McWilliams was born to a Roman Catholic family in Detroit, one of two sons of Henry G. and Mary (née Toarmina; later Fadden) McWilliams. His father worked as a supervisor at a drugstore and his mother was a part-time salesperson.
He wrote nearly 40 books[1] including Surviving the Loss of a Love (1971), The Personal Computer Book (1982) and Life 101: Everything We Wish We Had Learned About Life in School but Didn't (1990). His 1982 book, The Word Processing Book: A Short Course in Computer Literacy, was published during the "computer revolution" and was "highly successful."[1] McWilliams was a photographer, and a collection of his own photographs were published in October 1992 in a book titled Portraits – A Book of Photographs by Peter McWilliams.
McWilliams was arrested and charged with growing marijuana in 1997.[5][2] He was released from custody on $250,000 bail and with the "condition that he not use marijuana."[5] His book Ain't Nobody's Business if You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in Our Free Society, published in 1993, made a case for the legalization of drugs and became a favored publication of the Libertarian Party.[1]Life 101 and subsequent books list John-Roger (Roger Delano Hinkins), the leader of the Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, as his co-writer. McWilliams later repudiated the movement, claiming to be the sole author of the books.[6]
McWilliams was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1996.[1][2]
He died on June 14, 2000, in his Los Angeles home, of AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was survived by his mother and brother, Michael McWilliams.[1][2] At the time he was awaiting sentencing for his conviction of conspiring to "possess, manufacture and sell marijuana."[5]
Cannabis activist Richard Cowan and other critics of the drug policies in the United States have described his death as murder by the U.S. government, insofar as they denied him the use of the medical marijuana which might have prevented his death. William F. Buckley stated that McWilliams was vomiting and in pain when he died.[7]
^ abSokol, Al (July 4, 1994). "The 'shame' of depression That's how many people see it. 'Women sit down and cry. Men go out and get drunk,' says one sufferer. But ignoring it will often just make things worse". Toronto Star. p. C1.
^Goldhaber, Nat; Denniston, Denise; McWilliams, Peter (1976). TM: an alphabetical guide to the transcendental meditation program. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN978-0-345-24096-5.
^ abc"Author Peter McWilliams; Marijuana Proponent". The Washington Post. June 18, 2000.
^McWilliams, Peter (1994). Life 102: What to Do When Your Guru Sues You. Los Angeles: Prelude Press. ISBN093158034X.
^Buckley, Jr., William F. (June 24, 2000). "Life cut short – over a forbidden toke". Houston Chronicle. p. 36.
