Utopian Communities in America 1680-1880 (Formerly titled "Heavens On Earth")

This is a reprint of the original book titled heavens on Earth. A classic work on the experiments in the US attempting to create actual utopian based communities. A good overview of one of the best, Oneida colony.

Informative about parts of my family history of which I had little knowledge.

Excellent book. Used as a reference for my research paper

As previous reviewers have noted, this is still one of the finest books about the many attempts to create Utopian communities in America. How many of us, however briefly or idly, haven't sometimes felt like getting away from a shallow, soul-destroying lifestyle & finding solace in a small group of like-minded people? Author Mark Holloway gives us a thorough overview of such projects over two centuries of American history, describing the tenets of each group & the actual day-to-day details of living in them. He writes sympathetically & clearly, with personal asides that enliven his narrative & its flowerings of idealistic (and often naive) hopes. Yet if these Utopias eventually foundered, they often had a positive effect on society at large -- at the very least, they reminded mainstream society that there were alternatives to the status quo that so many take for granted as an innate law of the universe. It's a message that bears repeating today! And if nothing else, this fascinating book might well encourage its readers to consider their own lives, and whether the lives we're living are truly of our own choice & necessarily the best for us. Highly recommended!

I have a soft heart for people with soft heads.

Lots of researched history, interesting read