Calling all hippies

June 6, 2013 10:30 AM

In the mid 70s the spiritual teacher Ram Dass published a book titled Be Here Now. The format of the book was unique. Its unconventional 'square' shape, with an eclectic mix of text with hundreds of illustrations and various font treatments. It's still in print today. But there's a book that followed or copied the spirit of Be Here Now and I can't recall title:

This second book was done in the same square format and structure (heavily illustrated with various spiritual quotes and bromides, etc.) Seems to have been published in the early 80s, if I recall correctly.

Don't know if this book was related to Ram Dass or not; perhaps it was a copycat effort by another author publisher. I seem to recall it had a light blue and white cover, but was exactly the same size and shape as Be Here Now and about the same page count.

Anyone recall the title/author?

posted by zenpop to Writing & Language (11 answers total)

I can't quite make out the text on it, and I won't have physical access to this album until Saturday, but is it the book in the lower-left hand corner of this album cover?
posted by jbickers at 10:53 AM on June 6, 2013

Response by poster: That is Be Here Now jbickers.
posted by zenpop at 11:14 AM on June 6, 2013

I remember Be Here Now....

A friend of mine did a similar book but with a humorous flair called Be Here Real Soon...

Terrific stuff!
posted by foodybat at 11:19 AM on June 6, 2013

Does the sequels section of the Wikipedia page not have the correct answer? It states: "Ram Dass has written two sequels to Be Here Now. The first is Still Here: Aging, Changing, and Dying (2000), and the second is Be Love Now: The Path of the Heart (2011)."
posted by ethidda at 11:29 AM on June 6, 2013

" Does the sequels section of the Wikipedia page not have the correct answer? It states: "Ram Dass has written two sequels to Be Here Now. The first is Still Here: Aging, Changing, and Dying (2000), and the second is Be Love Now: The Path of the Heart (2011).""

Ethidda, those books were not published in the same format that Be Here Now was published.
posted by Hanuman1960 at 11:48 AM on June 6, 2013

Best answer: I remember that book (Be Here Now)! My old teenage journals still have quotes from it, from when I found it among my stepdad's bookshelves. He also had this one - was this the one you're thinking of?
posted by routergirl at 11:53 AM on June 6, 2013

I'm pretty sure I remember the book that Zenpop is talking about. I remember it existing, that is. I don't remember what it was called or anything else about it. This would have been in the early 1980's, well before the Wikipedia-listed sequels were published.
posted by alms at 11:55 AM on June 6, 2013

Response by poster: routergirl -- THANK YOU (or your stepdad). That's it!

Is that it alms? I bet it is.

Jesus christ, 300.00 on Amazon.

Oh well, nostalgia moment is over.

Thanks Metahive minders.
posted by zenpop at 12:05 PM on June 6, 2013

Yes, that's the one I was thinking of. It makes sense that it was written by Pir Vilayat Khan.
posted by alms at 12:20 PM on June 6, 2013

Glad I could help! It looks like Toward the One is available to read online here.
posted by routergirl at 1:14 PM on June 6, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I found that link too, routergirl -- after doing a Goog image search. Thanks again.
posted by zenpop at 6:49 PM on June 6, 2013