Book excerpt: In The ABC-CLIO Companion to the 1960s Counterculture in America, author Neil A. Hamilton systematically illuminates the social, cultural, and political revolution with entries covering groups such as the hippies, Diggers, Yippies, and Weathermen; individuals including Abbie Hoffman, Andy Warhol, Russell Means, and Stokely Carmichael; and events such as Watts, the Tripps festival, Woodstock, and various "be-ins". Broadly defining the counterculture as any cultural or political challenge to mainstream values and practices of the day, Hamilton traces the counterculture's spread across America, far beyond its San Francisco Bay Area origins. He also examines the sweeping changes in the period's music, art, clothing, language, and personal practices. Perfect for high school, college, and public libraries, this unique encyclopedia's complete compilation of the 1960s upheaval will also be of special use to students of sociology, recent U.S. history, and popular culture.