a strong testament and a path for others in understanding the powerful tool psilocybin mushrooms might have in their own recovery."--Sharon Dilworth, author of To Be Marquette

"This is the book I didn't know I needed in my life."--Dennis Walker, founder of Mycopreneur

"As someone with a bit of history with mushrooms of all kinds, Biggs has written an easy-to-read and heartfelt exploration of the magic kind. A fascinating read." --Michael Azzolina Cecchi, restaurateur and author of Your Table Is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maître D

"John Biggs writes like he's got nothing to hide--and that's what makes it hit. Part breakdown, part breakthrough, Shroomies is as honest as it gets." --James "Murr" Murray, Impractical Joker and bestselling author of the Awakened trilogy

About the Author

John Biggs has been at the forefront of the new entrepreneurial revolution since 2004. One of the founding editors of TechCrunch, he wrote 12,000 posts about technology, business, gadgets, and the future. In 2020, he began writing about the business of psychedelics, a topic that is simultaneously mainstream and hidden. He then started Natural Goods News, a psychedelics newsletter, and has written about the topic for his 100,000 Substack subscribers and 36,000 Twitter followers. He co-authored with Eric Villines, Get Funded! The Startup Entrepreneur's Guide to Seriously Successful Fundraising. Biggs spent the past 15 years at TechCrunch, where he flew from coast to coast and around the world to spread a very specific form of entrepreneurial evangelism. He has interviewed musicians, actors, programmers, criminals, and artists and has an online reach of millions of readers.