The Militant Unemployment Experiment by Peter Young
Long before Bitter Melody, I had a book and zine distro. Evasion was one of those books in that distro. If you were a 90s hardcore kid you probably remember what a thing Evasion was. I remember finding the zine, before the book came out, in a punk house in Cincinnati and read it in one night (I couldn’t sleep anyway because the punk house was 100 degrees). Peter has had a storied life. I’ve caught up with him in the years since Evasion and he’s finally written down what happened since that book and also more context of behind the scenes while that book was being written. It’s a wild story. Peter is still vegan and advocating for animals. He sent me a handful of books to distro.
In the interest of transparency, you can get this book for $6 with free shipping if you have A-m-azon prime. I can’t do that, but if you buy this with anything else the shipping won’t be any more than the other item’s shipping plus .50 which should equal less for this book. If you only want this book then Prime may be your best bet unless you just want to support your indie record label.
The story of a man who risked it all to live employment-free, broke every rule, and still won.
At 18, Peter Young committed to never work again. And so began the rise, fall, and eventual triumph of The Militant Unemployment Experiment.
Phase One: The Outlaw Years
The plan: an outlaw-lite campaign of suburban piracy and scavenging. The goal: A life of freedom, adventure, and lavish unemployment by any means necessary.
Occupying abandoned million dollar homes.
Hitchhiking, hopping freight trains, and traveling the country on $0.
Big box retail scams netting $1,000 a day.
When he's targeted on federal "eco-terrorism" charges-facing a max of 82 years in prison with the FBI in pursuit-the stakes get higher, and the work-evasion tactics even bolder.
Phase Two: The "Playing By The Rules" Years
Post-prison, the Militant Unemployment Experiment faces an existential question: What does gainful unemployment look like when you're forced to play by the rules?
The "professional speaking at colleges" experiment.
Launching weird internet businesses on $200 laptops and public wifi.
The six-figure "used book flipping" project.
Finding "success," he discovers "middle class" is a fate worse than poverty. And the only option left is an early-retirement stunt they said would never work - but did.
Phase Three: Going Big (The Exit)
Approaching middle age with his back against the wall, he burns down his entire life to go all-in on The Militant Unemployment Experiment's final act.
Forging passes to crash four-figure conferences.
Hitting $100k/month with a weird idea funded by reselling trash.
How to sell your weird niche business for millions and retire forever.
The Militant Unemployment Experiment is the story of one man who rejects adulthood, probability, and the 40-hour work week - to prove the best lives belong to those who break the most rules.