Babbs's vivid storytelling ... invites us to connect to the Pranksters' moment and the spirit of restive questioning that powered it and so many other countercultural eruptions. ... Babbs's memories prove arresting, and his reconstructed conversations pulse with energy, wit, and a persuasive sense of truth, especially as Pranksters jape, improvise road poems, and build on each other's mad thoughts with thoughts madder still.
-Publishers Weekly
...[A] wondrous record: a lengthy memoir by a man who witnessed a great deal and brings it to life in vivid detail. But it's also a tremendous act of friendship, capturing the visionary Kesey in a way that gives him depth without demystifying his art. A freewheeling, candy-colored journey of comradeship, drugs, art, and 1960s hijinks.
-Kirkus Reviews
...[A] must-read for aging hippies, admirers of Kesey and anyone who wondered whatever happened to that group calling itself the Merry Pranksters. ... [An] affectionate remembrance of years spent raising hell with his best friend and taking others along for the ride.
-Associated Press, John Rogers
This book is for anyone who has read Kerouac's On the Road, dreamt of leaving it all behind, getting with close friends, and venturing forth into the unknown. It's an enlightening, adventure-filled book for the inner prankster in us all.
4.5/5 stars
-San Francisco Book Review, Eric Smith
While previous writers have created caricatures of Kesey, Babbs presents Kesey in a much more personal way, as a friend and pal. The book is an excellent read for anyone interested in learning more about the overlapping circles of the Merry Pranksters and the Grateful Dead.
4/5 stars
-City Book Review, Seattle, David Keenan
...[A] rip-snorting tale tempered by the wisdom of time and informed by the psychedelic enthusiasm of a culture founded in youth but defined by eternity.
-CounterPunch, Ron Jacobs
At its heart, Cronies is a buddy picture. ... Ken Babbs carries on the Prankster spirit into the 2020s, acting as an anthropologist and living historical record, still on the search for a Kool Place.
-Live For Live Music, Michael Broerman