Though the archaic shaman served a profound community purpose, the modern shaman in America has devolved into a mere entertainer for a tribe, which is spiritually disinterested, at best, and cynical, at worst. This critical text examines the writings of Jack Kerouac, who identified himself as both Christian and Buddhist, in terms of shamanic technique and situates him on the decadent arc of shamanism in human experience. All the major works by Kerouac are covered; of particular interest are both the shamanic nature of Kerouac's content and the ecstatic technique of his style in his five novel and two experimental volumes. This an excellent volume for those interested in exploring the spiritual import of Kerouac's body of work.)