Life in the counterculture

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For more on the hippie culture, you can check out these books and films

Books

Hippie: Introduces different aspects of hippie culture, such as the hippie scene, quotes from groovy personalities like Timothy Leary and John Lennon, intros of posters and albums of popular bands like the Doors, and period photographs of antiwar protests, and communes. Get a taste of the great era of protests, when hippies stood outside society, offering both valid and off-the-wall criticism.

The American Counterculture: Explores a lot of the relationship between hippie counterculture and American pop culture. An account of the economic and social reasons for the emergence of the counterculture, and an appraisal of the key literary, musical, political and visual texts that challenged mainstream ideologies.

Films

Easy Rider: Story of two young \"hippie\" bikers setting off for a trip across America. On the journey they encounter anger and hatred from small-town communities who despise and fear their non-conformism. But they also discover people trying out \"alternative lifestyles\", resisting the narrow-mindedness. The film captures the era and the worry of those living in it. The hippy commune scene is the best. You feel like you're there.

Woodstock: Meant as a documentary on the famous 3-day 1969 New York rock festival of the same name, but really more valuable as a record of 1960s hippy culture. It's one of the best films to capture the spirit of the 60s. Between musical acts, the camera meanders through the crowds to interview spectators, or just eavesdrop on the participants.