An Ending leading to a Beginning (and a Review)

21st Century Hippies closes with a few case studies and a few brief profiles. Through this final stretch, Vowles recovers from the lull that was the Poverty and HIV/AIDS chapters. Not that their content was lacking, but the delivery of that content was bogged down by statistics which seem to have boggled Vowles' mind while writing as much as they bogged down my reading.

Nonetheless, Vowles' conversational tone returns to its full here, making the final chapters of the book as easy to read as the opening ones. Those patches where it becomes convoluted (but not because of statistic overload) are either due to what seems to be the book's overarching attempt to sound academic as well as casual, or an errant bit of punctuation. These patches, are few and far between after the book proper begins, however.

Throughout this book, Vowles writes with an easy conviction, and his copious references show that he is well versed in his subject. For some of his case studies and profiles he also draws on his own experience and work history. This is an excellent move, since it gives the reader a sense of what actually happens on the ground as an activist.

However, as with much of the other great information that Vowles' provides, he does not give copious amounts of detail. He certainly knows his stuff and has a great deal of experience to draw from, but as is suggested by his opening ambition to write about all of activism as represented by his five categories, this book is more of a general primer than an in-depth study.

With that in mind, it is an excellent introduction to activism, and Vowles' "take-action" steps are great jumping off points for those interested. His numerous footnotes also make it easy for readers looking to learn more to do so.

Kevin Vowles' 21st Century Hippies is dogged by some consistent editorial errors ("underscored" being used for "understated" being the worst), but on the whole these are minor issues that do not distract from Vowles' cause. His style and knowledge come together to create a great introductory book for anyone interested in activism, but unsure of where or how to start.

Reading through a Lull

Vowles writes well and very judiciously avoids inflammatory rhetoric of the sort most often associated with stereotypical activists. He presents information and then appeals to readers' reason, rather than their emotions. Unfortunately, the bluntest of information - statistics - dampen Vowles' voice and the power of his writing significantly.

While writing about Poverty and HIV/AIDS prevention he relies too heavily on stats, presenting a situation that seems far too gargantuan to have any effect on. But that's not the end of the damage these numbers do. The prevalence of stats in these chapters also seems to have negatively affected the writing, since it becomes disjointed and convoluted where once it was straightforward and fairly clear.

As the final stretch of 21st Century Hippies appears on the horizon, however, I have high hopes for a return to form.

Inspired and Overwhelmed

Vowles' sections on causes and ways to be an activist pertaining to the environment are clearly, and deeply researched. He has no trouble whatsoever digging into deep reserves of knowledge, though his focus on opinion leaves only the tip of the iceberg that is this knowledge exposed. Nonetheless, he writes in such a way that sweeps you along.

However, for all of his style and knowledge, Vowles undercuts his own efforts. The purpose of 21st Century Hippies is, after all, to inspire readers to become activists or to rediscover activism.

For, after reading through these two sections, I certainly do feel inspired, and I find myself wondering which "take-action" points best suit my own abilities, but I also feel overwhelmed. There are so many things that need fixing, and though he skirts being alarmist about the consequences of environmental irresponsibility and the prevalence of violence and the socialization of violence in Western society, Vowles still makes the things that need to be changed seem gargantuan.

A world in which we consume only what we need to? A world without war? Vowles is very clearly getting into idealism when he notes such ideas and a proponent or two of them, but he doesn't provide any insight into what a society between the present and such utopias might look like. Such speculation falls outside the ken of his book, but having a mid-way landmark or two would be helpful.

Otherwise, Vowles' book reads well heading into the ninth chapter, and has done wonders for getting my mind onto an activist track. Editorial issues are also much less frequent in these sections.

Reading Without Protest

This next book comes all the way from beautiful British Columbia. Written by one Kevin Vowles, it was a gift from the author when he kindly gave me a ride from Victoria International Airport into the city proper. I'd told him that I was a student at the university, and that I was studying English. So, author that he is, Vowles' response was to hand over a copy of his book, with a request to review it. Well, nearly four years later, that review begins now.

21st Century Hippies: Activists in Pursuit of Peace and Social Justice is a book that's easy to dismiss. Its simple cover possibly suggesting that what lay within is just more rambling from your stereotypical free-love promoting, dope-toting, never voting Hippie.

However, Vowles actively seeks to turn this assumption on its head. He does so without directly countering the popular perception, however. Instead, Vowles opts to simply show how much of modern activism had its start with the methods of the Hippies of the 1960s by way of introduction.

21st Century Hippies quickly drops the act of being a history book, though, as it becomes more of an informational "how to" once the five core sections of the book are reached. Vowles takes the field of activism and breaks it into five categories: Human Rights, the Environment, War, Poverty, and HIV/AIDS. Having read the first of these, Vowles' expertise continues to be clear, and, relative to the book's introduction, the editorial issues are fewer.

Keep watch over this blog to find out if he can manage to hold his stride through the remaining four categories.