'Ancient Gonzo Wisdom' collects numerous interviews with Thompson from 1974 to 2005. Hunter, never shy, was known for his outrageous anecdotes and astute observations. His widow, Anita Thompson has done all fans of the 'Good Doctor' a favor in compiling these interviews. The sources for these vary from Playboy and Razor to ABC News and NPR, just to name a few. These interviews touch on some of the most famous incidents in his life, such as talking football in 1972 with President Nixon ("the only time in 20 years of listening to the treacherous bastard that I knew he wasn't lying")… to Hunter's unlikely campaign running for Sheriff in Aspen, Colorado on the "Freak Power" ticket.

One of Hunter Thompson's most famous images, it occurs in 'Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas', is that of the great cresting wave of the 1960's, hitting a high-water mark and then, receding until a period of anticlimax and recession set in. This parallels Hunter Thompson's writing career. For everything he wrote after this time, he was always compared to his earliest novels.

Some examples of Ancient Gonzo Wisdom - Hunter on:

• 'Karma' - "It's extremely bad to brag about things you've gotten away with. I'm a great believer in karma in a profound sense: You will get what's coming to you."
   
• 'Demolition' - "When you push a car off a cliff and blow it up...be sure to roll the windows down to avoid shrapnel. Also, strip the license plate so you're not billed for the cleanup."
   
• 'Drugs' - "I don't advocate drugs and whiskey and violence and rock n' roll, but they've always been good to me. I've never advised people who can't handle drugs to take them, just as people who can't drive well should not drive 80 MPH on any road. That's a point."
   
• 'Alcohol'- "Booze is probably the most dangerous substance- it's so available, and it's easy to get really wrecked. America was conceived in a river of booze." And finally...
   
• 'Ex-Presidents' - "When addressing a former president, Mr. President is the proper form. But I also call one Jimmy. Of course, some of them are best addressed as Swine."

Anita Thompson has called Hunter's mind "a mirror of America: revolutionary, passionate, and intensely complex." Ancient Gonzo Wisdom provides a close and personal look at the great gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson.

Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson Edited by Anita Thompson (Da Capo Press)

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Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson

Article by Scott Acton:
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