We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us Against

by Nicholas von Hoffman

Books about the sixties have proliferated in recent years, but none has surpassed Nicholas von Hoffman's classic account of the 1960s counter-culture in San Francisco. “In the summer of 1967,” he writes, “youth drew attention to itself by clustering in large numbers in most major American cities, where they broke the narcotics laws proudly, publicly, and defiantly. At the same time, they enunciated a different social philosophy and a new politics, and perhaps even mothered into life a subculture that was new to America. This book tries to explain what happened in the Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco. For it was in the Haight that whatever happened, happened most vividly and so intensely that it drew international attention to itself.” “An impressively serious treatment.”― New York Times . “A rare example of journalism that approaches art in one direction and the best of social science in another.”― Newsweek.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Drugs, Music, Pop Culture

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Nicholas von Hoffman was an American journalist and author. He first worked as a community organizer for Saul D. Alinsky in Chicago for ten years from 1953 to 1963. Later, Von Hoffman wrote for The Washington Post, and most notably, was a commentator on the CBS Point-Counterpoint segment for 60 Minutes, from which Don Hewitt fired him in 1974. von Hoffman was also a columnist for The Huffington Post.

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book explains the events and ideas that took place in 1967 in San Fransisco, California very clearly, and is a great book for someone that wants to learn about hippies in the 60's. In this book, Von Hoffman describes ideas which were shared among the 60’s youth, and approaches the hippie movement in a unique, different, extremely descriptive way.

The negative side of this book is that it is very disorganized. The text flows nicely but there are no chapter marks or any other sense of organization.

Other then that, I think this book is a great read for people interested in the hippy movement, but if you are not that interested in it then you will most likely find this book very boring.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Been there, didn't do that.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us Against by Nicholas Vin Hoffman (Fawcett Books 1967) (301.43). Here is one of the earlier hippie screeds; it dates from 1967. It is intended as a sort of progress report from the hippie viewpoint from the front lines of “The Movement” during the early days of free love. It was also a time when the ubiquitous drugs of choice wouldn't kill you (except speed, and everyone knew even then that “Speed kills”). This is an important volume in any collection of Sixties literature. My rating: 7/10, finished 4/20/1974 but addded to my Goodreads library on 12/9/18. I own a PB copy in fair condition that I've owned since 1974. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

[Sikoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one really took me through an in-depth journey into San Francisco hippie scene. It was as if someone took me strolling down streets and narrow alleys to find a neighbor high on acid. Or hearing news my elementary schoolmate had gone nuts.

It's a cool, and somehow sad book.

[Babs M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had read this back when it was printed so I would not have romaticized Haight-Ashbury and San Francisco for most of my life. Reading this you realize how messed up it really was and left you wondering how long most of these people ended up surviving and also if alive did they smarten up?

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A close-up of the whole hippie scene.

[Jo Resner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Some of the ideas were definitely ahead of it's time.

[Alpha Danjuma]

Let's see

[Stephy · Rating 3 out of 5]

These times tell a lot better than they lived.

[Lori Spier]

We are the people our parents warned us against by Nicholas Von Hoffman (1968)

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, written from the inside of the drug-addled seekers' generation.