Since the dawn of culture, counterculture has always existed: sometimes hidden, sometimes openly challenging the status quo, and at times radically transforming the world. While individual countercultures have been studied, their recurring nature throughout history had never been fully explored. In this book, Ken Goffman (R.U. Sirius) offers a vibrant and well-documented view of the essential role counterculture has played in the evolution of human values. Based on ideas developed by Timothy Leary and Dan Joy, the author identifies the common principles behind countercultural movements—individualism, anti-authoritarianism, and a belief in personal and social transformation. From Socrates in ancient Athens to punk, Tropicalismo, acid house, and the emerging countercultures of the twenty-first century, this work traces an exciting journey through the forces that have consistently challenged and renewed culture across the ages