We Are As Gods (book)
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| Author | Kate Daloz |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
Publication date | April 26, 2016 |
| Publication place | United States |
| ISBN | 1610392256 |
We Are As Gods or the full title, We Are As Gods: Back to the Land in the 1970s on the Quest for a New America, is a nonfiction book written by historian Kate Daloz about Myrtle Hill, a back-to-the-land commune founded in the 1970s in Vermont. Daloz drew from her personal connection to the region to write this book.[1][2]
Daloz was inspired to entitle the book, We Are As Gods, by the opening line from the Whole Earth Catalog which reads, "We are as gods and might as well get good at it."[3] Myrtle Hill, the main commune depicted in the book, was founded by individuals who believed in self-sufficiency as an alternative to mainstream American life of the 1960s.[1]
Daloz lived near the commune with her parents built a geodesic dome nearby.[1][2] The book follows the community's history and highlights the daily life of living on the commune including "hippie home life" and work allocation.[2] The book also examines broader themes such as gender roles, the family unit, and collective living arrangements.[4] She also discusses the positive impact left by American communes on American society today. Daloz claims that the push for clean energy, natural foods, farm-to-table eating, and the movement towards drug legalization were all directly inspired by the communal movement of that era. She also asserts that communes had subtle impacts on certain innovations stating, "Every YouTube DIY tutorial, user review, and open-source code owes something to the Whole Earth Catalog's contention that our most powerful resource is connection to each other and access to tools."[5]