Books on American Utopian Communities
Apsler, Alfred. Communes Through the Ages. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974.
This book, written by a man who has taught at various colleges and published numerous books on social issues and social rebellion, discusses the history of Utopian societies. It not only talks about Utopian societies in the United States, but also those around the world. Although this pathfinder focuses on American Utopian communities, the global perspective is still of interest.
Horwitz, Elinor. Communes in America. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott Company, 1972.
This book, written by a journalist who focuses on social issues, provides an overview of Utopian societies in America. The book begins with a discussion on Utopian literature, then goes on to discuss Utopian societies like the Shakers, the Rappites, Brook Farm, Oneida, and the communes of the 1960s. While this book does not delve deep into the motivations behind the communes, it does provide a good deal of information on the individual societies.
Melville, Keith. Communities in the Counter Culture. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1972.
This book, written by a professor of Urban Studies at Fielding Graduate University, discusses the communes of the 1960’s and their role in the counter-culture of that decade. A sometime participant in communes, Melville is able to give the reader information and insights that come from actual experience. The book also compares the Utopian societies of the 1960’s to those of the nineteenth century. He especially focuses on the creation of Utopias as a rebellion against society. The book provides an interesting perspective on 1960’s communes.
