Commercialism It is only recently in our history that humans have come to view the world primarily through the prism of fixed units of currency. Commercialism is an assault upon the mind. Bob Dylan sang "Advertising signs that con / you into thinking you're the one / that can do what's never been done / that can win what's never been won / meantime life outside goes on all around you." Tune commercials out Listening to public radio or your own music. Skip print ads and billboards. You will suffer a bit, as you may lose touch with the trivial, vital aspects of popular culture, but you will be amazed at how much more aware you are of what is really going on all around you.

P H O T O    E S S A Y BEING FREE Table of Contents Readers Comments Download Lilac's Book Return to mighty

Lilac's Book. A book for my daughter.    By Bill Orton. Lilac's Book has been on     continuously since January 3, 1997. Anyone may have a FREE copy of the entire text of Lilac's Book by going to the Download page. Back in 1994, I wrote this book, largely in random order, as a gift for my infant daughter.   When I finished the first version of the book, I made photocopies and handed them out to anyone who was interested.   In 1996, I converted the text of the book into web format and thanks to the gracious and steadfast support from this mighty site, the book has been on Hippyland continuously since January 3, 1997.   As far as I can tell from webstats over the past few years, about 3000 people a year are visiting the page to download the full text of the book.   If just a portion of these visitors are downloading the text, then this free book is now in the hands of thousands of people.   This makes me feel that the gift is not just for Lilac, but for thousands of others, most especially for the teenagers and young adults who so often write to me trying to figure out their place in our world. BEING FREE  |  Table of Contents  |  Readers Comments  |  Download Lilac's Book  |  Return to HIPPYLAND  |  Photo Album Who IS a Hippy  |  The Price of Freedom  |  Following Your Own Heart  |  It Wasn't All Beauty & Lightness  |  Contact Me The original print edition of Lilac's Book © 1994; web editions © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001.