This is exactly what it says on the front cover - "A Primary Sourcebook". And I really enjoyed reading it, well not everything, but the majority of it! The excerpts and letters were much more interesting to me than the interviews! I especially enjoyed John Clellon Holmes "Exile's Journal" which read like a concise summary of the history of those times! And "Jack & Neal In Grosse Pointe" really hit high marks for me! I also enjoyed the mentions of towns in the Bay Area (where I live), like Vacaville, Bolinas, and Mill Valley. Suffice to say, I'll definitely be adding this volume to my "Beat" collection! ( )