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In conversations about 1960s culture, we often hear about Woodstock, and the Weathermen. No less influential, but often overlooked is the Brotherhood of Eternal Love which made an indelible mark on hippie counterculture. From its base in Orange County, the Brotherhood opened the Mystic Arts World in Laguna Beach, attracted the attention of former Harvard Professor-turned-acid guru Timothy Leary, and established an expansive international drug smuggling ring reaching from Hawaii to Afghanistan. With origins based in utopian idealism, the members of the Brotherhood sought to evangelize the world through the same psychedelic drug, LSD, that had changed the course of their own lives. Aiming to establish an alternative society through the purchase of an island, the Brotherhood became involved in drug smuggling. Over the years, overdoses and arrests effectively dissolved the group and turned its members against one another. Now, for the first time, OC Weekly journalist Nicholas Schou has comprehensively chronicled the idealistic rise and drug bust demise of the Brotherhood in his latest book, “Orange Sunshine: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love and its Quest to Spread Love, Peace and Acid to the World.” Based on extensive interviews with many early members and law enforcement officials Schou’s recounting has been described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “one worthy flashback.”

GUEST: Nick Schou, Staff Writer with the OC Weekly, Author of “Orange Sunshine: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love and Its Quest to Spread Love, Peace, and Acid to the World.” His previous book was “Kill the Messenger: How the CIA-Crack Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb.”

EVENT INFO: Nick Schou will be reading from his book this Saturday April 10th at 5 pm at Latitude 33 Bookshop, 311 Ocean Avenue, Laguna Beach.

Find out more about the book at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/
Orange-Sunshine-The-book-by-Nicholas-Schou
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