On the morning of February 24, 2003, agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration launched a sting called Operation Pipe Dreams and forced themselves through the door of Tommy's California home, with automatic weapons drawn. As a result of the raid on his home; the simultaneous ransacking of his son's company, Chong Glass; and the Bush administration's determination to make an example out of the "Pope of Pot;" he was sentenced to nine months in prison because his company shipped bongs to a head shop in Pennsylvania that was a front for the DEA.

Well . . . now it's Tommy Chong's turn to fight back and tell his side of the story.

Beginning with Tommy's experiences growing up in Canada in the forties and fifties as a mixed-race kid and going on to become a comedy legend, The I Chong is at once a memoir, a spiritual exploration of his time in prison, and a political indictment of the eroding civil liberties in post-9/11 American society. He tells the unbelievable story of his trip down the rabbit hole of America's war on drugs and of his experiences in the federal prison system, and he offers up timely observations on combating the conservative political forces at work in this country. Introspective, inspiring, and incendiary, The I Chong is a unique chronicle of one man's life and how his humorous and spiritual point of view saved him during his wrongful incarceration at the hands of an administration without boundaries.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 26 reviews)

Nice quick read

This book is really a nice quick read which really has no focus. Well i take that back the focus seems to be on leading a more positive life. Not necessarily making better decisions, but being more content with your decisions.

When i first picked up the book i expected a pro cannabis book criticizing the United States and it's drug policies with a little comedy thrown in. And while several times he makes this argument (sometimes rambling a little too much) there is much more to this book.

I think Tommy decided to write this book to tell his life's story and how he has changed after the "Pipe Dreams" raid. While for some people this book might be all over the place i enjoy the "stoner" mind stream of jumping from one insightful story to one thrilling story. This book doesn't drag on much (except his 4-5 rants on the screwed up bush administration) and i think the length is perfect. It only takes a few nights of reading.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an open mind or interests in the man behind the stoner from "Up in Smoke" and his other movies. 4 stars out of 5.
August 12, 2008

The I Chong

I loved this book! Tommy Chong is refreshing and surprisingly insightful! We could all learn something from his experience.
August 04, 2008

A Pleasant Surprise

I'm not exactly sure what I expected from this book but, whatever it was, the author met those expectations and then exceeded them by a mile.

The I Chong is funny, insightful, and smart. I left it with a great deal of respect for the author, not merely for his humor but also for the keenness of his insight into a surprising wide variety of issues. Wrapped around all of that is some surprisingly candid autobiographical sketches.

I always knew that Tommy Chong was funny. I now realize that his intelligence and insight exceed his wit.
May 19, 2008

review

Great read. If you want the truth about whats going on then i highly recommend this book.
April 01, 2008

Losing the Drug War

This is an excellent account of what Tommy Chong had to go through after the feds took down his glass pipe buisness and put him in jail. The book flows and you get Tommy's blow by blow of what occured to him. You see his genuine soft heart throughout the book as well as his endless love for his family. He makes great friends in the joint and also has some great stories to share as well. For anyone who thinks the money being paid on the war on drugs is a joke, this is a must read. Strongly liberal in its nature.
January 12, 2008

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography
by Tommy Chong

a/k/a Tommy Chong
by Josh Gilbert, Jonathan Schell, John Ennis
Starring Paris Chong, Shelby Chong, Peter Coyote, Jay Leno, Bill Maher
Infinity Ent

Pot Culture: The A-Z Guide to Stoner Language and Life
by Shirley Halperin, Steve Bloom
by Tommy Chong

Burning Rainbow Farm: How a Stoner Utopia Went Up in Smoke
by Dean Kuipers

A Guide to the I Ching
by Carol K. Anthony