Radical Ritual: How Burning Man Changed the World

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"Neil Shister's book skillfully traces the evolution of Burning Man and provides rare insights into how this cultural phenomenon is changing the world." -Michael Mikel, founding board member of the Burning Man Project Written from Neil Shister's perspective as a journalist, student of American culture, and six-time participant in Burning Man, Radical Ritual presents the event as vitally, historically important. Shister contends that Burning Man is a significant player in the avant-garde, forging new social paradigms as liberal democracy unravels. Burning Man's contribution to this new order is postmodern, a fusion of sixties humanism with state-of-the-art Silicon Valley wizardry. Shister is not alone in his opinion. In 2018, the Smithsonian dedicated its entire Renwick Gallery, located next door to the White House, to an exhibition of Burning Man art and culture. 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. In a wonderful mix of narrative storytelling and reportage, Radical Ritual discusses how Burning Man has impacted the art world, disaster relief, urban renewal, the utilization of renewable energy, and even the corporate governance of Google. The story concludes with the sudden death in April 2018 of Larry Harvey, now renowned as the philosophical epicenter of the movement.

Reviews

Praise for Radical Ritual

Rolling Stone, One of the Best Books About Burning Man

Neil Shister writes with great relish about how the annual revel has been irradiating the culture with creativity, selfreliance, collective action and a democratic cando spirit . . . His enthusiasm for the festivals supercharged civic atmospherewhat he calls 'a colossal circus of trustworthiness and compassion, empathy and generosity of spirit'corrects the common view of Black Rock City as an al fresco Studio 54. Chris Jennings, The Wall Street Journal

Fascinated by the history, culture, and debauchery of Burning Man Radical Ritual will give you the juice (while explaining how it has evolved). Author Neil Shister is a journalist and historian, but hes also a Burner. So he treads the line between participant and storyteller as he digs through the forces that have shaped the festival, from selfgovernance to Google. The book focuses largely on the life of founder Larry Harvey, but it also looks at how the event has changed over time and how its gone from an outsider ritual to a heavily used symbol of the technocracy. Heather Hansman, Outside, 1 of 5 Absorbing Books to Get You Through Midsummer

Through interviews with the events principals and behindthescenes stories of how Burning Man and Black Rock City work, [Shister] offers a glimpse of festival history that not even its dustcovered participants are likely to see. John Przybys, Las Vegas ReviewJournal

Shisters book combines a history of the events growth with a look under the hood of Harveys theories about positive social engineering. James Sullivan, San Francisco Chronicle

A fascinating, immersive exploration of the annual weeklong bohemian festival . . . Shister does a splendid job of sketching in the features and the future of Burning Man and its residual global influence with a vivid narrative and anecdotal interviews. A focused insider's guide to Burning Man and a posthumous nod to its intrepid creator. Kirkus Reviews

How do you capture magic and serendipity in telling the historic tale of how Burning Man has turned into the world's most storied annual pilgrimage Neil Shister weaves a compelling narrativefull of fascinating characters and littleknown detailsthat helps us to understand why this event has become such a modernday phenomenon. Chip Conley, hospitality entrepreneur and bestselling author of Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern Elder

Masterfully organized and written with a clarity and liveliness that pulls us along, Neil Shisters Radical Ritual meshes two different approaches to its elusive subject. It combines the intellectual insights of a seasoned objective reporter and analyst who has studied Burning Mans history and creators in depth with the deeply personal responses of an active (though hardly unquestioning) participant who conveys the experiential feel of being there. The result is a brilliantly successful synthesis and wonderful read from start to finish. Carl Smith, author of The Plan of Chicago and professor of American studies and history at Northwestern University

An allin history of, and love letter to, this oneofakind event. If youve been there, or want to go, you couldnt possibly find better companions than Neil Shister and his engaging book. Daniel Okrent, author of Last Call and The Guarded Gate

Radical Ritual reads like a zany, hip, futuristic novel. The values of Burning Man might just help us figure out what is real and human in an age of artifice. AnneMarie Slaughter, author of Unfinished Business

Reading Radical Ritual is like a joyful meander through Black Rock Cityyou can be sure it will be engaging, enlightening, and exactly what you need at the moment. Jennifer Raiser, author of Burning Man: Art on Fire

Neil Shisters book skillfully traces the evolution of Burning Man and provides rare insights into how this cultural phenomenon is changing the world. Michael Mikel, founding board member of the Burning Man Project

Virginsthose who have never been to Burning Manshould read this book. Veteran Burners will want to read it twice. Read this book, or I will leave MOOP everywhere. Grover Norquist, Burning Man attendee and American political activist and strategist

Author Bio

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 The George Washington University. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Cote d'Ivoire (1968-1970). He lives in Washington, D.C. with wife, Cait, and son, William.