Utopia Drive: A Road Trip Through America's Most Radical Idea

by Erik Reece

For Erik Reece, life, at last, was he was newly married, gainfully employed, living in a creekside cabin in his beloved Kentucky woods. It sounded, as he describes it, "like a country song with a happy ending." And yet he was still haunted by a sense that the world--or, more specifically, his country--could be better. He couldn't ignore his conviction that, in fact, the good ol' USA was in the midst of great social, environmental, and political crises--that for the first time in our history, we were being swept into a future that had no future. Where did we--here, in the land of Jeffersonian optimism and better tomorrows--go wrong? Rather than despair, Reece turned to those who had dared to imagine radically different futures for America. What followed was a giant road trip and research adventure through the sites of America's utopian communities, both historical and contemporary, known and unknown, successful and catastrophic. What he uncovered was not just a series of lost histories and broken visionaries but also a continuing and vital but hidden idealistic tradition in American intellectual history. Utopia Drive is an important and definitive reconstruction of that tradition. It is also, perhaps, a new framework to help us find a genuinely sustainable way forward. " … an engaging exploration -- and example -- of the fruitful tunnel-visions of dreamers turned doers." - Publishers Weekly

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Travel, Audiobook, Utopia, American, Politics

368 pages, Hardcover

First published August 9, 2016

Reviews

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this road trip review about American's utopian communities. If you don't have the time to read the entire book make sure you DO make time to read the last chapter, titled "What If?" In fact you should read it twice. But I recommend the entire book, lots to think about at this time of unrest and media bombardment.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been completely fascinated with utopias, and I've secretly longed to join one or start one. I'm a natural reader for this little travel narrative then, as the author takes us on a road trip (a small one) through all the utopias and former utopias that are or were located close to his home. Like the stories of people who have moved-and-started-over, stories of utopias tend to all end the same---in failure---and I'd love to come up with some sort of broad and clever reason why. I suppose the real reason has something to do with human nature and our deep inability to live happily in a sacrificial group. Or something like that. In any case, I loved visiting all of these utopias. Maybe I can squeeze in time to join one of the still-operating utopias before I---or it---shuts down.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utopia Drive reads like a podcast I'd love to listen to.

The conceit is fairly basic, where a writer is visiting a series of historically Utopian villages and communes in the United States over a period of time, giving a bit of history as well as present-day affairs in many cases, and providing those findings as well as the context of the times they were in place and the relationship to the now.

It's a fairly basic premise and it mostly works - the author does get onto a bit of sermonizing during some of his stops and descriptions, but that is perhaps the only significant flaw in what is an otherwise fun and most breezy read on an under-covered topic for modern histories. Definitely recommend that you take some time with this.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grim state of our nation/ daimon/ break the trance/ yarrow, tansy, wormwood and lavender/ the atheneum/ revelations 12:6/ there's nothing like a dream to create the future/ a peaceable revolution/ exponential growth/ war machine economists/ what I have is better than what you have/ utopian thinking in a dystopian world--a book about a more welcoming collective future-- a more authentic personal presence.. I'm on my way down utopia parkway...

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

He explores religion more than you might expect though I'm not sure he ever really pins down his own religious beliefs, seeing as he's more into investigating the unorthodox theologies of 1800s utopian socialist communities such as the Shakers, Rappites, and Perfectionists, as well as Thoreau and Emerson's Transcendentalism. Though not all the communities were bound by spiritual beliefs, those that were seemed to fare better than their secular counterparts.

[Mark Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the premise of this book, a road trip in search of utopian communities in the US. The book starts in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, famous home of a Shaker community that produced simple yet beautiful furniture and buildings. Another stop was Robert Owen's New Harmony, Indiana, home of mutual cooperation. Next is Utopia, Ohio, founded by Josiah Warren who earlier opened a cooperative store in Cincinnati which became known as the time store, where customers could purchase goods in exchange for their time sewing or performing carpentry work, etc. He later went on to write a book called Equitable Commerce. Next, Twin Oaks in Virginia is a modern day settlement known for producing hammocks and tofu. Residents decide how to spend their days and their success has led to another community called Acorn which is known for their heirloom seed exchange. One of the last stops is Walden Pond, Massachusetts and Thoreau's utopia of solitude. All in all an interesting read.

[conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read! Not a 'scholarly' book, but packed with engaging, well-written anecdotes and history of various utopian communities along the east coast. I'd heard of some of these groups before, but much of the material was new. The book's very readable and introspective, with Reece thinking about his project and the value or lack thereof of various utopian ideas.

I would've liked a little more digging into the history and practices and such of the various groups, but the snapshot nature of the book is also probably a selling point for many. A useful introduction to American utopias and utopians. Perhaps most importantly, Reece does a lot of work to reframe how we think about these, mostly earlier, utopian experiments--suggesting that referring to them as 'failures' may be missing the point and underselling what they accomplished.

Gave me lots of interesting stuff to think about digging into more.

[Misteeyed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't live up to the hype. My sense in reading this facile histoy of messianic groups in 19th century America trying to build heaven on earth was that the author wanted to write off the cost of a road trip vacation as a tax dedication against a book advance.

There is an anecdote of an encounter between the author with a 20 something year old resident which to my mind sums up this book. This anacdote takes place at a modern day commune where the author stays for a few days for the experience of communal living without explotational valuation of labor. Working together digging up veggies for the kitchen, they share inimacies of their personal lives. The young work companion relates that he came to the commune because he thought he would find happiness, but after his years living at the community he was still just as depressed as before.

[Gold Dust · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book to read about past attempts to form utopian communities early in America's history. Some of those utopias even still exist today. I only wish that the book included pictures of the communities or their founders, and that the book included chapters on Brook Farm and the Amish. Instead, the author chose to include Morten's Monk Pond, Joseph Cornell's boxes, and Thoreau's Walden, none of which count as utopias in my opinion. Despite these flaws, this book is definitely worth reading, especially if you care about improving the world!

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to 11 out of 13 hours of the audiobook, and tired of it. Author is so annoying. I finally got sick of all of the flowery prose.

The last couple of hours I listened, I could only think of the section of The Milagro Beanfield War when one of Bloom's articles with amateur psychology is quoted, to be followed up with Onofre Martinez's imagined reaction to it -- "You're just farting words." Indeed, Reece, in this book, is largely just farting words. I could go on, but brevity is the soul of wit, yadda yadda.

[Scott Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part travel book and part meditation on the quest for a better society, with a heavy emphasis of the latter half of the equation. While most of the utopias Reece discusses failed, the questions they present toward how to fix capitalistic society that seems to exist on the ruination of most of its citizens are worth considering. The digression concerning the artist Joseph Cornell was interesting but seemed out of place. But I agree with another reviewer that the last chapter of the book is its crown jewel and is worth sharing with as many people as you can.

[Lauren Stalls · Rating 4 out of 5]

It got very dry and lengthy in some sections, but his overall sentiment is good. Reece shows many examples of communes and other utopias that have sprung up at various points in history, and ultimately failed at some point. He argues that they didn’t fail, but rather showed us what can happen when people think outside the box of society. In the end, Reece advocates for us to reimagine our modern economy into a more cooperative and collective endeavor to be better for the planet and the people.

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was much more than a road trip novel. I feel like Reece spent most of his time giving the very interesting history of different attempts of creating utopias in the eastern U.S. Besides just being an interesting topic, I felt like it also served as a genealogy of leftist politics in the U.S., starting from our inception as a country leading to now.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did, and I think others will like it more than I did too! The author focuses a lot on modern politics - specifically environmental and economic justice - and of course I want, as usual, more theology. I did learn about some new communities though and for someone who wants a good non-academic introduction to a lot of communities I think you'll like it!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3/4 history lesson on American utopian attempts, 1/4 travel journal. Overall a topic I am very interested in, it was a great introduction to those who aren’t familiar with the background of the shakers, oneidas, owenites, etc.
Also, hope Zach Davis was compensated for the amount of times he was mentioned post Pleasant Hill. P

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! A road trip through past and present utopias from Kentucky to New York highlighting that we still need Utopian thinking for another way forward. The last chapter "What If" offers current, compelling examples of models that solve the problems of income inequality.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, despite some annoying typos around dates. Occasionally, 1920 or thereabouts is noted instead of the actual 1820, and it misattributes the sack of the second temple of Solomon as 70 BCE. With those caveats, a good bit of history about a significant piece of our history.

[Rob Wipfler · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important study, made even more crucial as the current administration appears hellbent on creating a dystopian future.

[Logan Streondj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good narrative non fiction about utopic communities in eastern north america.
Covers the shakers, new harmony, brentwood, twin oaks, perfectionists, Thoreau and then some. Quite good overall.

[Sheri Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas presented in a less-than-interesting way. The last chapter (What If?) was the best part—I’d give it at least four stars.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[Melanie Linn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at utopian communities. I was hoping for a stop at Old Economy in Pennsylvania that was not included.

[Denise Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

[Ezra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read on a car ride while listening to Harsh Noise - mildly informative but no reason for the author to make some of the details so ... personal (did NOT need to know about his BDSM fantasies)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wavered between 3 and 4 stars, enjoyed a lot of it but some was too many boring (to me) details about groups I wasn't interested in.

[Julie Gilchrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't exactly a page turner, but it's definitely very, VERY interesting!!

[Anthony Faber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting look at some Eastern U.S. utopian communities in the first half of the Nineteenth Century.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book I happened upon when I was picking up another one at my local library, and I was not at all disappointed. Reece has an excellent writing style that reveals the depth of his investment and effort in this project without making it read like a research report. Equal parts history, sociology, travel narrative, and personal reflection, it paints a rich portrait of the successes and failures of utopian communities throughout a broad swath of history and geography in the United States. The lessons he learns from his visits, which he applies to the increasingly dystopic times and values in politics, economics, and society today, come across as strikingly relevant. There's a great deal to explore in this book, and the key points are powerful and deserving of attention and enactment.

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel that marketing this book as a 'road trip' is a little misleading. The author does indeed report travelling around the sites of the utopian communities he discusses, but since most of them are no longer active, the bulk of the book is devoted to discussion of their past personalities and histories. The majority of the book is made up of reflections on the aims and outcomes of a variety of utopian communities. I found most parts interesting, some less so. If the reader is interested in alternative political thought and experiments, then they will probably find something to satisfy their curiosity. However, this is not in my opinion one of those travel books that consistently weaves the experiences of the author with the history of the places he visits. In sum, an interesting discussion of utopian communities, but not a great work of travel writing.

[Julie Stielstra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven. He's at his best when visiting the sites of these "utopian" communities, describing and explaining their histories, philosophies, trajectories and - in most cases - failures. He's also very good when interviewing the people still actively involved in one way or another with these efforts - they are smart, dedicated, engaging people who are devoting their personal lives to a sometimes uncomfortable, difficult ideal. But then there are self-indulgent diversions into his passion for Cincinnati Reds baseball, and some very dry economic theory. I liked parts of it, and if you're interested in the Shakers (a particularly interesting chapter), Thomas Merton, Josiah Warren, or the not-very-harmonious New Harmony, IN, it may be best to develop a knack for skimming.