Product Description

"Children of the Sun" (1998) is a pictorial anthology from Germany to California...1883-1949, and includes short biographies of 16 individuals and 4 social reform movements. But the story is told mostly through the 144 photos, both color and black and white.

It clearly describes the important links between the German health and nature pioneers, and their latter day California counterparts.

One of a kind compilation this work reveals the true origins of the alternative and natural lifestyles which eventually took root on American soil and have become the huge phenomenon that they are today.

Key words: Nature cure, raw foods, organic farming, naturopathy, eden ahbez, nudism, vegetarianism, Dr. Benedict Lust, Arnold Ehret, paganism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #605389 in Books
• Published on: 1998-12-31
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Review
"Children of the Sun receives our highest recomendation" (Living Nutrition Magazine--Dave Klein, P.O. Box 256, Sebastopol, Ca. 95473 (707) 887-9132) -- Living Nutrition Magazine, Dave Klein

About the Author
Gordon Kennedy has made his living as an organic farmer for 22 years, and serves as a historical consultant to several raw foods publications. A serious student of anthropology who's archives have been of value to the scientific community Mr. Kennedy is also an active spokesperson for environmental issues.

Customer Reviews

very little content
This book is a series of biographical sketches of figures in nature-centered countercultural movements of the 19th to early 20th centuries. These sketches are no more informative than Wikipedia entries and the book is mostly photographs anyhow. As another reviewer has also noted, the printing quality of the photos is low. But mostly, the accompanying text contains no analysis or context. The only thing this book is good for is giving modern hippies who want to believe they are part of a long-standing cultural movement a peg to hang their beliefs on.

I was interested in this book because I wanted to understand the connection between WWII-era Austria and California that brought Arnold Schwarzenegger here. You won't get any insight into such questions from this book other than the observation that some these German body-culturists traveled to California (but why?).

Wow! I never knew that!
This is an invaluable resource for anyone who wishes to discuss either nudism or the naturist movement. I have been reading about nudism for over ten years now and this book have me volumes of information I had never heard before. It's terse and at times stilted, but just invaluable. Good illustrations, too. A sure win!

Natural cultural...
This book covers alot of ground. Gordon Kennedy's book is an overview of both the people and various counter-culture movements within Germany from the late-19th to mid-20th century. For those looking for heavy historical background on the various movements, this might not be for you except perhaps to augment other works. This is, as it says on the cover, a pictorial anthology primarily with a basic history of each. It is the pictures that make this work both intriguing and invaluable. Published on the 2000th anniversary of Tacitus' "Germania" and definately shows pagan cracks in the Christian pavement. :) Personally, I loved the works of Fidus that are reprinted in this work. The only problem that I had was that it wasn't long enough, though that doesn't detract from the work itself. :) Also, if you are diehard in your beliefs that hippies and the counter-culture movement started in the 1960's...prepare for a harsh awakening.