The beat world is holy in its search of self, but barbarian in its total rejection of the so-called 'civilized' standards of success and morality. Mr. Lipton's book is the first complete and unbiased survey of the beat generation and its role in society. Here are the intimate facts about these people and their attitudes toward sex, dope, jazz, art, religion, parents, landlords, employers, politicians, draft boards, the law and, most important, toward the 'square'. The author presents a picture of their way of life, their individual backgrounds, the language they have appropriated, in terms made clear for the first time to those who have been confused and puzzled about them. He also provides a balanced discussion of their literature, art and music, of what they produce and fail to produce in the arts they practice.
