That Was Then, This Is Now chronicles the experiences of Bryon, the first-person narrator, and Mark, his best friend and foil, as they grow up in a tough, low-income neighborhood during the turbulent 1960’s. Charlie’s Bar, where the novel’s flashback begins, provides the setting for much of the action, and Bryon’s frequent foreshadowing comments create a tone of expectation and foreboding. The opening chapter moves quickly to a scene of violence, as members of the bullying Shepard gang jump M&M. Bryon and Mark rescue him, but M&M’s victimization continues throughout the novel, reinforcing S. E. Hinton’s depiction of the lack of justice on the streets, as does the story told by hospital patient Mike Chambers, a white youth who is beaten by black toughs when a girl he tries to rescue falsely identifies him as an attacker. Bryon understands why Mike does not hate black people as a result of his beating, but Mark considers him “stupid” for trying to help.

Despite their bond, Bryon and Mark have distinctly different ethical systems; Mark is on probation for hot-wiring cars, yet he ironically steals the principal’s car each day in order to meet his probation officer. Talking his way out of that situation, Mark leads a seemingly charmed life; Bryon marvels at Mark’s ability to get away with anything and admires his lionlike beauty and daring resourcefulness. For example, when Bryon and Mark owe Charlie three dollars, and Bryon worries about paying the bill before Charlie beats it out of them, Mark conveniently picks three dollars from the pocket of one of M&M’s assailants. Mark rationalizes his actions, and, when Bryon’s mother is hospitalized, Mark brings home money that Bryon suspects is either stolen or poker winnings. Since they cannot live without it, however, Bryon asks no questions.

While Mark seeks quick, dangerous solutions to their financial crisis, Bryon gets a job at a supermarket bagging groceries and develops a serious relationship with M&M’s sister, Cathy. The divergent reactions of the boys to the increasing tension of their lives emphasize that people change. Bryon examines his decisions, often pondering the “what if” questions that are impossible to answer. Mark, on the other hand, does not want to consider difficult questions; his is a practical existence, and his decisions are based more on immediate need than on the ultimate outcome. Even Charlie’s death, which haunts Bryon throughout the entire novel, is dismissed by Mark as “just one of those things that happen.” Charlie dies because Mark and Bryon hustle two armed Texans who decide to take revenge, yet Mark feels no sense of responsibility or guilt.

Both Mark and Bryon end up in the hospital for stitches as a result of brutal beatings. Mark is hit in the head with a bottle at a school dance because a jealous Angela Shepard sends someone after Ponyboy Curtis (a character from Hinton’s 1967 novel The Outsiders); Bryon is badly beaten by the Shepard gang because he is blamed for Mark’s cruel prank against Angela (cutting her hair while she is drunk). In each case, the violence is senseless and mistaken, yet the injustice cannot be undone. Their different reactions to their experience, however, reflect the growing rift in the boys’ relationship: When Mark wants to retaliate against the Shepard gang for Bryon’s beating, Bryon makes him promise not to seek revenge. Bryon wants to break the “circle” of violence, but Mark feels frustrated by his inability to impose his own justice.

As Bryon’s relationship with Cathy intensifies, he spends less time with Mark, who continues to supply the household with more money than could possibly be won or stolen. Mark becomes openly antagonistic toward Cathy, and she, too, does not hide her disapproval of him. When M&M runs away, Mark knows that he is hiding out at the hippie commune, but he does not tell Bryon until after the Shepard beating. When Bryon and Cathy go to the commune to bring M&M home, they find him in a delusional state, fearfully trapped in a nightmarish LSD reality.

Bryon and Cathy rush M&M to the hospital, but the cynical doctor offers little hope for a full recovery. Bryon’s love for Cathy and her family overwhelms his loyalty to Mark, and, when he discovers Mark’s stash of pills that same night, facing for the first time the truth about Mark’s drug-dealing activities, he panics. In his worry and anger over M&M’s bad trip, Bryon calls the police. Mark’s subsequent arrest destroys the bond of brotherhood and friendship that sustained the two, and both are miserable in the final outcome. At the end of the novel, Bryon has only questions and self-pity upon which to reflect: Cathy is seeing Ponyboy, and Mark is a hardened inmate of the state reformatory. Mark has become a “dangerous caged lion” who is unable to get away with anything, and Bryon is a straight-A student who longs to return to a simpler, idealized past.

Vietnam and the Antiwar Movement
The 1960s and early 1970s were tumultuous years, and the Vietnam War only added to the turmoil. The conflict in Vietnam actually began in 1946, shortly after World War II concluded. WWII had left many parts of Southeast Asia unstable, and over the next two decades, the United States quietly supported South Vietnam and its allies, who were fighting against Ho Chi Minh’s Communist forces in North Vietnam. The United States, deeply concerned about the spread of Communism, feared that losing Vietnam would trigger a “domino” effect across Southeast Asia, leading to increased involvement in the region. In 1964, President Johnson sought congressional support after a U.S. destroyer, engaged in a covert operation, was attacked by North Vietnamese forces off the coast of North Vietnam, and another destroyer was allegedly attacked. (It was later revealed that the second destroyer had not been attacked.) Johnson, who assured Congress that the destroyers were on routine, overt missions, persuaded Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, effectively granting him unlimited authority to escalate the conflict in Vietnam. At this time, most Americans were unaware of these events.

By 1965, with fifty thousand new U.S. ground troops added to the twenty-three thousand already stationed in Vietnam as military “advisors,” the American public became more informed, much to the government’s dismay. As James S. Olsen and Randy Roberts noted in their 1996 book, Where the Domino Fell: America and Vietnam, 1945–1995, “The decision to Americanize and militarize the conflict in Vietnam jump-started the antiwar movement in the United States.” They observed that in 1965 alone, “more than thirty other antiwar organizations sprouted,” joining the existing groups. Much of the resentment stemmed from the large numbers of American troops required to sustain the war effort. As J. M. Roberts states in his Twentieth Century: The History of the World, 1901 to 2000, “In 1968 there were over half a million American servicemen in Vietnam.”

To meet these numbers, the U.S. government relied on the Selective Service System to draft young American men into the war. In That Was Then, This Is Now, Bryon highlights the impact of draft notices on many Americans when he returns Charlie’s car to him after the dance and tries to talk to him: “He didn’t seem too interested, but he was having his own troubles. He’d got his draft notice.” Although Charlie is ultimately exempt from being drafted due to his police record, many others were not as fortunate and expressed their opposition to the war by burning their draft notices, staging public demonstrations, or fleeing the country, often to Canada. By the time the U.S. government admitted defeat and began withdrawing its forces in 1973, the war had claimed the lives of fifty-eight thousand American men.

Hippies and Drugs
During the war, as the number of casualties increased, those participating in the antiwar counterculture movement responded in various ways, some peaceful and others violent. One of the most enduring symbols from that time is the "hippie," a term derived from "hip," meaning someone who is fashionable. Unlike some of the more aggressive antiwar groups, hippies embraced ideals of freedom, peace, and love, often symbolized through nature imagery like flowers. A well-known example of this "flower power," as David Steigerwald references in his book The Sixties and the End of Modern America, occurred during the 1967 march on the Pentagon: “Protesters sang to the troops, urged them to ‘join us!,’ and placed flowers into gun barrels.” Steigerwald notes that hippies organized their protests using nonviolent methods, such as forming human chains by “locking arms and sitting down.” However, their adversaries did not always respond peacefully. The same Pentagon demonstration illustrates this contrast: “The marshalls... made a serious assault, dragging protesters out of their lines and beating them with billy clubs.” In That Was Then, This Is Now, Bryon, a "greaser" who enjoys fighting, reflects on his reaction after he and Mark attack their first hippie: “I hadn’t realized those guys refuse to fight back, and what happened to the one we got hold of, it made me sick... after that we left them alone.”

Besides their nonviolent stance, hippies, like the character M&M in the story, were also recognized by their long hair and intentionally shabby clothing, symbolizing their rejection of the establishment and embrace of freedom. One significant way hippies pursued these goals was through the use of recreational drugs. Terry H. Anderson notes in his book The Movement and the Sixties that “freaks,” another term for hippies, frequently used marijuana and hallucinogens like LSD to “expand sensory perception and ‘blow the mind.’” However, Anderson also points out that experienced hippies avoided drugs that could cause a “bad trip.” In Hinton’s story, M&M is nicknamed “Baby Freak” because he is much younger than the other hippies. When M&M takes LSD, the dealer informs Bryon and Cathy that he is “on a bad trip.” Like M&M, whose brain is permanently damaged from LSD, historian Martin Gilbert observed that the “‘drug culture,’” which emerged in the early 1960s, harmed “the minds of millions of people.”

The Civil Rights Movement and Racial Tension
During the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak. Influential leaders like Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X motivated African Americans to challenge the discrimination and segregation they faced in the United States. Similar to the approach taken by the hippies, some African Americans organized peaceful protests. However, by the late 1960s, escalating tensions between whites and blacks led to racially charged riots in major cities including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Detroit.

The story is set in a rough, low-income neighborhood on the east side of Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the mid-1960s, a time marked by anti-war protests and anti-establishment sentiments. In this area, the street-smart Mark and Bryon, the two protagonists, hustle pool at Charlie's Bar, drink, fight, and pick up girls. The toughs often see the counterculture hippies as easy targets for mugging, as the hippies typically do not fight back when attacked. Hinton creates a vivid sense of place more through frequent references to locations and people than through detailed descriptions. The Ribbon is a cruising strip where kids can buy hot dogs or marijuana. The high school parking lot and the local bowling alley serve as teenage hangouts where violence frequently breaks out. The hippie commune is a vibrant yet unkempt place where residents discuss love and use drugs. The setting of the novel enhances the realism and impact of Hinton's work, even though the challenges her characters face could occur anywhere.

Narration
The narrative unfolds from the first-person perspective of Bryon Douglas, consistent with Hinton’s style in her other teenage novels. This approach allows Hinton to infuse the story with profound emotional depth. At the outset, Bryon reflects, “Mark was my best buddy and I loved him like a brother.” By the conclusion, Bryon is emotionally numb, remarking, “I don’t even care about Mark. The guy who was my best friend doesn’t exist any longer, and I don’t want to think about the person who has taken his place.” Throughout the story, Bryon guides the reader through the series of tragic events that lead to this transformation. If Hinton had chosen a third-person narrator instead of Bryon, the connection to the character would be less intimate, and the dramatic climax—where Bryon turns Mark in for dealing drugs—would lose some of its impact.

Foreshadowing
Although the ending is powerful, attentive readers can detect several hints in Bryon’s statements that foreshadow Mark’s involvement in drug dealing and Bryon’s subsequent feelings when Mark is incarcerated. The first clue appears after Bryon and Mark visit Mike Chambers in the hospital. While Bryon understands how Mike could forgive his attackers, Mark asserts that he could never forgive anyone who hurt him so deeply. In a casual aside to the reader, Bryon responds to Mark’s comment by admitting that he didn’t think much of it at the time, but “later I would—I still do. I think about it and think about it until I think I’m going to go crazy.” Although readers might not yet grasp that Bryon is alluding to Mark’s eventual resentment towards him, they are left to ponder what future events compel Bryon to dwell on this statement. Mark’s future as a drug dealer is also hinted at. Later, when Bryon is searching for a job, Mark tells him, “I’m goin’ to start bringin’ in some money,” and “I ain’t gonna sponge forever.”

Mark does not explain how he plans to earn money, but what strikes Bryon as even more peculiar is why Mark mentioned it in the first place. Up until now, Bryon notes that Mark had “never said anything about being dependent on us.” Despite this, Bryon does not question him. Neither Bryon nor his mother inquire when Mark begins “bringing in money . . . more than he ever had before.” Bryon informs the reader that he initially assumed Mark was winning money through poker. However, Bryon elaborates on this issue in the passage, hinting to the reader that the reality was different from what he believed at the time. Bryon again highlights Mark’s income later, mentioning that Mark was “spending more and more time away from home” and that even Bryon’s mom, who usually does not meddle in their affairs, is “bugged about where he was getting the money.” Although Bryon “still figured he was doing some serious poker playing,” the way Bryon presents this information suggests to the reader that there is more to the story, a revelation that culminates when Bryon discovers the drugs and realizes, “Mark was a pusher. That was where he was getting his money.”

Irony
Irony is the distinct awareness that arises when someone says one thing but means another, or when an action results in the opposite of what was expected. In That Was Then, This Is Now, the irony is situational. Here, Hinton uses irony for tragic purposes. Out of love for Cathy and concern for M&M, Bryon sacrifices Mark by turning him over to the authorities. However, in a cruelly ironic twist, this act leads him to lose his love for Cathy. When she visits the next day, he is cold to her, aware that he is “hurting her,” but indifferent. Bryon recognizes the change in himself even as he speaks hurtful words, wondering “impersonally why I didn’t love her any more. But it didn’t seem to matter.” He also realizes that M&M is “just some brother of hers in the hospital . . . not my friend, not somebody I too cared about.” Ultimately, Bryon acknowledges, “I don’t seem to care about anything any more. It’s like I am worn out with caring about people.” Although Bryon makes this realization calmly, it is devastating for the reader, who can still care and who feels the impact of Hinton’s tragically ironic story.

That Was Then, This Is Now is narrated in the first person. Since Bryon is recounting the events a year after they occurred, Hinton effectively employs the literary device known as "foreshadowing." This technique provides the reader with hints about future plot twists, often by suggesting an important theme or event. An early instance of foreshadowing appears at the conclusion of the second chapter. When discussing the boys who attacked Mike, Mark says, "Man, if anybody ever hurt me like that I'd hate them for the rest of my life." Bryon, the narrator, highlights the importance of this remark: "I didn't think much about that statement then. But later I would—I still do. I think about it and think about it until I think I'm going crazy." A similar sentiment is echoed in chapter 3 when Bryon becomes anxious that Cathy might be interested in Mark. In a fleeting moment, he feels a surge of hatred towards Mark. Reflecting on this reaction, Bryon contemplates what it would be like to be plagued by such feelings of animosity for the rest of his life. This initial resentment foreshadows Mark's eventual hatred for Bryon, which Bryon fears will persist throughout Mark's life. In the epilogue, Bryon claims to feel nothing, but his earlier comments suggest that he is concealing deeper emotions.

Hinton's use of foreshadowing influences the book's tone, creating a sense of foreboding as the reader anticipates something troubling on the horizon. The violence that saturates the characters' lives also contributes to an atmosphere of suspense and unease. Together, the foreshadowing and violence foster a powerful and enduring sense of despair.

Hinton successfully portrays realistic dialogue without resorting to excessively offensive language. Although teenagers from Bryon's neighborhood would likely use more profanity than appears in Hinton's book, the slight lack of realism does not undermine the overall sense of place and character. The only potential confusion might arise from Hinton's use of outdated terms. For example, she uses "Negro" and "chick," which were not considered derogatory during the hippie era. Other 1960s jargon—such as "flower-child," "free love," "Peace!" and "Cat"—enhances the period's authenticity.

That Was Then, This Is Now delves more into themes of personal morality and ethics than into societal issues. However, social problems do make an appearance. One troubling aspect of the boys' characters is their racism. When a bored Mark spots a black man standing alone, he asks Bryon if they should attack the stranger. M&M steps in and highlights the hypocrisy in their actions: they saved M&M from being attacked because he was different, a hippie, yet now they want to assault someone based on race. Bryon feels guilty when he realizes the truth in M&M's words, but this does not redeem him in most readers' eyes. Parents or educators might want to discuss the issue of racist attitudes in the book, possibly in connection with Mike's story and the reactions of Bryon and Mark to that incident.

Two additional sensitive topics in the book are drug abuse and teenage violence. Many students who casually read Hinton's depiction of a bad acid trip may need reminders about the dangerous consequences of hallucinogenic drugs. Bryon and Mark also drink heavily, though they do not recognize this as substance abuse.

Perhaps the most troubling issue, largely due to environmental influences, is the high level of violence the boys are accustomed to. For Bryon and Mark, fighting is a form of entertainment. Hinton addresses the issue of violence by recounting several disturbing events—such as M&M's mugging, Mike's beating, and later, Bryon's encounter with the Shepards—and then illustrating various characters' responses to this violence.

1960s–1970s: The United States dramatically increases its military presence in Vietnam, leading the government to "draft" young men into service and sparking the antiwar movement. Many young Americans enroll in college—the only legal way to avoid the draft—organize protests, burn their draft cards, and even flee to other countries to escape fighting in the war.

Today: Following an unexpected attack on the Pentagon in Washington and the World Trade Center in New York City, the United States launches a comprehensive international war on terrorism. The American public rallies behind this decision, and the military sees a surge in enlistments as patriotic young men and women join the effort.

1960s–1970s: Many hippies and members of the counterculture movement—often in their twenties or younger—experiment with "recreational" drugs to expand their consciousness and rebel against societal norms. For some, these drug experiments backfire, leading to permanent brain damage or other side effects that hinder their ability to function in society.

Today: Public service organizations in America combat the war on drugs with impactful advertisements portraying drugs as obstacles to success. These ads primarily target young children and teenagers, who are the main focus of many drug dealers.

1960s–1970s: The peace symbol, tie-dyed shirts, and other bold fashion trends become iconic among hippies, who use their unconventional clothing to express their rebellion against the establishment. Today: Many teens aiming to be fashionable wear "retro" clothes and jewelry from the 1960s and 1970s, though they do not necessarily embrace the hippie lifestyle. Additionally, these clothes are often made by large corporations that are part of the establishment the hippies opposed.

Readers familiar with Hinton's debut novel, The Outsiders, will recognize characters like Ponyboy Curtis and the Shepards when they reappear in That Was Then, This Is Now. The events in The Outsiders occur several years prior to those in That Was Then, This Is Now, and some of these earlier events are referenced in the latter book. Another novel, Rumble Fish, is also set in the same neighborhood. Common themes such as fighting, violent retribution, substance abuse, poverty, and social stigmatization link these books, along with their shared setting and, to a lesser extent, their characters.

That Was Then, This Is Now was adapted into a feature film in 1985 and is available on videotape. Directed by Christopher Cain and starring Emilio Estevez, the film diverges from Hinton's book in several ways. Set in the 1980s, M&M is no longer a hippie but is instead depicted as a surly, oversensitive youth, lacking trust and innocence. The neighborhood appears more middle-class, and the boys' financial struggles are less evident. The novel's racial themes are omitted; characters like Charlie and Terry are black, and Mike's story is entirely excluded.

The film provides a more balanced focus on both Bryon and Mark, avoiding the inherent bias of first-person narration. Mark is shown in a more sympathetic light, with greater emphasis on his loneliness and jealousy. The ending is also altered. While the movie still explores themes of betrayal and maturation, its plot is thinner and less realistic compared to the novel. Additionally, the movie's language is extremely graphic, making it unsuitable for most school settings.

Other films based on Hinton's novels include The Outsiders (1983) and Rumble Fish (1983), both directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring Matt Dillon. Tex was adapted into a 1982 film directed by Tim Hunter, starring Matt Dillon, Jim Metzler, and Meg Tilly.

That Was Then, This Is Now was turned into a movie in 1985, directed by Christopher Cain. The screenplay was written by Emilio Estevez, who also starred as Mark. The film featured Craig Sheffer as Bryon, Kim Delaney as Cathy, and Morgan Freeman as Charlie. Hinton contributed to the film's production, and it is available on video from Paramount Home Video.

Commire, Anne, ed. Something about the Author. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale Research, 1980. This volume offers a significant amount of autobiographical details along with some critical analysis of Hinton's works.

De Montreville, Doris, and Elizabeth D. Crawford, eds. Fourth Book of Junior Authors. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1978. A superb source for autobiographical information. It includes an analysis of Hinton's career up to 1978 and lists the awards she has received.

Hinton, S. E. "Face to Face with a Teenage Novelist." Seventeen (October 1967): 133. Hinton discusses her life and writing. Portions of this article are reprinted in Commire.

"TeenAgers Are for Real." New York Times Book Review (August 27, 1967): 26-29. Features more insights from Hinton about herself and young adult literature.

Kirkpatrick, D. L. ed. Twentieth-Century Children's Writers. New York: St. Martin's, 1978. Provides an overview of Hinton's writing career up to 1978, including an analysis of her themes and characters.

Locher, Frances Carol, ed. Contemporary Authors. Vols. 81-84. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. Offers a concise overview of Hinton's work.

Robin, Lisa. "The Young and the Restless." Media and Methods (May/June 1982): 28, 45. Focuses on Tex. Includes a teacher's guide to The Outsiders, That Was Then, This Is Now, Rumble Fish, and Tex with numerous useful discussion questions.

Senick, Gerard J., ed. Children's Literature Review. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale Research, 1978. Features commentary by Hinton and excerpts from various critical pieces on her works.

Stine, Jean C., and Daniel G. Marowski, eds. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 30. Detroit: Gale Research, 1984. Provides excerpts from critiques of Hinton's works.

Sources
Anderson, Terry H., “Hippies and Drugs,” in The 1960s, edited by William Dudley, Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000, pp. 200–01, originally published in The Movement and the Sixties, Oxford University Press, 1995, pp. 259–60.

Andrews, Sheryl B., Review of That Was Then, This Is Now, in Horn Book Magazine, Vol. XLVII, No. 4, August 1971, pp. 388–89.

Cart, Michael, Review of That Was Then, This Is Now, in New York Times Book Review, August 8, 1971, p. 8. Daly, Jay, Presenting S. E. Hinton, Twayne Publishers, 1987, pp. 41–43, 46–47.

Gilbert, Martin, A History of the Twentieth Century, Vol. 3, 1952–1999, Perennial, 2000, p. 307.

Hinton, S. E., “S. E. Hinton,” in Speaking for Ourselves: Autobiographical Sketches by Notable Authors of Books for Young Adults, edited by Donald R. Gallo, 1990, p. 95.

–, That Was Then, This Is Now, Laurel Leaf Books, 1985.

Lyons, Gene, “On Tulsa’s Mean Streets,” in Newsweek, Vol. 100, No. 15, October 11, 1982, pp. 105–06.

Malone, Michael, “Tough Puppies,” in Nation, Vol. 242, No. 9, March 8, 1986, pp. 276–78, 290.

McMurtry, Larry, The Last Picture Show, Dial Press, 1966.

Olson, James S., and Randy Roberts, “Johnson’s Escalation and the Antiwar Movement,” in The 1960s, edited by William Dudley, Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000, pp. 110–11, originally published in Where the Domino Fell: America and Vietnam, 1945–1995, St. Martin’s Press, 1996.

Review of That Was Then, This Is Now, in Times Literary Supplement, No. 3634, October 22, 1971, p. 1318.

Roberts, J. M., Twentieth Century: The History of the World, 1901 to 2000, Penguin Books, 1999, p. 673.

Steigerwald, David, “The Antiwar Movement,” in The Sixties and the End of Modern America, St. Martin’s Press, 1995, originally published in The 1960s, edited by William Dudley, Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000, pp. 138–39.

Further Reading
Baum, Dan, Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure, Little, Brown & Company, 1997. This retrospective on the United States’ war on drugs diverges from other works in the field, which often use anecdotes to portray the government as complicit in drug proliferation. Instead, Baum, a journalist, offers a balanced critique, substantiating his claims with factual evidence to explain the war on drugs' shortcomings.

Burkett, B. G., Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History, Verity Press, 1998. Burkett, a Vietnam veteran and journalist, was featured on the newsmagazine show 20/20 for this candid examination of how Vietnam veterans have been misrepresented, partly due to the actions of some who have tarnished the generation's image. Meticulously researched, this book aims to correct the historical record about a deeply painful era in American history.

Marshall, Joseph E., and Lonnie Wheeler, Street Soldier: One Man’s Struggle to Save a Generation, One Life at a Time, VisionLines Publishing, 2000. Around the time Hinton was penning The Outsiders, Marshall was beginning his teaching career in a disadvantaged area of San Francisco. Young people there frequently encountered the same challenges Hinton described. Two decades later, with the rise of guns and drugs like crack in schools, the situation deteriorated further, prompting Marshall to take action. This book narrates the inspiring journey of how he founded the Omega Boys Club and started reaching out to troubled black teens from the ghetto, helping many of them to get back on track and pursue college education.

Miller, Timothy, The Hippies and American Values, University of Tennessee Press, 1991. Miller's information-rich book significantly clarifies the core beliefs held by hippies and the counterculture, showcasing the profound influence they have had on American culture since the 1960s. The book includes a bibliography of famous and lesser-known underground newspapers, trivia such as the date of the first Earth Day, and images of rock bands and posters.