RADICAL RITUAL

A captivating history of the Burning Man Festival proposing that what Florence was to the Renaissance, Black Rock City is to an unfolding cultural epoch that remains to be named.

It started with a scrap wood bonfire on a San Francisco beach in 1986 and today, it's a week-long extravaganza in the Nevada desert for over 80,000. For six days in late August, 'Black Rock City' exists as a self-sustaining community and then on the seventh day, the residents of the temporary community break camp, taking care to "leave no trace." Written from Neil Shister's perspective as a five-time participant, journalist, and student of American culture, Radical Ritual presents Burning Man as vitally, historically important, a significant player in the avant-garde, forging new social paradigms as liberal democracy unravels. In a wonderful mix of narrative storytelling and reportage, Radical Ritual discusses how Burning Man has impacted not only the art and music worlds, but also disaster relief, urban renewal, the utilization of renewable energy and even the corporate governance of Google.

Shister is not alone in his beliefs. Led by conservative activist Grover Norquist, the Cato Institute recently held an event on what libertarians can learn from Burning Man. The festival intertwines conservative and progressive ideas. On one hand it is a celebration of self-reliance, personal accountability, and individual freedom; on the other hand it is based on strong values of inclusion, consensual decision-making, and centered, collaborative endeavor.

NEIL SHISTER has been a correspondent with Time, television critic for The Miami Herald, and editor of Atlanta Magazine. He's taught at Hampshire College, Boston University, and George Washington University. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Ivory Coast.