"In the summer of 1967, youth drew attention itself by clustering in large numbers in most major American cities, where they broke the narcotics laws proudly, publicly, and defiantly. At the same time, they enunciated a different social philosophy and a new politics, and perhaps even mothered into life a subculture that was new to America. This book tries to describe what happened in the Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco. For it was in the Haight that whatever happened, happened most vividly and intensely that it drew international attention to itself. --From page [7]