American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles and Radical Ideas in US History

As soon as I began to leaf through this book, I liked the cut of its jib. Its layout and organization are traditional, which appeals to my conservative tastes in books. I suppose that is a poor start for somebody reviewing a book on radicalism but I make no apologies for it.

First off, if you are writing about radicals and alternative lifestyles you will need a classification. These counter‐cultures come in all shapes and sizes. Some are sects, others are causes; some are egalitarian, others hierarchical; some are moral, some religious, some political; some want inner purity, others want...