Memoirs of an Ex-Hippie: Seven Years in the Counterculture [Paperback]

Robert A. Roskind (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2002 | ISBN-10: 1565220730 | ISBN-13: 978-1565220737

The counterculture of the 60s and 70s has been viewed as everything from naive to hedonistic. However, most of these views were formed by observing the movement from the outside. "Memoirs of an Ex-Hippie" offers a vastly different perspective, one developed from within.

After graduating college in 1968, Robert Roskind hit the road for seven years. Roskind's travels lead him into the heart of the counterculture--to Esalen Institute, Tassajara Hot Springs, Big Sur, Vancouver Island, the communes of Oregon and North Carolina, Altamont Pop Festival, Mt. Shasta, the Haight-Ashbury and the "motherland"--Northern California.

His personal odyssey, sometimes profane and funny, sometimes profound and serious, reveals this tumultuous era as a cultural and spiritual renaissance that birthed many of the solutions to problems humanity now faces.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert Roskind is a writer and speaker. His ten books include "Rasta Heart: A Journey into One Love," "In the Spirit of Business," and "In the Spirit of Marriage," all traching unconditional love. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolna with his wife, Julia, and their daughter, Alicia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Do It Yourself (April 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565220730
• ISBN-13: 978-1565220737
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #617,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

To date, Roskind, his wife, Julia, and their 19 year-old daughter, Alicia, have organized and hosted 74 of these "One Love Events" in Jamaica and on Native American reservations, colleges and at public venues in the U.S. All are non-commercial, involve no sponsorship funding and are free to the public. They are non-denominational, apolitical and bring forward a message of universal love for all.
Their latest event was on February 6, 2005, Bob Marley's 60th Birthday Celebration, in Kingston, Jamaica with a live audience of tens of thousands and a TV and radio audience of almost two million. It included presentations by the Jamaican head of state, Governor General Sir Howard Cooke, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Tourism, Bob's daughter, Stephanie Marley, many conscious civic leaders and talk show hosts and twenty well-known recording artists also performed including Bunny Wailer, Culture, Luciano, Ernie Smith and Abijah.
These events have often led to a community-wide healing. Their five events on the Hopi reservation in Arizona led to the Hopis defeating reservation gambling and preserving their ancient ways. Their two events on the Havasupai reservation on the floor of the Grand Canyon led to the tribe electing a pro-environmental tribal council committed to protecting the Canyon. In Jamaica, their 54 concerts brought a much-needed message of love to a country in turmoil.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nostalgic stroll down Hippie Lane, January 2, 2003

By 

Skip Stone (Emerald Triangle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of an Ex-Hippie: Seven Years in the Counterculture (Paperback)

Just as the Beats immortalized their lives and times in such books as On The Road, Robert Roskind likewise commemorates the liberated lifestyle of the hippie era. This look back, while very personal, is also the archetype for a whole generation whose quest for freedom and the meaning of life led to some mind-blowing experiences. Whether it was dealing with parents and the "generation gap", or trying to avoid getting sent to Vietnam or tripping out on LSD at Altamont, we hippies trod the same path, often in the same places. This implies our common experience was a result of an underlying phenomenon that ultimately changed ourselves, our society and the world.

Roskind's nostalgic trip down hippie lane is a travelogue of life's alternative byways and an exploration of the communal mindset of the period. His honest recollections about his psychedelic drug use, run-ins with the cops, communal life, free love, and self-discovery were all part of the hippie trip. Roskind's tales of many cross-country journeys, picking up hitchhikers in his converted bus, leave us longing for those simpler times, when total strangers would become friends faster than you could light a joint. Those days are over now, but still very much alive for those who lived them.

While many original hippies "sold out" long ago and joined the "establishment", some of us have held true to our beliefs and continue to explore alternative lifestyles and businesses. Roskind likewise shows us his crisis of faith and how he resolved to live a life of service to others and carry on the hippie philosophy in practice. Having realized that Love is the answer to many of life's questions, he now teaches others the transcendental power of unconditional love through his books and lectures.

The only flaw I find in the book is its title. Roskind is no Ex-hippie. The hippie inside still lives on and his love for the hippie way and how it changed his life comes thru loud and clear in this well written autobiography. Memoirs of an Ex-Hippie is liberating reading, and will take the reader on the same voyage we all experienced back in the 60s, without drugs!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Where was the Editor?, August 3, 2005

By 

Eaglefeather (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of an Ex-Hippie: Seven Years in the Counterculture (Paperback)

If one can look past the repeated grammatical errors, this book is a joy for any of us who were shaped by the events of the 60's and 70's. Roskind does a credible job of taking the reader along for his memorable ride. Through the retelling of his personal experiences he helps the reader revisit the utopian dream many of us had for a better world. While his experiences may have been unique, his hopes and dreams for a new and improved society were commonly held. For many of us this book is a ride down memory lane. For those who weren't there personally it is an interesting read and one that provides credible insight into the issues and answers of the era.

As Skip Stone points out, Roskind is not truly an "ex-hippie." Rather, he is a hippie who has further evolved. Like many, Roskind was profoundly shaped by the counterculture. Though he may have returned to the mainstream, the magic of the hippie years appears to be a significant ongoing influence.

Regrettably, the poor editing tarnished this otherwise pleasant read. The inconsistencies in dates and sequences could, perhaps, be overlooked. However, didn't we all learn in junior high English class that when we refer to ourselves as the sentence subject we use I, but as an object we use me? Perhaps Roskind skipped school that day, but how can this obvious error be repeated dozens of times in a published book? Where was the editor? Four stars for content, but one subtracted for editing.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I was born to live those times!, February 26, 2006

By 

T. Wickizer "cerridwen33" (So CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Memoirs of an Ex-Hippie: Seven Years in the Counterculture (Paperback)

First I want to say "Thank you" to Mr. Roskind for giving us such a great work that shows and teaches the children of your generation what it means to be truely free. Roskind takes you on an adventure that so many wish they could have taken, had we been born in time. ('71 for me) Eventhough he isn't preechy in his ideas of freedom and spirituality the reader cant help but take away what the essence of what both truely mean and then finding out how you fit in. Lots of fresh little gems of humor and intersting facts about why certain things are illegal. I loved reading about his experiences in the bay area and beyond. Since I'm from the Berkeley area it makes it even more interesting. I'm definatley looking forward to reading his other books.