Far Out Man, Eric Utne
Far Out Man, Eric Utne
List: $20.00 | Sale: $14.00
Club: $10.00

Far Out Man
Tales of Life in the Counterculture

Author: Eric Utne

Narrator: Eric Utne

Unabridged: 10 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/28/2020

Synopsis

The founder of Utne Reader chronicles his adventures on the frontlines of American culture—from the Vietnam era to the age of Trump—as a spiritual seeker, antiwar activist, and minor media celebrity.

Far Out Man is the story of a life-long seeker who was occasionally a finder as well. In 1984, Eric Utne founded Utne Reader, a digest of new ideas and fresh perspectives percolating in the arts, culture, politics, business, and spirituality. With the tag line “The Best of the Alternative Press,” the magazine was twice a finalist for a National Magazine Award and grew to more than 300,000 paid circulation. In the nineties, the magazine promoted the Neighborhood Salon Association to revive the endangered art of conversation and start a revolution in people’s living rooms. More than 18,000 people joined, comprising nearly 500 salons across North America. Utne devoted the magazine to bringing people together to help make the world a “little greener and a little kinder.”

Far Out Man serves as a chronicle of both an individual life and a generation, covering the conflicts of the Vietnam era, the hopes and excesses of the sexual revolution and the Me Decade, the idealism and depredations of the entrepreneurial eighties and nineties, and the promise and perils of the digital age. Ultimately, Far Out Man is the story of Eric Utne’s lifelong search for hope, how he lost it, and what he found on the other side that sustains him in his darkest moments. It is a book dedicated to helping all seekers become finders.

Cover Photo: John Danicic Jr., courtesy of Utne Family Archives

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sarah on January 04, 2021

I had forgotten how much I had loved the Utne reader. Eric Utne made a magazine that claimed to be the best of the alternative press. The magazine is now defunct, but has an online presence. Eric's own life followed a unique path. He dealt mushrooms and marijuana, was a devout follower of macrobioti......more

Goodreads review by EmilyP on July 14, 2020

3.5 stars Prior to reading this book, I had heard of Utne Reader, but I had never read it or seen it. Now I know all about its founder, Eric Utne, and the fascinating life he has lived. From aspiring acupuncturist to magazine editor to teacher to a bunch of other things I can't remember, his life's w......more

Goodreads review by Julie on May 28, 2021

I subscribed to the Utne Reader for about 15 years in the 90s and early 2000s, and I always enjoyed browsing the interesting articles. I let my subscription lapse after it was sold and it was no longer headquartered in Minnesota. Somehow it wasn't as interesting after that. I recently attended a Univ......more

Goodreads review by Karen on July 29, 2020

First, I had never heard of Eric Utne or the Utne Reader. Second, Second,I am about five or six years younger than Eric and was drawn to his book because we are of the same generation. I must admit that it took me a few times to get interested in what he had to say. I put the book down in the middle......more

Goodreads review by Steve on July 30, 2020

Disclaimer: I received this book as part of GoodReads' First Reads program Erik Utne has had a very distinguished and interesting life. From acupuncturist to magazine publisher, he's covered a lot of ground and seen a lot of changes in the world. The name Utne means "far out" in Norwegian, apparently......more

Quotes

“What a fascinating book—Eric Utne has been the Zelig of the counterculture, arriving early again and again at the place where the non-mainstream is flowing. He tells the story with verve and command; it’s a remarkable piece of social history.”—Bill McKibben, author Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
 
“Far Out Man will take you on a journey, not just through one man’s life, but through a pivotal time in American and world history. Always honest, often funny, sometimes profound, Eric Utne’s life story shows us how we got here and even where we might go next. His journey will resonate with people from his generation and beyond.”—Paul Kingsnorth, author of The Wake and Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist

“In this ardent memoir, Utne, founder of the Utne Reader, frames his life as an American archetype: the young man seeking happiness, community, and meaning. Utne details his explorations in a conversational tone, with evocative stories. . . . The narrative is generally riveting thanks to its insight into multiple alternative cultural movements of the past half century. . . . Utne’s earnestness and honesty are charming. Readers will find this an entertaining personal testament.”—Publishers Weekly

“A memoir of tenderness and truth, honesty and humor, but far more than this: It is a rare gift to the reader, a how-to manual on the art of living. . . . I absolutely love it.”—Jay Griffiths, author of Savage Grace: A Journey in Wildness

“No better guide to the past half-century could be found than Eric Utne. His journey, like that of the magazine he founded, touches on everything important in those turbulent times.”—Kirkpatrick Sale, author of The Collapse of 2020

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