Groovin’: Horses, Hopes, and Slippery Slopes

Hippie Adventurer #1

by Rich Israel

In this delightful coming-of-age memoir, Rich Israel takes off on a journey of self-discovery during the late 1960s. Eschewing societal norms, he hitchhikes across the country, tries his hand at mining, works at a circus, and rides a horse hundreds of miles through the Rocky Mountain wilderness—all the while, the draft and Vietnam War are nipping at his heels.

Join Rich and his canine companion, Charlie, as they encounter one colorful character after another, from a rifle-toting hippie to a loudmouthed carnival boss to a sultry flower child, whose bewitching powers lead to lust and longing—and heartbreak. A consummate storyteller, Rich peppers his writing with wit and sensitivity, as well as insights often revealed through mind-blowing acid trips.

If you were there during this unique period in American history, Groovin’ is certain to spark treasured memories. If not, you will get to enjoy the flavor and exhilaration associated with catching that phenomenal wave.

300 pages, Paperback

Published December 7, 2016

Reviews

[Kathryn]

In the 35 years since I met Rich, I knew he had a kind heart, a healing touch and a love of good weed. But I never had a clue he was such a great writer… until now. Rich asked me to read an advance copy and I literally couldn't put it down. What a fun romp! It stirred up my wanderlust and made me fall in love with the California coastline and the Colorado mountains all over again, not to mention awakening a few long buried memories of my own experiences in the late 60’s and early 70s. Congratulations Rich Israel on a book very well written!! I can hardly wait for the sequel.

[Amor y otras ficciones]

I liked this auto-biography so much. It's so detailed that it felt like I was visiting all those beautiful places. Such a great and cool memoir from a young man during the late '60s. Totally recommended it.

[Harold Walters]

Want to follow a hippie adventure...partly on horseback? This is the book for you then.

[Anthony Stancomb]

Wonderful descriptions of tripping, drinking and wandering around in a stupefied haze whilst sleeping in campervans, riding motor bikes, hitchhiking across America, and having sex as much as possible with delightful sounding companions.
The book charts the progress of the author and his friends over the few years after they leave college and live a hand to mouth existence while avoiding the draft, getting stoned, helping out on farms, riding horses and encountering a lot of strange characters.
It’s very much a coming of age book, so it’s a walk down memory lane for anyone who lived through the sixties – and for anyone who didn’t, it serves as a good picture of what it was like to be young at that time.
It’s no ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’ or ‘On the Road’, and apart from me comments on the Vietnam War and dislike of war in general, there isn’t too much profound wisdom to be found. Rather it’s more about the daily experiences of the author and his friends, who don’t seem too interested in the sociological side of life. (So readers put off by the sort of philosophical polemic you find in many books of this genre needn’t be daunted.)
It is a skilfully written story with well-handled dialogue and good description, and belongs in the long line of ‘road travel’ writing, that has always had a strong presence in American literature.

[Quentin Stewart]

Rich Israel led a life that most of us near his age wish we had lived in during that crazy period of life that saw us coming into adulthood. He had no definite plan except to live his life as he wanted and to experience all that he could in the time that he had. He thought nothing of hitching across the country or setting off on a horseback ride through the mountains of the west. How many of us around his age wish we had been there with him? And he selfishly takes us along for the ride. This time period in our history was a time of discovery and Rich was willing and able to go out and discover, not only about the world around him and the people, but also to discover himself.

We who are members of his generation offer thanks for bringing back memories of those days that are not full of rage and conflict, but of love and sweetness. Hopefully a memoir like this will add to the understanding of what was happening during that period on a personal level with Rich and many of us that were there.

Thanks Rich, great job. I look forward to the next installment of memoirs.

[Joanne]

This is probably one the best titled books I have read in a while. Full of episodes in Rich Israel's life when he was younger and so much fun to read.
While I am a generation behind this era, I am certainly old enough to remember the anxieties about the Vietnam War, the LSD thing going on and the Hippy movement.
Rich writes well and you are rooting for him and enjoying his antics. A good share (the second half) of the book is about his horse-riding trip through New Mexico, Colorado, etc. Comes from a very different time and makes life sound so much easier.
Well written and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel this fall.

[Mary H.]

Really enjoyed this book w/several laugh out loud moments. Rich's journey during the late '60's, a heady time, was an insight into his experiences of this era. As a young teen during that time, I remember so many seminal happenings, i.e. the Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement, musical groups such as The Beatles, Stones, The Who, Grateful Dead, etc.

It was a easy read and I looked forward to each chapter and day in Rich's life during that time. He knows how to engage the reader in a descriptive, visual way and I could picture myself taking this journey w/him.

Enjoy!

[Rivvy Neshama]

If you missed the sixties or yearn to relive them, this book has it all: the music, the drugs, the sexual/political revolutions, and the loss (or gain?) of innocence. But what makes it a great read is that it’s also a sensitive and honest coming-of-age tale, a memoir told through stories — and what wild stories they are! Rich Israel has an engaging voice, a lively sense of humor, a quirky group of friends, and a thirst for adventure. Best of all, he knows how to tell a good yarn!

[Jennifer]

This book had me laughing out loud and truly enjoying the adventures of Rich and his friends. I am truly fascinated with this time in our history, specifically those people who broke away from the norm/standard. Groovin' provide a great look into one individuals unique and colorful journey.
I am looking forward to the next book as the saga continues. Hoping (fingers crossed) that Rich did decided after all to take a detour to meet up with Karen at Woodstock...

[Catherine Bethea]

I am only 3 years younger than the author. We lived in different worlds.. I loved how his chapters included the month and year. I could remember what i was doing while he was doing his thing :) I have never cared for horses and his horse adventure is still with me!

[Nicholas]

Goodreads win.

This was a fun read. I would recommed. Love that it was set in the sixties. The writing storytellibg was good.

[Rich Israel]

Reviewed By Deborah Lloyd for Readers’ Favorite

Anyone who lived through the 1960s remembers it as a time like no other. The counterculture of young people smoking marijuana and using LSD, the draft, protests against the Vietnam War, changing sexual behaviors, and other events defined the hippie, or flower child, movement. Author Rich Israel shares his personal journey in Groovin’: Horses, Hopes, and Slippery Slopes. As a college student at the University of California Davis, Rich participated in the movement by fully engaging in this new lifestyle. He worked for a year after graduation before leaving the 9-to-5 work life and embarking on many new adventures. His hitchhiking trips across the country, living in a van with his dog, Charlie, escapades with various friends, both long-term and short-lived, exemplify what it meant to live during that era. He shares good times, difficult times, and certainly many humorous moments. Throughout it all, the basic need to create a more loving and compassionate world was at the core of his and other young lives.

The author is a highly skilled storyteller—he describes each scene and person so well that the reader feels he was actually present. The book itself is inviting with meaningful quotes at the beginning of each part, some artwork, and a few photographs. The dialogue is crisp and well-placed. In Groovin’: Horses, Hopes, and Slippery Slopes, Rich Israel relates his adventures in a captivating style. The reader is engaged from the first page to the last. Mr. Israel notes that this book is the first of a series he is calling The Hippie Adventurer Series. Looking forward to the next one!

[Rose Collins]

Highly informative portrait of life in the hippy era of the 1960's USA.
Very engaging and hilariously funny!

Ultra descriptive of the antics of the flower power era and the hippy culture that
delighted in the eschewing of cultural norms and ultimately turned American society on its head – an epoch in history aptly dubbed “a time like no other”.
This book bring to life the 60's prevailing cultural revolution towards a youth counter-cultural shift towards flower power- drugs, sexual liberation, free love, political disfranchisement and the permeation of left wing discontent with the Vietnam war from students, the under 30's and ultimately mainstream American society.

Rich Israel is a stunning, sensitive storyteller with a very lively sense of humor!
Spectacularly vivid narrative and amazing portrayals of the stunning mountains of Colorado and breathtaking Californian coast.
Groovin’: Horses, Hopes, and Slippery Slopes transported me headfirst into Rich's past world of hitch-hiking around America, life in the van with devoted canine companion Charlie and the horseback riding adventures through New Mexico.

I never had the opportunity to experience 60's life and times firsthand- I'm a child of the 1990's. Thanks for taking me along for the ride Rich- it's been totally exhilarating!

[William Liggett]

I remember the summer of the flower children. I just don’t remember it the way Rich does. He clearly lived the hippie lifestyle and describes it in detail as only an insider could. I was truly impressed by his writing. I felt I was along for the ride as he described the scenery, smells, and challenges of, for example, riding motorcycles along the coast of California and horses through the Colorado wilderness. Given all the close calls that he describes in his adventures, it is remarkable he came through them in any shape to write about them years later. His devil-may-care attitude and self-deprecating and humorous writing style make Groovin’ quite entertaining.

[SALLY WHITE]

Thank you Goodreads for sending me this book. A great read of how Rich spent the 1960’s. It is a book of memories, good times, times of excess and the mad situations Rich found himself in. Anyone who wishes to reminisce about their youth and bring back some memories will enjoy reading this.

[Paul Preston]

This story is freedom.
There is nothing not to like about this book and about Rich in general. This was just fun and I wanted to go along with him as he hitched across the country and rode horseback across Colorado for a month.
I would not have had the LSD that Rich and his friends did but other than that I am jealous of his adventure. Nature is amazing

[Kris]

I grew up among hippies. So I can relate to this book. I am at the end of the Baby Boomer years and the people represented in this book are basically cameos of many people in my life who embraced similar ideals and lifestyles.

But as a child, I observed that this group is sometimes not able to clearly recall the events of those days spent in a halo of pot smoke, acid trips and general hippy dippy lifestyle choices. I embraced many myself but Rich Israel suffers from minor memory distortion!

The stand out issue for me in this regard is that several times he claims to have made love with someone and then pages later he denied that it ever happened. Love was free Rich. I know you want to be a modern day feminist but dude, hippie men slept around. A lot. Hippie women slept around. A lot. Believe me, you did it.

I really enjoyed this book but I would re-edit it. The first few chapters wander all over with half thought out anecdotes about protests, sex, house sharing, partying and draft card burning. It was generally unfocused.

The rest of the book focused on a journey Rich and his friend took by horseback from New Mexico to Colorado. This should have been the focus of the whole book rather than just an extended anecdote. It is a 20th century cowboy adventure.

The story follows the two as they purchase horses in New Mexico, stock up and then ride through the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. Each day brought a new adventure and perspective on life. There was some pot smoking and acid dropping but that is all part of the big adventure.

The diet was limited. There were saddle sore men. There were people met on the trail. There was wildlife. And the two horses definitely had their own series of adventures and misadventures. There were also two dogs that trotted along with the horses and men and had their own set of adventures.

The author has been encouraged to write his memoir and there is a second book in the process of being written. I suggest he focus on one story or one year or one series of events and cover that more completely. This was an entertaining book.

[Jonathan Fryer]

I remember the Sixties vividly, which some people would say must mean I wasn't there, and, no, it's true, I never smoked weed or tripped on acid. Travelling across Asia in peace and war gave me all the kicks I needed. But I have enjoyed this confessional memoir of someone who did join in the drug taking, though fortunately without seriously bad experiences (unlike one of his girlfriends), and who did enjoy free love (and occasional paid love) as he wandered around the United States by various means of transport, with side trips to Canada and Mexico. He was a red-blooded man when women were around, but also a gentle soul, who opposed the Vietnam War without getting deeply involved in the associated counter-culture. The highlight of the book is a trip on horseback with a buddy, from Taos to Aspen, savouring the landscape and his love for animals. Not much happens, but then that surely was the point of dropping out in the Sixties. And this account neatly conveys the atmosphere of the times

[J.]

Rich reminisces about his own adventures with drug-induced visualizations, hitchhiking, and sex during the sixties. The first part of the book focuses on crazy situations and even crazier characters that drift in and out of his life. He seems to put much of the zany behind him when he and friend Mitch buy horses and travel through New Mexico and Colorado. The reality of horseback riding and the surrounding environment seems to change Rich from a stereotypical hippie caricature into a draft age male avoiding the realities of the Vietnam era.

LibraryThing Member Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book free from the publisher. I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Maria]

Reading "Groovin'" evoked a bit of nostalgia for a time in which I wasn't even alive. How wonderful for an author's work to transport us to places we've never been and have us miss them when we've never truly left. The detailed and beautiful forays into Rich Israel's life during the sixties were mesmerizing, and without spoiling anything, I would like to mention that I don't know if I would have the guts to do half of what young Israel did in his travels!

For a life well lived and a book well written, I give five stars to this novel and hope to see more!

[Shirley Townsend]

Laid back good times

Through the struggle around the VietNam war people lived. Young men determined how to deal with the threat. Rich tells us how he came to decisions about the draft and living through the turmoil. He goes on the trip of a lifetime with a friend. One he had dreamed of since he was a child. I'm glad he did so he could tell us of his adventure.

[Melissa]

What a delightful trip through the 60's. The narrative flowed and I had a hard time putting the book down. Being a 60's Berkeley girl myself, Rich's journeys felt very familiar. Now I'm looking forward to Volume 2.

[Robert A. Granger]

Fun story

A fun story of warm hearted adventures with friends, animals, vehicles, drugs and women, written with a mix of humor and insight.

[Sharfina Kiasati]

What I like about this book is the adventure. Whoa, Rich and Mitch are awesome, I envy them!

[Beatrice]

A great romping adventure story, fun to read, wish I'd been there!

[Tashfin Awal]

​I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways and have chosen to give my honest opinion about it.
A fantastic read, truly opens your mind to what mankind can experience and the amazing adventures that are out there waiting to be had. I thought it was pretty engaging.

[Carlton Phelps]

The book was a little boring. I guess it just wasn't the right book for me.
We follow Mr. Isreal, through hazy days of smoking weed and dropping LSD. He isn't a dropout, he is a college graduate. But in-between classes and during the summer, he and a system of friends would have a fun-packed few days.
The most interesting part of the book was when he and a friend, took a horseback trip. He really painted a beautiful picture of the forest and meadows of CO.
If you are really interested in hippy culture, this is a book you will find interesting.
If you are of the age, as I, you lived through that time in our history. And sad to say, we didn't hold onto our dreams of a better world. Or didn't pass it down to our children.

[Ovidiu]

Great fun! :-)

[Angela Sandford]

Groovin'
By Rich Israel

An unbelievably fantastic true story of a glimpse of one mans life during the 60's.
Rich took drugs, loved women, was in tune with nature, and adored his animals! Rich wanted a taste of everything - his greatest feat by far were his travels - with his pal Mitch, he became the hippy cowboy! Purchasing horses in Taos, New Mexico, they then rode across Country to Aspen, Colorado - What an adventure! What a book! Well worth a read 👍✌😎