A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (and Some Bears)

By Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling

Book Overview

"Simultaneously hilarious, poignant, and deeply unsettling." ―The New Republic

A tiny American town's plans for radical self-government overlooked one hairy detail: no one told the bears. Once upon a time, a group of libertarians got together and hatched the Free Town Project, a plan to take over an American town and completely eliminate its government. In 2004, they set their sights on Grafton, NH, a barely populated settlement with one paved road. When they descended on Grafton, public funding for pretty much everything shrank: the fire department, the library, the schoolhouse. State and federal laws became meek suggestions, scarcely heard in the town's thick wilderness.

The anything-goes atmosphere soon caught the attention of Grafton's neighbors: the bears. Freedom-loving citizens ignored hunting laws and regulations on food disposal. They built a tent city in an effort to get off the grid. The bears smelled food and opportunity.

A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear is the sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying tale of what happens when a government disappears into the woods. Complete with gunplay, adventure, and backstabbing politicians, this is the ultimate story of a quintessential American experiment -- to live free or die, perhaps from a bear.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1541788494
• ISBN13: 9781541788497
• Release Date: September 2021
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Reality so crazy that it feels like satire

This is hands down one of the funniest books I have ever read. It starts with a group of libertarians from all walks of life. Some young, some old. Some left wing some right wing. Some are just passive free spirits while others are a bit more…intense. By taking advantage of a brand new technology called the Internet, they get in touch on online forums and concoct a plan. To realize their dream create a libertarian utopia where they can put their political philosophies and ideals into practice. They decide to settle in New Hampshire, which is a famously stubborn state where the mindset of “stay of my lawn and I stay off yours” and “why you asking me? It ain’t my problem” are widely accepted mantras. So they basically colonize this very rural, unincorporated town that is more or less off the grid. Where most neighbors and government seem like a distant memory. However the honeymoon phase wore off quickly as lack of taxes and communal responsibility took its toll in the form of endless piles of garbage, increased crime, buildings burning down, increasing hostility from the locals and of course, rowdy bears. The journalist who investigated this did an amazing job. With his tongue in cheek casualness, childlike curiosity and utilitarian bluntness he managed to pull out many unique and conversations with the settlers that make you full secondhand embarrassment. The amount of mental gymnastics they used to justify the chaos or even flat out deny that their dream was turning into a nightmare was unreal. Each person in the book felt like they were ripped out of the Simpsons or King of the Hill. The mischievous and deadpan journalist, the weird hippy aunt, the young idealist who is trying to make the movement gain mainstream legitimacy, the sweet old man who is very genuine in trying to make life better for society, and of course the paranoid nutjob who is just itching for the downfall of humanity just so he can say he was right. I think everyone should read this book and it will appeal to even people who normally don’t read nonfiction. I think fans of shows like The Office or Parks and Recreation would get a kick out of it. It is very brisk and told in a very utilitarian manner, peppered with situational comedy and some thought provoking musings on our duties and obligations as citizens.