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Born in San Francisco as the son of Russian- Jewish immigrants, Bootzin had "dropped out" as early as 1933. He, along with 10-15 other "tribesmen," lived off the land, slept in caves and trees, and bathed in waterfalls. His philosophy of clean living, exercise, and healthy eating — as laid out in his books Barefeet and Good Things to Eat and The Gypsy in Me — gained him a cult following. His health food store - probably the first one of its kind in the world - was patronized by dozens of Hollywood celebrities in the early 1960s.
The 1948 Nat King Cole hit "Nature Boy" was written about Bootzin by fellow "tribesman" Eden Ahbez.
He died, reportedly at age 89, in Camarillo, California.