A man heavily steeped in Maoist thought, Cook believes that revolutions may be messy, but they're good for the body politic.
Successful revolutionaries become part of the mainstream, making way for another healthy revolution.
The 1970s were a time of Patty Hearst bank robberies, political bombings, guerrilla hijackings, and worldwide revolt. Cook stood at the brink of what seemed like another revolution in America. All that was needed was a big push. Two decades later, Cook stands near the prison fence of the minimum-security Washington State Reformatory in Monroe, and looks uncomfortable. His beard, which used to be dark as coal, is now salty white with barely a dash of pepper.