Praise for Oneida: From Free Love Utopia to the Well-Set Table

“Noyes and his acolytes are fortunate that Wayland-Smith is a gifted writer. Her lively account of how Oneida eventually succumbed to “the gods of Science and Doubt” is a welcome change from most “as told by” family histories. A fall from grace due to the clash of egos and cultural sea changes may seem unremarkable, but the devil is in the detailed telling of Oneida’s ultimate metamorphosis, which uncovers how unconventional “electric sex” eventually turned into the profitable enterprise of selling tableware.”

-The New York Times

“Believe me, the expurgated record is plenty good enough to liven up any dinner table.  If you have a sheepish companion, you can tell him that Oneida gives us a chance to think about religion and science, Bible communism and American capitalism.   Or, if you’re brave, you can head off theories about the Battle of Lake George just by pointing to the forks and knives and letting him know you have a good, long story about sex and silverware.”

– The National Book Review