Laren Stover is often a dazzling writer. At the outset she tells us she is a bohemian, but this doesn't deter her from seeing the humor in bohemians and their sometimes wildly unsuccessful experiments in living. In the end though, the allure of the bohemian world and its alternative perspective is opened for readers, possibly to sample themselves. The illustrations also enrich the book. She captures the aesthetic aspects of bohemianism well. ( )

Few books manage to be both magical and humourous, but this is one of the few. Having been on my bookshelves for a few years now, the Bohemian Manifesto is one of those books that I cannot help but return to again and again. Laren Stover observes the bohemian landscape with an artist's eye, generally skipping over the less salubrious aspects of the bohemian lifestyle, and creating an intriguing and enchanting picture of a life of artistic and creative freedom, but the book only benefits from this treatment.

Stover's book is not, however, a lifestyle manual or self-help guide. Instead, it is an almost hypnotically beautifully written homage to the bohemian, both past and present. That is not to say that the reader, bohemian or not, cannot pick up a lot from the book; as well as providing a history of bohemian developement through the centuries, Stover also provides 'suggested reading' lists that introduced some new authors to me, along with alternative brands of household products that I had not heard of, but am keen to explore.

What truly elevates this book from the norm, however, is the impecable production. A work of art in every sense, the book is gold underneath the beatiful dust-jacket, as well as being filled with the most exquisite watercolours. Truly an object of beauty. ( )

My husband gave me this book as a gift while we were dating, possibly helped his mom on a gift-giving occasion by picking it out. I loved it. It was informative, funny, and so very true. ( )

This is a sort of how-to book for Bohemians or wannabees of all walks of life. Laren Stover divides Bohemians into categories, such as gypsies, dandies, beats, etc. and describes the common characteristics and lifestyles of each. Quite tongue in cheek, and fun to read. There's even a quiz to determine which kind of Bohemian you might be. ( )