Observations by John Humphrey Noyes of 48 communitarian societies of the 19th century, many of them patterned after the Oneida community, which Noyes founded. Includes descriptions of housing arrangements, daily activities, industry and agriculture, finances, and sexual mores in communities such as New Harmony, Brook Farm, the Shakers, Skaneateles, Hopedale, and Oneida itself. This book has been called the best primary source material about mid-19th century American socialisms, as well as an enlightening and intensely human document.