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REQUIRED READING FOR REBELS
HIGH TIMES veterans Paul Krassner and Steven Hager select the most signifigant books of the counterculture.
Tue, Jun 11, 2002 12:00 am
PAUL KRASSNER'S LIST:
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Popularized by Tim Leary, Richard Alpert and Ralph Metzner, this psychedelic tome served as a guide for countless LSD trips.
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley, 1954
Awakened young explorers of inner space to the realities of consciousness expansion.
Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1955
Provided a fairy-tale-like mythology for a generation eagerly seeking imaginary role models.
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg, 1956
Inspired poets and activists alike--such as Ed Sanders and Abbie Hoffman--and united anticensorship forces.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac, 1957
A wake-up call to the beauty of America and an antidote to the stifling dullness of the proverbial rat race and middle-class suburbia.
The Magic Christian by Terry Southern, 1958
Satirized a value system of selfishness and greed, and prophesized today's marriage of entertainment and news.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, 1962
A tribute to the power of individual action, Kesey was not merely writing a novel, he was "trying to go all the way."
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People by Lenny Bruce, 1963
This autobiography revealed the heart and soul of a performer who wanted to speak on a nightclub stage with the same freedom he exercised in his living room.
A Confederate General from Big Sur by Richard Brautigan, 1964
His story articulated the consciousness of hippies, capturing their idealism and hope.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, 1968
Immortalized Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady, the Merry Pranksters and their bus Furthur, and revitalized a sense of adventure and spontaneity.
The Spirit of Zen by Alan Watts, 1969
Helped to replace Western religions of control with Eastern religions of liberation as the basis of a spiritual revolution.
The Making of the Counterculture by Theodore Roszak, 1970
Invented the word that described the factors enabling young people to break out from the invisible prison of mainstream culture.
[cont.]
Top Counterculture Books [cont.]
STEVEN HAGER'S LIST:
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, 1871
It wasn't until after the psychedelic revolution that the true meanings of this tale were uncovered. Elements of "Wonderland" soon became woven into the emerging hippie mythology.
Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller, 1939
Miller created the role model of hipster as antihero with the publication of his first book, Tropic of Cancer in 1934. This sequel provided a hilarious and blistering portrait of the American dream gone sour.
Really the Blues by Mezz Mezzrow and Bernard Wolfe, 1946
The most underappreciated work of modern literature and a largely unrecognized influence on Beat culture.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac, 1957
Opened the door for a new spirituality in America, based in part on Eastern philosophy and the acceptance of mind-altering substances.
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, 1962
Created the environmental movement and put an entire generation in touch with the fragile web of life.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn, 1962
A highly academic look at the history of science, this book coined the term "paradigm" to describe a shared belief system. Elements of the book reverberated through the social sciences and even influenced concepts of spirituality.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, 1962
A peyote vision of modern American culture as prison for the soul, this book convinced many to make a counterculture leap of faith.
Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane, 1966
Lane created an entire generation of Hamlet figures who believed corrupt forces killed JFK and then buried the truth.
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me by Richard Farina, 1966
What On the Road was to the Beat generation, this book was to the emerging hippie generation.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, 1968
Ken Kesey is one of the greatest artists of our time, and this book told the real story of his great psychedelic adventures.
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin, 1977
Created the modern midwifery movement and put women back in touch with their minds and bodies.
Cannabis Spirituality by Stephen Gaskin, 1998
A landmark in the attempt to achieve religious rights for the counterculture, this book contains some of the best writing from Gaskin's previous works on spirituality.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Popularized by Tim Leary, Richard Alpert and Ralph Metzner, this psychedelic tome served as a guide for countless LSD trips.
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley, 1954
Awakened young explorers of inner space to the realities of consciousness expansion.
Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1955
Provided a fairy-tale-like mythology for a generation eagerly seeking imaginary role models.
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg, 1956
Inspired poets and activists alike--such as Ed Sanders and Abbie Hoffman--and united anticensorship forces.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac, 1957
A wake-up call to the beauty of America and an antidote to the stifling dullness of the proverbial rat race and middle-class suburbia.
The Magic Christian by Terry Southern, 1958
Satirized a value system of selfishness and greed, and prophesized today's marriage of entertainment and news.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, 1962
A tribute to the power of individual action, Kesey was not merely writing a novel, he was "trying to go all the way."
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People by Lenny Bruce, 1963
This autobiography revealed the heart and soul of a performer who wanted to speak on a nightclub stage with the same freedom he exercised in his living room.
A Confederate General from Big Sur by Richard Brautigan, 1964
His story articulated the consciousness of hippies, capturing their idealism and hope.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, 1968
Immortalized Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady, the Merry Pranksters and their bus Furthur, and revitalized a sense of adventure and spontaneity.
The Spirit of Zen by Alan Watts, 1969
Helped to replace Western religions of control with Eastern religions of liberation as the basis of a spiritual revolution.
The Making of the Counterculture by Theodore Roszak, 1970
Invented the word that described the factors enabling young people to break out from the invisible prison of mainstream culture.
[cont.]
Top Counterculture Books [cont.]
STEVEN HAGER'S LIST:
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, 1871
It wasn't until after the psychedelic revolution that the true meanings of this tale were uncovered. Elements of "Wonderland" soon became woven into the emerging hippie mythology.
Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller, 1939
Miller created the role model of hipster as antihero with the publication of his first book, Tropic of Cancer in 1934. This sequel provided a hilarious and blistering portrait of the American dream gone sour.
Really the Blues by Mezz Mezzrow and Bernard Wolfe, 1946
The most underappreciated work of modern literature and a largely unrecognized influence on Beat culture.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac, 1957
Opened the door for a new spirituality in America, based in part on Eastern philosophy and the acceptance of mind-altering substances.
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, 1962
Created the environmental movement and put an entire generation in touch with the fragile web of life.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn, 1962
A highly academic look at the history of science, this book coined the term "paradigm" to describe a shared belief system. Elements of the book reverberated through the social sciences and even influenced concepts of spirituality.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, 1962
A peyote vision of modern American culture as prison for the soul, this book convinced many to make a counterculture leap of faith.
Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane, 1966
Lane created an entire generation of Hamlet figures who believed corrupt forces killed JFK and then buried the truth.
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me by Richard Farina, 1966
What On the Road was to the Beat generation, this book was to the emerging hippie generation.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, 1968
Ken Kesey is one of the greatest artists of our time, and this book told the real story of his great psychedelic adventures.
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin, 1977
Created the modern midwifery movement and put women back in touch with their minds and bodies.
Cannabis Spirituality by Stephen Gaskin, 1998
A landmark in the attempt to achieve religious rights for the counterculture, this book contains some of the best writing from Gaskin's previous works on spirituality.
