The premise revolves around a group of four friends, known as the "Monkey Wrench Gang", who are deeply committed to protecting the natural environment. They are disillusioned with the government's and corporations' destructive practices and decide to take matters into their own hands.
The novel follows their journey as they use sabotage tactics to disrupt the activities of developers, ranchers, and other entities they believe are harming the environment. This includes blowing up power lines, destroying bulldozers, and interfering with construction projects.
The story explores the ethical dilemmas of environmental activism, the role of violence in achieving change, and the complexities of human-nature relationships. It is a controversial novel that has been praised for its radical message and criticized for its glorification of illegal activity.