Book Review: Eden Within Eden: Oregon's Utopian Heritage

James Kopps book, Eden Within Eden, is a valuable introduction to the hundreds of communal, semi-communal and utopian societies that have been established in the state of Oregon. Kopp begins by analyzing the westernized Christian concept of Eden, followed by a review of the utopian tradition in United States history and the place that Oregon has held in the utopian mindset. Kopp gives significant attention to the dozens of hippie communes, often short-lived, that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s; from the Family of the Mystic Arts, once featured on the cover of Life magazine, to the controversial Rajneeshpuram near Antelope.