Table of Contents
1 Another Way 1
Joining the Freedom Movement 8
2 How the Grid Was Won 17
Dawn of the Grid 22
Down-home Electric Co-ops 33
The Edison Electric Institute 36
Central Water and Conflict 39
3 My Other Place Is on the Grid 47
For the Man who Has Everything 52
No Name Key 55
No Math Island 75
4 Stepping Away 83
Writer in the Woods 85
The Polite Anarchists 93
Virtual Springfield 96
A Walden Wedding 100
5 Reinventing the American Dream 103
The Wild, Wild West 104
A Sad Tale 111
Anti-nuclear Family 116
Ranch Styles of the Rich and Famous 122
6 Coping with the Crash 127
A Better Life 127
Genius or Charlatan? 138
This Way Madness Lies 149
7 Running from the Rat Race 155
The Mountain Hermit 164
8 Post-consumer Society 171
The Gift Economy 173
Local Currencies and Car Sex 176
Max's Pot 182
The Sultan of Scrounge 184
9 Power and Freedom 193
The Last American Man 200
On the Road Again 212
10 Closer to God 219
Stairway to Heaven 221
Howling in the Woods 232
The Neo-Pagans 237
11 Under the Radar 241
Sacrament Stories 242
Take Back the Land 246
Rainbow People-NO2ID 250
Pot-growing Neighbors 253
The Valley Girl 256
Building Without a Permit 259
The Non-identity 261
12 Fear 263
Life's a Beach 265
The Bugout Palace 272
Only Disconnect 276
13 Getting There 281
Why It Matters 281
Acknowledgments 293