Rating: 
Summary: Too self-absorbed and showoffy.
Review: If he had written more about the world outside his little group of friends and lovers, Coyote could have had an interesting book. As it is, it's mainly a chronicle of living dirt poor and having as much sex as possible, while being surprised that your gorgeous blonde deer-hide tanning girlfriend somehow always catches you cheating. He makes the common mistake that the rest of us care how many women he slept with and under what circumstances. Memoirists be warned: What was most important to you is not what is most important to your readers. He spends relatively little time on much more interesting events such as the prosecution of the San Francisco mime troupe, and the famous people who came to their aid. In fact, he spends very little time on anyone else at all, except to point out that he knew or met them or somehow locate himself there. Disappointing book.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the father's of the 60's
Review: Interesting sneak a peek into Coyote's anything-but-boring life in the never too occur again 60's.
Rating:
Summary: "In search of the lost chord..."
Review: It's difficult for me to rate this book - difficult for me to read it without crying. Although Peter's story wasn't my story, it was close enough for me to take it extremely personally. His time was my time, even though it took us in far different directions professionally.I thought there were problems with the story: The writing seemed amateurish at times, and there were certain logical conflicts. For instance: I had trouble with why, if the vehicles were so lovingly taken care of, they were always breaking down; or how Peter could descend into a cold-call investment scheme. These things lead me to believe there was more to the story than was being told. Based on what I read, I perceive that Peter didn't (and perhaps doesn't) know himself quite as well as he thought he did. From the read, it is never clear what kind of world the "Hippies" (for lack of a better word) thought was better. And am I supposed to believe that Heroin was going to make me a better parent? With all the discourse about how this or that action was either for or against the group goals, it's hard for me to justify on any level how drugs could be considered a positive thing. In many ways, Peter and his associates were still tightly attached to the main stream - more resembling a flock of refugees, than delegates of an alternative path. Much like reading Carlos Casteneda's "Teachings of Don Juan," I became very frustrated at times, waiting for Peter to wake up and see what was standing right before his eyes. What were the positive things this movement had to offer, and how have they influenced, say, my life? One thing that serves to separate us from the preceding generation is a distrust of the status quo, gained largely due to the Viet Nam debacle. Since that time, I haven't seen or heard one thing that would lead me to believe that those in the high echelons of government are anything other than pathological liars. But it wasn't the Hippie movement per se that set me free. It was books like "The Pentagon Papers", and other literary tidbits from disaffected insiders. And although I found something of an identity from the counter-cultural movements of that time, I never ended up swallowing their view of the universe either. It's easy, though, to imagine that, without the counter-culture, most of this information would never have seen the light of day. Over time, I did come to see that there are many world views, and ultimately this was a vital step on the road to my present philosophy. The environmental issues, so plainly evoked in this book, were representative of the opening skermishes of a paradigm shift that (hopefully) continues to this day. My pet peeve, population, wasn't addressed in this accounting, even though it was a profound discovery of that time as well. I was surprised it wasn't brought out more, although it has occured to me that Peter and his cohorts may not have dealt with it at the time. Despite all my bemoaning the details, this is a "big" book about a big time. Closest to my heart were the friends and aquaintences that fell by the wayside. I know about that, and I know that reliving those moments was hard for Peter. My motivation for reading this book is simply that "It was lying in my path." As a result of the reading, I learned that a certain experience I had was not unique. ('Can't tell you what it is, though. The importance of this particular message is not for everyone.) As an affecting, personal accounting of a troubling time in our nation's history, I am driven to give this book my highest rating. You will have to decide for yourself if you agree with my judgement.
Rating:
Summary: "In search of the lost chord..."
Review: It's difficult for me to rate this book - difficult for me to read it without crying. Although Peter's story wasn't my story, it was close enough for me to take it extremely personally. His time was my time, even though it took us in far different directions professionally. I thought there were problems with the story: The writing seemed amateurish at times, and there were certain logical conflicts. For instance: I had trouble with why, if the vehicles were so lovingly taken care of, they were always breaking down; or how Peter could descend into a cold-call investment scheme. These things lead me to believe there was more to the story than was being told. Based on what I read, I perceive that Peter didn't (and perhaps doesn't) know himself quite as well as he thought he did. From the read, it is never clear what kind of world the "Hippies" (for lack of a better word) thought was better. And am I supposed to believe that Heroin was going to make me a better parent? With all the discourse about how this or that action was either for or against the group goals, it's hard for me to justify on any level how drugs could be considered a positive thing. In many ways, Peter and his associates were still tightly attached to the main stream - more resembling a flock of refugees, than delegates of an alternative path. Much like reading Carlos Casteneda's "Teachings of Don Juan," I became very frustrated at times, waiting for Peter to wake up and see what was standing right before his eyes. What were the positive things this movement had to offer, and how have they influenced, say, my life? One thing that serves to separate us from the preceding generation is a distrust of the status quo, gained largely due to the Viet Nam debacle. Since that time, I haven't seen or heard one thing that would lead me to believe that those in the high echelons of government are anything other than pathological liars. But it wasn't the Hippie movement per se that set me free. It was books like "The Pentagon Papers", and other literary tidbits from disaffected insiders. And although I found something of an identity from the counter-cultural movements of that time, I never ended up swallowing their view of the universe either. It's easy, though, to imagine that, without the counter-culture, most of this information would never have seen the light of day. Over time, I did come to see that there are many world views, and ultimately this was a vital step on the road to my present philosophy. The environmental issues, so plainly evoked in this book, were representative of the opening skermishes of a paradigm shift that (hopefully) continues to this day. My pet peeve, population, wasn't addressed in this accounting, even though it was a profound discovery of that time as well. I was surprised it wasn't brought out more, although it has occured to me that Peter and his cohorts may not have dealt with it at the time. Despite all my bemoaning the details, this is a "big" book about a big time. Closest to my heart were the friends and aquaintences that fell by the wayside. I know about that, and I know that reliving those moments was hard for Peter. My motivation for reading this book is simply that "It was lying in my path." As a result of the reading, I learned that a certain experience I had was not unique. ('Can't tell you what it is, though. The importance of this particular message is not for everyone.) As an affecting, personal accounting of a troubling time in our nation's history, I am driven to give this book my highest rating. You will have to decide for yourself if you agree with my judgement.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read of Coyote's journey through the Sixties.
Review: Peter Coyote has already made a name for himself as a film actor, political activist and narrator, whose voice can be easily recognized in an infinite amount of commercials, documentaries and audiobooks. Now comes his best and most challenging narrative of all - "Sleeping Where I Fall" - his own story based on the years when he was part of the Sixties counterculture explosion as one of the founders of a radical street group called the Diggers. Peter has taken his memoirs of this anarchic and psychedelic era and woven them into a collection of stories from his life in San Francisco to communes and gypsy years on the road as part of the Free Family. Says Coyote, "We imagined a world in which we could live authentically, without the pressures of economics dictating all personal choices. We made it real by acting it out." What few people know is that Peter has always thought of himself as a writer first and foremost since his college days pursuing a master's degree in creative writing. Now with the release of this book, he further fulfills a dream by entering the literary world as a gifted writer, evidenced by the reviews of Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Omnibus, San Francisco Chronicle and many more. His story is told with great humor, candor and self-critical analysis. Peter is not afraid to reveal himself giving accounts of both his generosity of spirit and his character flaws. Ironically, the very first chapter starts out with "While still an undergraduate at Grinnell College, I had fallen in love with Jessie Benton, a captivating woman I met one summer on Martha's Vineyard." This passage alone is a premonition to his perpetual attraction to women, a beguiling enchantment which could culminate in euphoric days and nights but, also, in broken relationships often bringing hurtful and destructive consequences. There's poetry in his descriptions of nature as witnessed in some of his music - "all the splendors of creation set the marrow trembling! in my bones." (from "Rainbow Woman") His prose has lyrical clarity dotted with clever metaphors and similes that bring his images to life and convey a myriad of experiences and feelings from peyote and heroin highs and camaraderie in communal living to his bitter conflicts with both the mother of his daughter and his overbearing father. "Sleeping Where I Fall" is an extremely personal account of his search for truth, understanding and wisdom. Though he rode with the Hell's Angels and lived a life of dangerous drugs, you will come away still sensing an innocence about Coyote, a man who wanted to dream the future because, as with all youthful idealism, he believed there was something more to be gained in this world other than materialism. His accounts of this pursuit of absolute freedom are often seductive, always fascinating. He writes objectively, careful not to romanticize or glorify the times. He's very frank, darn-right earthy as in his example of pearls of wisdom. He shares tales of living with drug-crazed friends whose demons sometimes propelled them to an early death. One comes away with the feeling of having spent time at Red House, Black Bear Ranch or Olema, becoming intimately acquainted with a whole host of colorful characters, such as Moose, Natural Suzanne, Ron Thelin, Sweet William, Nichole, Carla, Rolling Thunder, Chocolate George, as well as their inventive modes of transportation like Dr. Knucklefunky. There is as much sadness as there is laughter, but it's a book you'll find hard to put down. It's not only entertaining, but a testament to the human spirit and the dreams of that generation, and a tribute to the groundwork it laid for the future. As a masterful storyteller, Peter succeeds in bringing more honest illumination to the Sixties, an historic period in our country that has not always been defined or treated fairly. If any fil! m critic hasn't yet understood the charisma, the complex persona and intelligence that Coyote brings to his screen roles, they should definitely read this book. END
Rating:
Summary: Authentic and gracefully written.
Review: Peter Coyote was simultaneously a hedonist, voyeur and genuine participant in one wild and wondrous Scene. What amazes me is that he does not succumb to the self-aggrandizing hip/ironic memoir style that comes so easily off the lips of those of us from that era. Nor is there the disengenuous self-deprecating nonsense that is equally omnipresent. Instead, Coyote is simply honest and straightforward and he took the time to truly craft his story. It's extraordinarily well written AND well edited. I'm savoring every page. Jim (aka "Jblu") Higgins PS: Peter, if you're listening in: How can I purchase a copy of Heartbreakers? I've tried everywhere. You got one to sell?
Rating: 
Summary: For Hippies and ex Hippies
Review: Peter Coyote's memoir is a must read for anyone who lived through those crazy and wild times of the 60's. His intimate involvement with so many aspects of the counter culture grass roots movement, his command of the English language,and ability to tell a tale makes this a very enjoyable account. For me, it was also a sentimental journey. I lived on the Olema farm many years after Peter and his clan had left. His description of the place mirrored many of my own memories. I believe that many new readers will find Peter's account brings back fond and crazy memories.
Rating:
Summary: A RECOLLECTION OF THE FUTURE TRIP
Review: Several summers ago I began to notice that teenagers were dressing like hippies of the 60's. It made me wonder why the Hippie movement had "failed" and why it was again resurfacing, even if only in costume. Peter Coyote offers some interesting insight. Today there is a GAP in the Haight; Peter Coyote takes us back to when there was a Free Store there, and discusses its implications. He makes us a part of the experience with his lucid prose and reflective thoughts about a magical time. Mixing his personal experiences with reflective commentary, he presents it warts and all. Besides offering a plethora sixties sex stories for the mass market, Coyote offers some valuable ideas to ponder as well. There are stories of encounters with the Hopi, who had actually managed to accomplish what the Hippies were trying to do. Stories culled from a diary that still sparkle with the verve of the time. There are stories of how communal life brought comfort and pain, and of how one can more than survive without money or a job, but not without a role to play. The highlight of the book is an idea Noah Purifoy suggested for problem solving, an artistic approach, an "antipodal shifting between the realms of logic and intuition," the core of the creative process and a problem solving mechanism of the highest order. Coyote shows how it was used during his tenure on the California Arts Council. This idea deserves a book of its own. The reason Peter Coyote's book is so timely and important is because we are about to reenter that time once again, but this time more as Hopi than as Hippie. The Global Village (WEB) has placed the entire world in communal proximity, and the unresolved problems of the Hippie experience will be the problems of the Internet Generation. It is the problem of the Hopi's prophetic sign that, "Spider woman will have covered the world with her web." Now that Communism has fallen, can Capitalism be far behind? "Capitalism is dying, boy." Wall Street financier Morris Cohon tells his Hippie son Peter Coyote, "It's dying of its own internal contradictions." He predicts it will take 50 years and not the 5 his son thinks. Morris was probably right, and that is what makes this book significant. The book offers us a look at our first step in the tribal direction. The Hippies didn't "fail," instead, they just saw it first and got started sooner than the rest, just like all artists do. For the nostalgic, it is a trip back to a bygone time. For the aware, it is a preliminary discussion about the trip of our future civilization. Take your pick, it's your trip to take.
Rating:
Summary: A RECOLLECTION OF THE FUTURE TRIP
Review: Several summers ago I began to notice that teenagers were dressing like hippies of the 60's. It made me wonder why the Hippie movement had "failed" and why it was again resurfacing, even if only in costume. Peter Coyote offers some interesting insight. Today there is a GAP in the Haight; Peter Coyote takes us back to when there was a Free Store there, and discusses its implications. He makes us a part of the experience with his lucid prose and reflective thoughts about a magical time. Mixing his personal experiences with reflective commentary, he presents it warts and all. Besides offering a plethora sixties sex stories for the mass market, Coyote offers some valuable ideas to ponder as well. There are stories of encounters with the Hopi, who had actually managed to accomplish what the Hippies were trying to do. Stories culled from a diary that still sparkle with the verve of the time. There are stories of how communal life brought comfort and pain, and of how one can more than survive without money or a job, but not without a role to play. The highlight of the book is an idea Noah Purifoy suggested for problem solving, an artistic approach, an "antipodal shifting between the realms of logic and intuition," the core of the creative process and a problem solving mechanism of the highest order. Coyote shows how it was used during his tenure on the California Arts Council. This idea deserves a book of its own. The reason Peter Coyote's book is so timely and important is because we are about to reenter that time once again, but this time more as Hopi than as Hippie. The Global Village (WEB) has placed the entire world in communal proximity, and the unresolved problems of the Hippie experience will be the problems of the Internet Generation. It is the problem of the Hopi's prophetic sign that, "Spider woman will have covered the world with her web." Now that Communism has fallen, can Capitalism be far behind? "Capitalism is dying, boy." Wall Street financier Morris Cohon tells his Hippie son Peter Coyote, "It's dying of its own internal contradictions." He predicts it will take 50 years and not the 5 his son thinks. Morris was probably right, and that is what makes this book significant. The book offers us a look at our first step in the tribal direction. The Hippies didn't "fail," instead, they just saw it first and got started sooner than the rest, just like all artists do. For the nostalgic, it is a trip back to a bygone time. For the aware, it is a preliminary discussion about the trip of our future civilization. Take your pick, it's your trip to take.
Rating:
Summary: well written, but an embarrasment to communardss everywhere
Review: This was a well written book of an interesting time. Coyote's honesty was apparent but there is obviously a glamorous, boastful side to it that is not appealing to me. I lived through that time and had parallel adventures. His groups with their dependance on welfare and unemployment checks, their use of heroin and methamphetamines, and their absurd and adolescent macho posturing with guns gave the rest of us honest , hardworking counterculture types a bad name. It is no wonder there are so many victims strewn through the book and it is no wonder that they had so much trouble with neighbors. It was reassuring that he seemed to have learned some lessons from those times.
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