Peter Tork's Favorite Books of all time | The Monkees

“I’ve been able to read since I was fifteen years old,” Peter Tork declared boastfully on an episode of The Monkees. In truth, Peter couldn’t have been further from the hyperbolized version of himself he played on television. Contrary to his onscreen portrayal, Peter was a scholar at heart. With an interest in philosophy, classical music, and the like it’s safe to say that his passion for reading took root years before the age of fifteen.

In 1962, Peter had declared his major as English at Minnesota’s Carleton College, with his sights set on becoming a teacher. His NBC biography describes him as being able to recite “English poetry at the drop of a sonnet.” However, he soon found himself unable to mesh well with academic life, flunking out of Carleton twice. “Something inside me knew I wanted to make music,” he’s cited as saying. “I didn’t want anything more to do with the university.” The final instance would lead him to a life in New York, where he lived with his grandmother and became heavily involved in the music scene of Greenwich Village. By the time the summer of 1965 rolled around, Peter found himself auditioning for The Monkees thanks to a tip from Stephen Stills. Ultimately, Peter’s move to the west coast allowed his love of the arts to flourish, and his interest in the written word was nurtured in an environment comprised of fellow creatives.

His favorite genres leaned toward that of non-fiction, otherworldly science fiction, and various philosophical writings. On set, he would often be found with a paperback, magazine, or newspaper in hand, photographed completely wrapped up in whatever it was that he was reading between takes. Here are eight of those books Peter has cited as having read or recommended below!

The Sayings Of Buddha by Gautama Buddha

Originally published in 1957 by Peter Pauper Press, The Sayings Of Buddha focuses primarily on teachings. The text seeks to bring its reader a sense of enlightenment through the story of Buddha. For those unfamiliar, Gautama Buddha was a spiritual teacher of Nepal and South Asia and is known as the founder of Buddhism. This book in particular is short, but offers a brief and insightful background into Buddha’s teachings, which Peter refers to as being “very beautiful.” “Some of my reading gets pretty deep sometimes,” he explains. “The Sayings of Buddha really knocks me out.” Although it is out of print, a few original editions are still for sale and there are several other more recent books of the same nature available today.

“All my life I have been interested in eastern philosophy and wisdom,” Peter reveals. “I have read the writings of Tao for many years and The Sayings of Buddha always rests on the night table beside my bed. I find that ancient wisdom, meditation, and contemplation puts my mind in order and brings me great serenity. These things also broaden my scope of understanding.”

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

Heinlein’s 1961 novel earned him the title “dean of science fiction writers” for his ability to highlight scientific accuracy within his work, thus rendering him a pioneer of the genre. Peter summarizes the book well, explaining, “It’s about the orphan child of the first Martian explorers. He grows to twenty-one years of age before he’s discovered by the second expedition to Mars which rescues him. He comes back to Earth, having been raised by the Martians — really fascinating!”

Not only is Heinlein one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, but his 1956 novel The Door into Summer also served as inspiration to The Monkees’ song of the same name. In a live Q&A, Mike touches on how the song takes its idea from the story of Heinlein’s cat apparently looking for the “Door into Summer.”

Peter holds a high regard for the book and when suggested that he read it, he responds, “Listen, I suggest everyone read Stranger In A Strange Land, that’s my answer to that one. I’ll also consider the suggestion from you and maybe I’ll go back and read it for the fourth time.”

The Book of Changes/I Ching

This divination guide to leading an ethical lifestyle dates back to late 9th century BC and is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. In terms of an author, the origin remains ambiguous. *I Ching* was regarded early on as a guidebook to the universe, “a tool for meditation on the cosmos.”
However, in the 1960s, the Wilhelm/Baynes Bollingen edition was released, which initiated a new wave of inspiration for many creatives of the time as well as anti-authoritarian counterculturalists. Eliot Weinberger’s review of the book eloquently explains this newfound resurgence:
“It brought, not from the soulless West, but from the mysterious East, what Wilhelm called ‘the seasoned wisdom of thousands of years.’ It was an ancient book without an author, a cyclical configuration with no beginning or end, a religious text with neither exotic gods nor priests to whom one must submit, a do-it-yourself divination that required no professional diviner. It was a self-help book for those who wouldn’t be caught reading self-help books, and moreover, one that provided an alluring glimpse of one’s personal future. It was, said Bob Dylan, ‘the only thing that is amazingly true.’”

More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon

Published in 1953, this science fiction novel by American author Theodore Sturgeon is highly-regarded as his one of his most well-known works. In 1968, Peter dubbed Sturgeon as “one of the greatest science fiction writers alive today.” The novel is split into three main parts and follows the story of characters who discover that they posses the super-human ability to merge with others similar to them to create a single super charged entity. However, instead of overtaking the world, they soon realize that protecting humanity is way more beneficial.

Much like the previous book on the list, More Than Human experienced a lot of love from the counterculture hippies during the sci-fi movement of the period. In David Gans’ Conversations With The Dead, Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead even compared their band to the transcendent state of affairs that the book revolves around.

Peter also revealed that Sturgeon once paid the Monkees a visit. “He visited our set one day and we were all very thrilled. He’s a visionary and a mystic, really one of the giant talents of the day. I hope everybody reads him.”

The Upanishads

The Book of Tao/Tao Te Ching

This is a classic Chinese text with origins speculated to date back to 6th century BC. Although the author has been widely debated, the text is nevertheless considered a critical piece of Taoist philosophy and stands as an influence to other religions, including Buddhism. It is also one of the most translated texts in world literature. The Book of Tao centers on ancient Chinese nature philosophy and is the source of many simple, yet meaningful messages. Many artists, poets, and horticulturalists have cited it as a source of inspiration.

In an interview, Peter reveals, “I sometimes spend weeks on a book. Of all the books I’ve read, my favorites are The Book Of Tao, Stranger In A Strange Land, and oh, I don’t know, a whole mess of other books, because they turn me on — they get to me.”

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

William S.Burrough’s novel about a drug addict was initially published in 1959 and straddles the line between science fiction and dreamlike surrealism. The book is written in vignettes which Burrough structured with the intention for it to be read without a specific order. However, Burroughs’ seminal work proved to be highly controversial for its time in both its subject matter and use of obscene language.

During the Monkees’ 1968 Australian tour, a heavily bearded Peter had generated attention toward himself on multiple instances. One of these occurrences unfolded while he was at customs. Upon arriving at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport, the group were escorted into the VIP area of the terminal for a five-minute customs check. It was then when officials found Peter’s contentious reading material in his luggage, Naked Lunch, and thereafter confiscated it. Sergio Farias points out that, “At the time, the book was banned in Australia, along with a few European countries and U.S. states.” These states included Boston and Los Angeles, where Naked Lunch was banned due to explicit obscenity. Despite all of the backlash, the book remains one of the most important novels of the twentieth century that ultimately redefined not just literature but American culture.

Autobiography of a Yogi

Photo by Henry Diltz

Beautifully written, the influential autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda is one of the foremost exponents of self-realization fellowship. The life story of Yogananda takes readers on a journey through the world of saints and yogis, science and miracles, and death and resurrection. With interjections of wisdom and an engaging wittiness, the book seeks to shed light on the enigmas of the universe while opening the reader’s heart and mind to the untapped potentials that are present within every individual.

George Harrison even states his fondness for the book, claiming to have had stacks of it around the house to constantly give out to people. With a verbal endorsement, Harrison explains that there was a “miracle on every page” and that “when people need ‘regrooving,’ I say read this because it cuts to the heart of every religion.”

Pictured here reading the book while filming the television series, Peter was given this copy of Autobiography of a Yogi by photographer and close friend Henry Diltz. In Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time, Diltz recalls being the one who lent Peter his own copy. “In the ‘60s, we wanted to learn, just awaken your imagination and your thought. We all started reading Indian gurus, the book called Autobiography of a Yogi, and that really opened up my mind. We’re all here to learn. We’re all students, but you should think of yourself as the only student, and everybody else is your teacher. I bought a stack of them, I remember giving one to Peter on The Monkees set. I did a group shot of them sitting on a couch and he was reading the Yogananda book. I always felt so good about that.”