The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

WOLFE, Tom [Ken Babbs].

$2,800.00

Item Number: 149900

New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968.

First edition of the classic account of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters during their bus trip across America in the late 1960’s. Octavo, original cloth. Inscribed by Ken Kesey and Fellow Mary Prankster Ken Babbs on the title page, “For Michael, Tommy Wolfeie Kesey and Ken ‘Har Har’ Babbs.”  Near fine in a near fine dust jacket, inscription to the front free endpaper. Jacket design by Milton Glaser.

The narrative blends reportage with the subjective, exploring the blurred lines between reality and perception during the acid trips, as well as the effects of these experiences on personal and group identity. Wolfe's innovative style, which blends first-person narrative with stream-of-consciousness techniques, mirrors the fragmented and often surreal nature of the Pranksters' journey. The book serves as a microcosm of the larger cultural upheaval of the 1960s, illustrating the search for spiritual enlightenment, freedom, and rebellion against mainstream society.