The Dead book: A social history of the Grateful Dead

Softcover, subtitled, "A Social History of the Grateful Dead." An eclectic, heavily-illustrated book including a bonus soundsheet that includes "Neal Cassady Raps," a recording of Neal Cassady at the grand opening of the Straight Theater in September 1967. The author writes, in his "Forewarned", "The Grateful Dead is a family, a large, amorphous patriarchy. It can be considered as large as all sentient souls or as small as an omega-minus particle. The Grateful Dead is an esoteric secret brotherhood, fortuitously gathered, and an exoteric rock and roll band that plays loud music and sounds different at different times in front of vast audiences of 'wild, creaming, drug-crazed dropouts in their mid-twenties.' "