Steal This Book (Abbie Hoffman)

Last Fall I was introduced to the writing of Abbie Hoffman through another one of his books, Revolution for the Hell of it. I am endlessly fascinated with the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s, with the protest movements and with the radical literature of the time period. Steal This Book, published originally in 1971, is literally a guide to alternative living and waging war against the system.

Hoffman offers advice on everything from shoplifting, getting free food, hitchhiking, making pipe-bombs, obtaining free furniture, starting an underground press, finding a commune, growing pot, avoiding the draft, getting free education, sneaking into shows, planning for protests, surviving gas attacks and seeking legal aid after arrest. This book is the full package, even providing the names and addresses of organizations that, back in 1971, would have been helpful to those living the counter-cultural life-style. Hoffman even offers advice for those who must go "underground" to avoid arrest.

At the same time, some of Hoffman's advice is still useful today. For example, some of the advice he offers on staging demonstrations is still relevant, as is his advice for starting up an underground paper. Although, the printing methods have changed drastically in the last forty years. In the 1970s, printing presses, long hours of labour, and a few hundred dollars were needed. Today, papers can be laid-out for free on computers, photocopied and distributed far more easily and for much less. In fact, with the internet, an underground paper does not even have to print, if it chooses not to.

Steal This Book is a great read for anyone interested in either modern or past counterculture, but it's also a good choice for anyone looking for a good laugh. If you decide to read this book though, please be sure and pay for it. It was turned down by thirty publishers, partly because of the title. Please, do not steal Steal This Book.