The Anarchist Cookbook reads like it was written by a wizened old hippie, someone with experience and lots of stories to tell. An authority on all things anarchy, from “pork and beans and pot” to the art of making bombs, William Powell struck me as a person worthy of respect, whether one agreed with him or not. The casual anecdotes, joking tones, and wide array of knowledge painted a picture of a man worth listening to- it came as a shock to learn that Powell was a 19 year old high school dropout when he wrote his cookbook. Dissatisfied with his life and his government, Powell wanted to funnel his anger into change. In the foreword of the cookbook, he states that he constructed the cookbook for “the real people of America, the silent majority.” It must have been that he didn’t feel his persona and identity was one that would have garnered respect. For the purposes of the cookbook, reaching the masses, and maybe for himself, 19-year-old Powell made up wild stories of arrests and travels he never actually lived through. He copied extensively from libraries and from the boy scout handguide, writing information that is notoriously unreliable. Evidence shows that Powell’s cookbook may have been less about inspiring a revolution and more about playing to his angsty teenage whims (not to say that he didn’t make at least some points that haven’t lasted in his ideology). Five years after releasing the book, Powell converted to Christianity and denounced his writing. He wanted the book taken out of circulation, but because he’d given up the rights to his publisher, there was nothing he could do. Instead, Powell watched as a product of his own immaturity led to violence and death. Powell has since expressed sincere regret, and has devoted his life to education and non-profit work in hopes of repenting for his sins. I’m not 100% sure what lessons Powell’s life experience can teach us- maybe that anger blinds us from rationality and compassion for others, maybe that anarchy is a rash decision, maybe that rash decisions have real consequences. It’s one that’s worth thinking about.