Russ Kick's enormous Psychotropedia is unlike any other reference book you're likely to find. Over the course of 500+ pages and more than twice as many entries, Kick covers what he considers fringe publications, and the fact that he gathers such a diverse assortment under this banner is, more than anything else, what makes his book difficult to put down. For Kick, "fringe" is defined more by subject matter than origin; consequently, books by academic publishers can be found alongside pamphlets by NAMBLA and the Right To Die Society Of Canada, information on peacenik anarchist co-ops, and O.J.: 101 Theories, Conspiracies, & Alibis. Kick groups his subjects under such broad categories as "The Body," "The Unexplained," "Comix, Cartoons & Other Graphics," "Drugs," and "Conspiracies, Cover-Ups & Hidden Agendas," which should give you an idea of where Psychotropedia is coming from. Interested in learning how to hide things in public places? Check out Kick's entry on Dennis Fiery's illustrated guide, "How To Hide Things In Public Places." Those interested in conspiracy theories concerning Vincent Foster's death, podophilliac sex, Negativland's legal battles, or inside accounts of the Yakuza won't come away disappointed, either. Kick doesn't seem to have met a marginal topic he doesn't like, and, as a fervent First Amendment supporter, he gives voice to a lot of them. Any book that shows how to obtain, and reviews without casting judgement, the publication Vest Busters: How To Make Your Own Body-Armor-Piercing Bullets risks accusations of irresponsibility, but Kick doesn't seem terribly concerned. He remains an informed, largely detached (though fanboyish tendencies slip through) compiler of stuff that, for better or worse, you're not likely to run across at Barnes & Noble. Kick leaves it up to the reader to decide whether the marginal status of such titles as Michael Jackson Was My Lover, The Official Guide To The Best Cathouses In Nevada, Hopping Freight Trains In America, Richard Kern's New York Girls, or Mumia Abu-Jamal's Live From Death Row is a good thing. But if you want to know where to find them, this is the best place to start looking.