An account of the 1989 'peaceful revolution' in East Germany that upended communism and the tumultuous years of artistic ferment, political improvisation, and pirate utopias that followed. It's the story of a newly undivided Berlin when protest and punk rock, bohemia and direct democracy, techno and free theater were the order of the day. In a story stocked with ... characters from Berlin's highly politicized undergrounds--including playwright Heiner Muller, cult figure Blixa Bargeld, ... the ... French Wall artist Thierry Noir, the American multimedia artist Danielle de Picciotto, ... and David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust incarnation—Hockenos argues that the DIY energy and raw urban vibe of the early 1990s shaped the new Berlin and still pulses through the city today.