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The Best of Abbie Hoffman: Selections from Revolution for the Hell of It, Woodstock Nation, Steal this Book and New Writings
Excerpts from Revolution for the Hell of It, Woodstock Nation, and Steal This Book share the dissident author's dissatisfaction with the status quo and his aspirations for freedom and justice
420 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
7 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Abbie Hoffman
30 books220 followersAbbott Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was a social and political activist in the United States who co-founded the Youth International Party ("Yippies"). Later he became a fugitive from the law, who lived under an alias following a conviction for dealing cocaine.
Hoffman was arrested and tried for conspiracy and inciting to riot as a result of his role in protests that led to violent confrontations with police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, along with Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale. The group was known collectively as the "Chicago Eight"; when Seale's prosecution was separated from the others, they became known as the Chicago Seven.
Hoffman came to prominence in the 1960s, and continued practicing his activism in the 1970s, and has remained a symbol of the youth rebellion and radical activism of that era. In his 1980 autobiography, Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture, he described himself as an anarchist.
Hoffman was arrested and tried for conspiracy and inciting to riot as a result of his role in protests that led to violent confrontations with police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, along with Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner and Bobby Seale. The group was known collectively as the "Chicago Eight"; when Seale's prosecution was separated from the others, they became known as the Chicago Seven.
Hoffman came to prominence in the 1960s, and continued practicing his activism in the 1970s, and has remained a symbol of the youth rebellion and radical activism of that era. In his 1980 autobiography, Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture, he described himself as an anarchist.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 20, 2023
This book is an inspiration to revolutionaries! You can really see how Abbie’s writing becomes more coherent and sane over time, while still maintaining his wild spirit: “Sure we were young. We were arrogant. We were ridiculous. There were excesses. We were brash. We were foolish. We had factional fights. But we were right.” Much of the advice in “Steal this Book” is out of date, but it isn’t really about the advice itself, but the spirit in which it is given.
November 28, 2020
Why I picked this up: I recently watched Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7, thoroughly enjoyed it, and realized I knew about Abbie Hoffman, but had never read any of his work.
What's in the collection: As the subtitle states, you get pieces of Revolution for the Hell of It (focusing on the 1968 demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention), Woodstock Nation (focusing on the aftermath of Chicago with some excellent pieces on Woodstock), and - according to the editor - most of Steal This Book. There's also a collection of essays and transcribed speeches and interviews from 1980 on.
What I thought: I almost gave up during the first chapter, an extremely addled stream of consciousness piece that screams LSD. But I didn't, and I'm very glad I didn't. The first two books are dense with 60's thought and atmosphere, sometimes to the point of obscuring the saliency of anything else. But Hoffman's pragmatism, organizing skills, and love of theatre regularly shine through, and you get a strong sense of Hoffman's ethos: work hard and joyfully at the revolution, avoid (or better yet confound) the academic navel gazing tendencies of the Left, and think like an ad executive to communicate your message. I would especially recommend the chapter "The Sinclair Hospital" on Hoffman's time staffing the emergency clinic at Woodstock, his good and bad trips while doing so, and his continuing struggles to make the festival pay attention to something besides just the music.
Steal This Book is a different beast, written in a much more matter of fact style and absent the personal touches. You can read it as a time capsule (many of the scams using credit cards and tickets are impossible now), a prediction (Hoffman details the personal protection you needed in protests then and are still helpful in protests now), a paean to living free (lots on communes, but strangely little on squatting), or a frightening inventory of how to carry out violence (nothing pacifist here). It's straightforward prose connected to alternative purposes that spans everything from a breakfast cereal recipe to the right way to make and throw a Molotov cocktail.
The essays at the end probably had the most impact on me. The theatricality is mostly gone, but Hoffman's skill at organizing and his vision of effective communication still illuminate the pieces. It's clear that he sees the 60's not as a missed opportunity, but as a confluence of particular historical forces, and that he believe the same level of activism is possible at the time of his writing (the mid-eighties) if the appropriate tools for the context are used. Hoffman still denigrates the Left as slaves to vocabulary and avoids oppressive ideology. It's not local versus global; it's acknowledging that effective protest and action starts at the local level and always benefits from larger organizations. It's a clear eyed look at organizing and not a long suffering nostalgic look at '68 and '69 (which is what I expected).
If you have any interest in Hoffman, I found this a strong collection that showcases his best qualities in the midst of very different writing styles.
What's in the collection: As the subtitle states, you get pieces of Revolution for the Hell of It (focusing on the 1968 demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention), Woodstock Nation (focusing on the aftermath of Chicago with some excellent pieces on Woodstock), and - according to the editor - most of Steal This Book. There's also a collection of essays and transcribed speeches and interviews from 1980 on.
What I thought: I almost gave up during the first chapter, an extremely addled stream of consciousness piece that screams LSD. But I didn't, and I'm very glad I didn't. The first two books are dense with 60's thought and atmosphere, sometimes to the point of obscuring the saliency of anything else. But Hoffman's pragmatism, organizing skills, and love of theatre regularly shine through, and you get a strong sense of Hoffman's ethos: work hard and joyfully at the revolution, avoid (or better yet confound) the academic navel gazing tendencies of the Left, and think like an ad executive to communicate your message. I would especially recommend the chapter "The Sinclair Hospital" on Hoffman's time staffing the emergency clinic at Woodstock, his good and bad trips while doing so, and his continuing struggles to make the festival pay attention to something besides just the music.
Steal This Book is a different beast, written in a much more matter of fact style and absent the personal touches. You can read it as a time capsule (many of the scams using credit cards and tickets are impossible now), a prediction (Hoffman details the personal protection you needed in protests then and are still helpful in protests now), a paean to living free (lots on communes, but strangely little on squatting), or a frightening inventory of how to carry out violence (nothing pacifist here). It's straightforward prose connected to alternative purposes that spans everything from a breakfast cereal recipe to the right way to make and throw a Molotov cocktail.
The essays at the end probably had the most impact on me. The theatricality is mostly gone, but Hoffman's skill at organizing and his vision of effective communication still illuminate the pieces. It's clear that he sees the 60's not as a missed opportunity, but as a confluence of particular historical forces, and that he believe the same level of activism is possible at the time of his writing (the mid-eighties) if the appropriate tools for the context are used. Hoffman still denigrates the Left as slaves to vocabulary and avoids oppressive ideology. It's not local versus global; it's acknowledging that effective protest and action starts at the local level and always benefits from larger organizations. It's a clear eyed look at organizing and not a long suffering nostalgic look at '68 and '69 (which is what I expected).
If you have any interest in Hoffman, I found this a strong collection that showcases his best qualities in the midst of very different writing styles.
July 11, 2012
Read for school - final project for English. Maybe I should tell my teacher I actually finished it...
Good book. Abbie made me laugh, fume and agree wholeheartedly in parts. But...the bombs and combat against police parts I skipped. I know, Abbie, you'd be disgusted with me, but I'm someone who thinks that staying on the right side of the law is best.
But, as you read this anthology, you need to remember that Abbie wrote in a different time, albeit only thirty years ago. He participated in the revolutionary side of the Beats, Hippies and Yippies - while all the other Beats and Hippies were doing drugs and lounging around, driving around with no purpose, Abbie was writing books and organizing rallies and noting down ways to fight the "pigs", and he kept on with it - staging environmental protests and warning against the CIA in Central America.
My favorite Beat poem: Howl . My favorite Beat author: Hoffman. Just like Abbie, I like the revolutionary side better. But I don't go as far as Abbie does.
Good book. Abbie made me laugh, fume and agree wholeheartedly in parts. But...the bombs and combat against police parts I skipped. I know, Abbie, you'd be disgusted with me, but I'm someone who thinks that staying on the right side of the law is best.
But, as you read this anthology, you need to remember that Abbie wrote in a different time, albeit only thirty years ago. He participated in the revolutionary side of the Beats, Hippies and Yippies - while all the other Beats and Hippies were doing drugs and lounging around, driving around with no purpose, Abbie was writing books and organizing rallies and noting down ways to fight the "pigs", and he kept on with it - staging environmental protests and warning against the CIA in Central America.
My favorite Beat poem: Howl . My favorite Beat author: Hoffman. Just like Abbie, I like the revolutionary side better. But I don't go as far as Abbie does.
October 21, 2009
Good shit. It's been a while, worth picking up again, but very good and funny stuff, antics of the Yippies and Abbie Hoffman...throwing money over the balcony of the New York Stock Exchange, and all trading halts for a minute as the brokers scramble to grab the cash...
June 1, 2007
Steal This Book
Revolution For the Hell Of It
Woodstock Nation
and essays
all in one glorious collection!
Abbie is my favorite writer. And I share a birthday with him!
Revolution For the Hell Of It
Woodstock Nation
and essays
all in one glorious collection!
Abbie is my favorite writer. And I share a birthday with him!
July 5, 2017
I had never heard of this collection until one day I opened my door to find it in a pile with 2 other books. I like to think that Abbie would have approved of my means of acquisition.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews