Straight Edge has persisted as a drug-free, hardcore punk subculture for 25 years. Its political legacy remains ambiguous and is often misrepresented as a Puritan conservatism. However, as this study shows, its history is more complex. Since its origins in 1980s, the scene has been linked to radical thought and music. Tracing this history, the book includes contributions from famed Straight-Edge rockers like Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), Mark Anderson (Dance of Days) and Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy) and numerous other activists dedicated to a sober, liberated world.