A Walden Two Experiment; The First Five Years of Twin Oaks Community.

by Kathleen Kinkade

Book Overview

Information on Twin Oaks, Virginia, a community experiment influnced by B. F. Skinner's Walden Two This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688050204
• ISBN13: 9780688050207
• Release Date: January 1974
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co
• Length: 271 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Fascinating Read

I stumbled across this book many years ago, while searching for information about 'Walden Two' (the book by BF Skinner). A Walden Two Experiment is the first-hand account of a real life community inspired by the fictional community in the book Walden Two. Written by the only surviving founder of Twin Oaks (the community this book is actually about) who still lives there over 40 years later, this book chronicles the first five years (but primarily the first three years) as the community struggles to stay above water. The book details the community trials with economics, personal relationships, labor, housing... and pretty much everything a fledgling community faces as it tries to reach equilibrium. The book is straight forward and a bit grim, as the author explains toward the end of the book, she decided to focus on the difficult aspects to try and create 'a more interesting read'. Personally, I wish there had been more focus on the joys and happier times, but the book is well worth reading and very informative for anyone considering joining an Intentional Community, or perhaps trying to found one themselves. Another important book to read is her follow-up Is It Utopia Yet?: An Insider's View of Twin Oaks Community in Its Twenty-Sixth Year written in the community's 26th year. And Ingrid Komar's "Living the Dream" - which is another perspective on Twin Oaks from 1979-1982.

A frank and funny humanitarian

In 1967, Kathleen Kinkade's life changed when she read BF SKinner's utopian novel, Walden Two. Inspired by this vision of community, Kinkade founded Twin Oaks Community in rural Virginia (an income-sharing intentional community still in existence today). In this first account of the early history of Twin Oaks, Kinkade outlines the community's earliest struggles for everything from enough money for survival to learning how to erect buildings with virtually no material or skill. She tells the stories of Twin Oaks' earliest members and how they contributed to this communal experiment. Throughout these struggles, Kinkade maintains both her wry sense of humor and her humanistic vision. Kinkade's book remains as fresh and funny as it was in 1972. I highly recommend it as an introduction both to the intentional communities movement as well as for those with dreams of pioneering their own community someday.

Very Informative

I am interested in getting involved in, or help build and intentional community. This book was perfect for helping me see the ins and outs of community life. The author was candid about their mistakes, as well as their accomplishments, in the first few years. I found this very helpful.

worth waiting for a copy!

i can't believe such a funny & influential book (for me at least *grin*) is out of print! my advice is to send in a request. ask for a copy for yourself, your crazy hippie kid sister (no apologies offered as i wear that title with honor), your library, your child's school, for everyone you know. this is an honest, funny, and inspiring look into the early days of one of the longest standing intentional communities in the u.s. (yep, it's still around) the sequel perhaps provides more insight (as they'd been experimenting an additional 20 years), but this first account makes a great supplement to b.f. skinner's _walden two_ as you can feel more of its presence with the group of motivated readers who decided to see if they could actualize his ideas. b.f. skinner even wrote the introduction to this account!fact is often stranger than fiction ~ go ahead, indulge yourself!

A Walden Two influenced real life community story

This book was writen after five years of the development of Twin Oaks community based roughly on a book by B. F. Skinner. The premise of Twin Oaks was to establish a community where all members were equal in finance, labor, and living. Kat Kenkade, on of the founding members, relays the difficulties of starting a working commune in the late 1960's in rural Virgina. From farming to manufacture, living in a barn to building their own houses. This book makes a good follow-up to Walden Two.