The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint

by Tommy Chong

Beloved stoner comedian TOMMY CHONG is now older, wiser & officially an EX-CON. On the morning of February 24, 2003, agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration launched a sting called Operation Pipe Dreams and forced themselves through the door of Tommy's California home, with automatic weapons drawn. As a result of the raid on his home; the simultaneous ransacking of his son's company, Chong Glass; and the Bush administration's determination to make an example out of the "Pope of Pot;" he was sentenced to nine months in prison because his company shipped bongs to a head shop in Pennsylvania that was a front for the DEA. Now it's Tommy Chong's turn to fight back and tell his side of the story. Beginning with Tommy's experiences growing up in Canada in the forties and fifties as a mixed-race kid and going on to become a comedy legend, The I Chong is at once a memoir, a spiritual exploration of his time in prison, and a political indictment of the eroding civil liberties in post-9/11 American society. He tells the unbelievable story of his trip down the rabbit hole of America's war on drugs and of his experiences in the federal prison system, and he offers up timely observations on combating the conservative political forces at work in this country. Introspective, inspiring, and incendiary, The I Chong is a unique chronicle of one man's life and how his humorous and spiritual point of view saved him during his wrongful incarceration at the hands of an administration without boundaries.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Humor, Biography Memoir, Comedy

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2006

About the author

Thomas "Tommy" B. Kin Chong is a Canadian-American comedian, actor and musician who is well-known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie-era stoners. He is most widely known for his role as Anthony Stoner in the marijuana-themed Cheech & Chong comedy movies with Cheech Marin. He played Leo Chingkwake on FOX's That '70s Show.

Reviews

[Rick Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just go ahead and read it. No harm done. It's a quick read and there is nothing so relaxing as hearing stories from an old hippie. Go for it. Ya can't loose. Enjoy.

[bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

What this man endured at the hands of the Ashcroft "Patriot Act" fascists is shocking. The tactics used against him should be a wake up call to all americans, Especially those who think eroding the constitution is acceptable for the illusion of "safety". (I would also say rent "V for Vendetta" to these poor dissilusioned folk).And yet, it isn't a diatribe, but a story of triumph over oppressors, and a funny, well written memoir from a counter-cultural icon. Reading the book and even writing this, makes me angrier than he ever was, and that says alot for his inner strength. I find that very inspirational. READ THIS BOOK!

[Dan Witte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly thought-provoking and unsurprisingly anti-authority, The I Chong is a breezy and entertaining re-hash (get it?) of Tommy Chong’s 2003 arrest and incarceration during the George W. Bush “war on drugs” campaign. Modeled loosely on the I Ching, the eighteen chapters comprise separate but connected contemplations on his nine months in a minimum-security federal prison, and on life and America in general. It is hard not to agree with his sentiments as concerns the Republican party at the time, a hollow and performative front for “a group of religious fanatics who disrespect our Constitution”, which if anything has become even more regressive and repressive since then. That he was busted purely for show can hardly be argued, but what of the other “millions of victims incarcerated as a result of the U.S. government’s drug laws” to whom he dedicates this book? (Though he understandably directs much of his criticism at the then-current Republican administration, he had high praise for Gerald Ford.) Cheech and Chong were the first comedians not of my parents’ generation that made me laugh, and throughout the 1970s their albums, 8-tracks and cassette tapes were as much a staple for me as Jack Benny and Bob Newhart had been for my parents. I didn’t know then how truly smart and talented Cheech and Chong were, nor frankly would I have cared. But as an old man who has lived long enough to see the pendulum swing both ways in terms of American culture and “justice”, I appreciate how tuned into the times they were, especially in skewering authority and law enforcement. Thanks to their good work, Sargent Stadanko will always be my favorite narc, and Sister Mary Elephant my favorite Catholic. Note to prospective readers, this is not a memoir of Chong’s life, nor his time with Cheech Marin, though we do learn a little about both. As the subtitle says, these are “Meditations from the Joint”.

[Max Witkowsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished the book The I Chong, by Tommy Chong, which had a lot of both indirect and direct characterization. Throughout the book he tells very in depth stories of his early childhood, and what is was like growing up in Canada. During the time he talks about being in prison he mentions a lot of direct characterization of him self. “To tell you the truth, I was so intimidated that day that I did not join the lodge for three months. In fact, I had to really get into the rhythm of the place before I knew where to go and what to do” pg.214 this is one of the many examples of direct characterization in the book. All in all I loved the book and recommend it to anyone who likes tommy Chong, or the Cheech & Chong Duo.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw that Tommy Chong was doing a book reading at the Booksmith on Haight St., and I thought... Cool! Half of Cheech and Chong on Haight St. I'm gonna smoke out and joke out with Tommy-freakin'-Chong!

But no.

It's a good book, just don't expect it to be laugh out loud funny or some sort of sketch comedy novel. This about finding spirituality and owning up to your problems and mistakes. It's about how, even in your 50's, it's never to late to grow up.

Serious stuff from a seriously funny man. Made me want to go home and smoke a joint it was so serious.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not what I expected either. Read it for book group and really enjoyed hearing about his upbringing, but as one member put it: "It's like listening to free form jazz." Tommy tends to ramble a good deal and go off on these spiritual tangents that can be a bit distracting, but it's what I expected from the book. As another member put it: "It's what you'd expect him to write as part of a plea bargain." But he is right on the War on Drugs though I wish certain parts of the narrative were fleshed out more than others because, frankly, parts of it just plain don't make sense.

[Ac · Rating 2 out of 5]

The prison experience definitely caused Chong to find religion, which he expounds on at length. Although some of the anecdotes are entertaining, particularly his reflections on his fellow inmates, I found myself really wanting to know more about his life in Hollywood, working with Cheech, and the sacred herb. I'm waiting for Chong's autobiography which will no doubt be more entertaining than this book. To be fair, I read it in one sitting at an aiport...

[Timo Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot of mocking done of Tommy Chong, but this man is very intelligent and spiritual. Although the government corruption involved in his arrest and incarceration are addressed, they are by no means a major subject matter. Chong's experiences and personal relationships are very positive in light of the situation and his thoughtfulness and mindfulness are rather inspiring, as is his ability to leech the positive out of everything instead of being angry.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, Tommy's mad at W & the current administration. And one can see why, after reading this true story of persecution and incarceration for the crime of being pro-pot in these parlous times. Shameful, that's what it is. Chong sounds like one expects, breezy, zen, a little muddled, but good natured.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly just read this because I ran across it at the library and remembered the Cheech and Chong flicks of my youth. Parts of this are interesting and funny, and I like his outspoken condemnation of Baby Boy Bush and his cronies. An easy read.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Tommy's story about his incarceration and what really happened. His eyes are open to the injustice that happens everyday yet he still enjoys life.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up for my roommate while he was ill, hoping to cheer him up emotionally because I couldn't make him better physically. It's a book about Chong's arrest, prosecution and punishment in the name of the federal government's "War on Drugs"--an effort as ill-conceived as the presently concurrent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as the author points out repeatedly.

The description of prison life was interesting to one such as I who has never spent more than a night at one--and then at a nice, suburban lockup. It was the kind of place I'd expect to go to if the feds decided to make an example out of me, not maximum security. But I was actually more taken by the first chapter which describes his early life and family in Canada. Although Chong is no great writer or deep thinker, the personality of the fellow comes through, his "voice" in these pages coming across as authentic, particularly in this section. This is no criminal from whom we need to be protected.

My interest, such as it is, in Tommy Chong stems from having seen several of the movies he made while I was working with supposedly psycho-criminal teens at two social service agencies in Chicago. The kids, themselves mostly from very poor backgrounds, loved Cheech and Chong's humor. I thought the movies pretty stupid, but enjoyed seeing the kids enjoy themselves. Hopefully, many of them have grown up with the social conscience that Tommy Chong evinces.

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, I don't even remember what this book was about...
Oh yeah, this is the one where Tommy Chong inadvertently convinced me to stop smoking weed.

Tommy Chong is a funny and respectable guy, but his writing abilities as shown in this book are lackluster. Fortunately, he begins unveiling his adventurous, exciting life in disjointed sequences of enthralling tales from his childhood. He has a lot of interesting stories to tell, but then suddenly mid-story he goes off on a tangent of how important it is to worship the Holy Gospel. He even preaches to the point where he dogmatically states that "there is no Hell, but there is Jesus. Hell is the invention of religion."

The story's central focus is based around Chong's unfortunate raid from the DEA and his time spent in prison. Chong speaks passionately about his opposition to the corrupt War on Drugs throughout much of the story. He also admits that there were times when pot was disadvantageous to him. There are some good bits of wisdom to be found in this book, but unfortunately they are often preached out in Chong's biblically-inconsistent personal "spiritual" beliefs.

I initially bought this thinking there would be heavy correlation to the I Ching. The I Ching is mentioned early in the book, but then is very rarely mentioned at all. The titles of the chapters are based off chapters of the I-Ching, but have little to no resemblance to the content of the book itself.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the morning of February 24, 2003, agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration launched a sting called Operation Pipe Dreams and forced themselves through the door of Tommy's California home with automatic weapons drawn. As a result of the raid on his home; the simultaneous ransacking of his son's company, Chong Glass; and the Bush administration's determination to make an example out of the "Pope of Pot;" he was sentenced to nine months in prison because his company shipped bongs to a head shop in Pennsylvania that was a front for the DEA.

In this book, Tommy Chong tells his side of the story, beginning with his experiences growing up in 1940's-50's Canada as a Scots/Irish/Chinese kid, through going on to become a comedy legend. The I Chong is at once Chong's memoir, a spiritual exploration of his time in prison, and a political indictment of the eroding civil liberties in post-9/11 American society. He tells the unbelievable story of his trip down the rabbit hole of America's war on drugs and of his experiences in the federal prison system, and he offers up timely observations on combating the conservative political forces at work in this country.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tommy Chong has a very down-to-earth sense of spirituality mixed with an eloquently spiritual protest against the Republican manipulation of mass-media, the economy, politics, and their destruction of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. I really enjoyed his sense of humor and sharing his journey. Chong is a pretty amazing guy who has been capable of accepting a powerful lesson about love and life and not turning to darkness and hate. His comparisons of our current government's abuses and manipulations to the Nazi Germans is spot on. And his message of accepting the path of love and pursuit of joy in life are inspiring.

[Chayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of a 3 1/2 star rating but more towards the 4 side. It's the autobiography of Tommy Chong during his stay in the pen for illegally trafficking bongs over state lines. It was an interesting read into the mind of America's most notorious pot smoking comedian. Although he comes off as a stoner to most, he is actually very insightful and talks about things that really make you think. One of my favorite excerpts is a section where he talks about the ego. It really sucks that he was sent to jail for such a petty crime, but as you read on, you'll realize how much of a scam and set up it was, and understand his acceptance and grace towards adversity.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a Canadian i was surprised that he is canadian and grew up where he did, and became what he is. I am impressed by his stories and sense of Karma. His articulation and story telling are not the best but the content comes through.

This book conveys a message clearly and tells a great story of his childhood. For canadians this book is a must read. He is the hippie dope smoking version of Farley Mowat.

The book made me smile and feel good many times.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like this was Tommy Chong giving himself a huge (and what he thinks is a well-deserved) pat on the back. Even for a memoir, it read like a giant "Aren't I, Tommy Chong, just so great?" advertisement. It was interesting to read based purely on the man, and it had a few (though alarmingly few) funny points. Overall, I didn't feel like it was a waste of time, but reading it twice would be.

[Mu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a hilarious tale and ended up reading a nearly religious books. It is entertaining but I feel Tommy Chong relaxed too much on the comedy side of his writing. Still, a good coffee table book.

[Robert Molyneaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chong is a good man, with a big heart. He makes me laugh, and now I want to learn Salsa dancing. And by the way, he never should have gone to jail. But that's a different story.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to meet Tommy Chong during a book signing. I have to say that he is so easy going. His biography was eye opening. I will read this again!!!!

[Virgil · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was ok. I enjoyed the moments of enlightened that Chong experienced while in prison. It was nice to learn about his beliefs and how he maneuvers through this world. Its worth reading.

[Caralyn Rubli · Rating 3 out of 5]

More political and spiritual than I was expecting

[Jan Tisdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chong tells all about his life growing up and how he was sent to jail for 9 months for selling bongs across state lines. He legally could sell them but government was trying to make him out to be a drug pin which he was not.
“ my opinion, he was treated very unfair, and government should spend more of their time with sex offenders, Murders, ect.
There is a movie out called, Tommy Chong, a documentary. I haven’t seen it yet.
He seems like a good person”.

[Mary Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is super awesome. I was totally expecting it to be awesome but I didn't think there would be spiritual stuff in it but there totally is. There's so much in it I definitely have to read it a 2nd time.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not like the way Mr Chong writes. I decided to read this book because it’s been on the shelf since Christmas over 14 years ago.
If It didn’t have so many issues with missing chapters and then extra chapter pages added later this book would have been less annoying.

[Sonny Fertile · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. Just awful. Loved the movies and the albums. This? Boring boring boring. One laugh the hole book. Tiresome god and jesus bull throughout. A cruel practical joke on his friend. I used to think he was funny. Now he's just a sad, whinging mean baby. That wasn't prison. Boys camp at best. Sad.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ching rocks

Tommy Ching is ones of the nicest people I have ever met. This book is heartfelt and a joy to read.

[Moe Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to see what makes him tick.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

At almost 20 years old, this pro-pot missive is quite dated. Still, it was an easy pleasant read in the genre of “celebrities in prison.” He is quite a character.