In an effort to broadcast their lifestyle, the Pranksters publicize their acid experiences giving rise to the term Acid Test. This becomes one of the turning points in the book, indicating that the new generation of “hippies” had officially outpaced the old Beat Generation in style and philosophy. The failed meeting with Leary marks a greater failure to unite the counterculture from East to West coasts. His growing popularity provides Kesey and the Pranksters opportunities to meet other significant members of the growing counterculture including the Grateful Dead, Allen Ginsberg and attempt to meet with Timothy Leary.

Alongside this, Kesey forms friendships with groups like the Hells Angels and crosses paths with icons of the Beat Generation. Towards the middle of the book, Kesey is idolized as the hero of a growing counterculture. As the Merry Pranksters gain popularity, Kesey's reputation develops as well. Throughout the journey, the individuals on the bus take acid frequently. The bus is driven by Neal Cassady, who was the inspiration for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel On the Road. The Pranksters eventually leave the confines of Kesey's estate and travel across the country in a bus called Furthur. The 'Acid Tests' - parties centered around LSD-laced Kool-Aid and carried out with lights and noise intended to enhance the psychedelic experience - started at Kesey's house in the woods of La Honda, California. The group was labelled as the 'Merry Pranksters' and participated in a drug-fueled lifestyle. Kesey gathers a group of followers based on the allure of transcendence achievable through drugs as well as his ability to preach and captivate listeners.

Throughout the work, Kesey is portrayed as seeking to create a new religion. Wolfe chronicles the adventures of Ken Kesey and his group of followers. The book chronicles the Acid Tests (parties with LSD-laced Kool-Aid), encounters with notable figures of the time ( Hells Angels, Grateful Dead, Allen Ginsberg), and describes Kesey's exile to Mexico and his arrests. Kesey and the Pranksters became famous for their use of psychedelic drugs (such as LSD) to achieve expansion of their consciousness. The book presents a firsthand account of the experiences of Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters, who traveled across the United States in a colorfully-painted school bus, Furthur, whose name was painted on the destination sign, indicating the general ethos of the Pranksters. The book is a popular example of the New Journalism literary style. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a 1968 nonfiction book by Tom Wolfe.

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