Entries by Santa Monica Press

Forever Young : The Rock and Roll Photography of Chuck Boyd

in








Forever Young : The Rock and Roll Photography of Chuck Boyd





Jeffrey Schwartz




October 2012




216




$39.95



Hundreds of Color and Black-and-White Photographs



Music



9781595800718



8½ x 11



H

Captured at the Peak of Their Careers!
Chuck Boyd's love affair with photography began when his mother gave him a camera as a gift when he was 13 years old. He quickly found his artistic voice, and at the age of 16, he went to work for Los Angeles radio station KRLA, covering special artist promotional functions. Shortly after beginning his work at the station, Boyd began working for Tiger Beat, shooting rock-and-roll acts for the influential teen culture and music magazine.In 1967, Buck Munger, an independent record producer and the national promotion director for Sunn Amplifiers, hired Boyd as Sunn's official photographer. While working with Munger, Boyd had the opportunity to photograph Cream, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, KISS, and dozens of other artists throughout the 1960s and '70s. Since he was often shooting photos for Sunn, Boyd always had unlimited stage access. His photographs represent both his talent and his incredible access to rock-and-roll stars both on and off the stage.

Boyd took his camera everywhere and recorded everything, but he never broke a confidence; he turned down a lot of money over the years to protect the people he considered his friends.

Forever Young stands as a legacy to Boyd's incredible rock-and-roll photography. From stage shots to candid portraits, Boyd saw and documented the lives of a host of legendary musicians, including the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Who, the Doors, Janis Joplin, the Mamas and the Papas, Tom Petty, the Grateful Dead, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Beach Boys. A portfolio filled with intimate images of rock stars in their youth and in the prime of their careers, these photos, which were only recently discovered, have been lovingly restored and are now being made available to the public for the first time. Capturing the zeitgeist that permeated rock through the 1960s and '70s, these images are a testament to Boyd's status as one of the most trusted and respected photographers in rock-and-roll history.

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Jeffrey Schwartz

French for Le Snob : Adding Panache to Your Everyday Conversations

in








French for Le Snob : Adding Panache to Your Everyday Conversations





Yvette Reche




July 2005




400




$16.95



Black & White Illustrations Throughout



How-To & Reference



9781595800039



6 x 9



softcover

Searching for Le Mot Juste? You’ll Find It in French for Le Snob!

French for Le Snob is written for sophisticated English speakers who enjoy being in the limelight as they tittle-tattle about la femme fatale, la belle brunette, l'enfant terribleand la crème de la crème, while drinking a café noir in their pied-à-terre.

Designed to enable quick-witted individuals to use the many French loanwords of the English vocabulary with an impeccable French pronunciation, this unique book details and defines more than 2,500 French terms that have become a part of the English lexicon.

French for Le Snob is for keen-minded English speakers who take pleasure in being multi-faceted, different, distingué, intellectual, bilingual, literate, polished, learned, or francophile, and for just being snobby when they want or need to be! Its many definitions will allow creative individuals to spice up their conversations with colorful French expressions and interesting anecdotes when talking about food, wine, theatre, painting, literature, ballet, architecture, and fashion, among many other topics.

French for Le Snob gives educated English speakers from all walks of life the ammunition they need to use the English language in a learned, colorful, fun, and sophisticated manner in their daily interactions: Chefs, foodies, restaurateurs, oenophiles, architects, graphic and interior designers, antique dealers, writers, actors, musicians, dancers, fine artists, fashion designers and editors, models, English teachers, French teachers . . . . anybody who wants to use le mot juste will find it in French for Le Snob!

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Yvette Reche

Good Things You Can Learn From a Bad Relationship

in








Good Things You Can Learn From a Bad Relationship





Ted Meyer




September 2004




96




$9.95



Color Illustrations



Humor



9781891661457



6 x 6



Trade Paper

Have You Ever Learned a Good Thing from a Bad Relationship?

Dispensing priceless advice such as "Never date someone in a band," "Once a cheater, always a cheater," and "When someone says they want you just for sex-chances are they want you just for sex," this hilarious parody of clichéd, saccharine relationship books offers an inspiringly jaundiced view of love.

This beautifully illustrated self-help book for the love-weary appropriates scenes from a lifetime of failed relationships. Its intelligent, droll commentary on the nature of love is ultimately informative-if in unexpected ways.

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Ted Meyer

The Gumshoe and the Shrink : Guenther Reinhardt, Dr. Arnold Hutschnecker, and the Secret History of the 1960 Kennedy/Nixon Election

in








The Gumshoe and the Shrink : Guenther Reinhardt, Dr. Arnold Hutschnecker, and the Secret History of the 1960 Kennedy/Nixon Election





David L. Robb




March 2012




336




$24.95



Reference & Social Sciences



209781595800664



6 x 9



Hardcover

The Gumshoe and the Shrink is a tale of political intrigue—a detective story and medical mystery set against the backdrop of the closest and most storied presidential election in American history. It’s the never-before-told account of how the craziest private detective in the country uncovered Richard Nixon’s most closely guarded secret—that he was seeing a psychotherapist—and how that discovery put victory out of Nixon’s reach in the 1960 election.At the center of the story is a manic-depressive private eye named Guenther Reinhardt, who in the fall of 1960 set out to destroy Richard Nixon. With Election Day just a few months away, Reinhardt discovered that Nixon was seeing a psychotherapist. And in those days, the only thing worse for a politician than needing to see a “shrink” was actually seeing one.

Nixon’s brilliant psychotherapist, Dr. Arnold Hutschnecker, is the other character at the center of this story. Dr. Hutschnecker tried heroically to mold Nixon into the person they both wanted him to be—a man of peace. But like the fictional Dr. Frankenstein, his experiment failed terribly and a monster was created instead.

The secret battle for the presidency detailed in The Gumshoe and the Shrink is supported by two key documents that have never been seen before: Guenther Reinhardt’s 12-page confidential report on the relationship between Nixon and Dr. Hutschnecker, and Dr. Hutschnecker’s unpublished memoirs detailing his treatment of Richard Nixon. These documents provide many fascinating insights into their “forbidden” relationship—and into Nixon’s tortured psychology.

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David L. Robb

Haunted Hikes : Spine-Tingling Tales and Trails from North America’s National Parks

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Haunted Hikes : Spine-Tingling Tales and Trails from North America's National Parks





Andrea Lankford




April 2006




372




$16.95



Black & White Photos Maps



Travel



9781595800091



6 x 9



softcover

Ghosts! Curses! Hoaxes! Unsolved mysteries! Paranormal events! Take a walk on the creepy side of North America's National Parks! Andrea Lankford, a 12-year veteran ranger with the National Park Service, has written a thoroughly investigated yet often tongue-in-cheek guidebook that takes the reader to the scariest, most mysterious places inside North America's National Parks.

Lankford shares such eerie tales as John Brown's haunting of Harper's Ferry, the disembodied legs that have been seen running around inside the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center, and the "wailing woman" who roams the trail behind the Grand Canyon Lodge. Lankford also uncovers paranormal activities park visitors have experienced, such as the chupacabra that roams the swamps inside Big Thicket National Preserve and the teenage bigfoot who rolled a park service campground with toilet paper.

She also reports on long-forgotten unsolved murders, such as the savage stabbing of a young woman on Yosemite's trail to Mirror Lake, and the execution style shooting of two General Motors executives at Crater Lake. The witnesses to the supernatural occurrences are highly credible people-rangers, park historians, river guides, and the like-and each tale has factual relevance to the cultural or natural history of the park.

Haunted Hikes provides readers with all the information they need: for each hike: a "fright factor rating" is listed along with trailhead access information, detailed trail maps, and hike difficulty levels. Most of the haunted sites included in the book can be reached by the average hiker, some are wheelchair accessible, and others are for intrepid backpackers willing to make multi-day treks into wilderness areas. Intriguing photographs of many sites are included.

Haunted Hikes is sure to satisfy readers looking for those spine-tingling moments when you begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe, we are not alone.

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Andrea Lankford

Hello, It’s Me : Dispatches from a Pop Culture Junkie

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Hello, It’s Me : Dispatches from a Pop Culture Junkie





Chris Epting Foreword by Seth Swirsky




July 2010




336




$16.95



Pop Culture, Biography & Memoir



9781595800534



6 x 9



Trade Paper

From the Author of James Dean Died Here,
Led Zeppelin Crashed Here, and Roadside Baseball
In Hello, It’s Me, pop culture historian Chris Epting celebrates the cultural touchstones of the past 40 years—the music, movies, television, hobbies, and fads that have defined recent generations.

Whether it’s shooting hoops with NBA legend Elgin Baylor, drinking whiskey in a Radio City Music Hall broom closet with Ron Wood and Rod Stewart while thousands of fans scream from below, sharing a milkshake with Jerry Lewis, running into Alfred Hitchcock’s stomach as a young child, or jumping on a trampoline with Sally Struthers, Chris Epting takes us on his own strange trip through time, space and hula hoops.

Beginning in the 1970s and continuing through the 1980s, 1990s, and up to the present day, Epting writes about the humorous, ironic, poignant, and inspiring moments he’s experienced with a host of pop-culture icons—Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Jay Leno, Johnny Thunders, Edward Albee, John Cheever, Milton Berle, etc.—as well as his personal memories of the era’s most famous pop-culture fads, products, and gimmicks—Pet Rocks, lava lamps, mood rings, 8-track tapes, bootleg records, Zotz, halter tops, strawberry wine. . . .

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Chris Epting

High Fives, Pennant Drives, and Fernandomania : A Fan’s History of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Glory Years 1977-1981

in








High Fives, Pennant Drives, and Fernandomania : A Fan's History of the Los Angeles Dodgers' Glory Years 1977-1981





Paul Haddad Foreword by Jon Weisman




March 2012




336




$16.95



Black-and-White Photographs



Sports



9781595800671



6 x 9



Trade Paperback

For Dodger fans, the years 1977 to 1981 mark the team’s glory days, and High Fives, Pennant Drives, and Fernandomania chronicles the highlights and disappointments that marked those four tumultuous seasons.Told from lifelong fan Paul Haddad’s perspective, the story of the Dodgers during this time period is enhanced by transcripts of radio and TV calls that are woven into his personal recollections, capturing famed Dodgers sportscaster Vin Scully at the top of his game.

From Jerry Ruess’s no-hitter and Rick Monday’s epic homer against Montreal to the magical rookie year of Fernando Valenzuela and the 1981 World Series, all of the famous Dodger moments are commemorated in great detail.

In addition to the chronological narrative, each chapter contains lists, trivia, sidebars, and interesting statistics that make the exciting culture and fan frenzy that surrounded the Dodgers’ last great dynasty come to life.

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Paul Haddad Foreword by Jon Weisman

How to Find Your Family Roots and Write Your Family History

in








How to Find Your Family Roots and Write Your Family History





William Latham and Cindy Higgins




March 2000




288




$14.95



How-To & Reference



9781891661129



5 3/8 x 8 3/8



softcover

Have you ever wondered if one of your ancestors was a famous person? A president, or even a king or a queen? If you've shown a flair for painting or writing, maybe you've fantasized that you inherited your talent from an ancestor with a a name like Michelangelo or Shakespeare. Now you can create a priceless inheritance for future generations and satisfy your own curiosity!
In How To Find Your Family Roots and Write Your Family History, William Latham and Cindy Higgins show you how to trace your family history in a simple, easy, and inexpensive manner. This revised version of the best-selling How To Find Your Family Roots has been updated to include the lattest Interneet resources and expanded to offer step-by-step instructions on how to write your family history in a way that is as entertaining and exciting as a historical novel! You'll discover:

  • How to interview family members
  • Where to look for family relics and treasures
  • How to utilize the latest Internet resources
  • What to ask librarians
  • Where to obtain church recrds
  • How to research vital records
  • How to use government resources
  • How to search for your ancestors in foreign countries
  • A country-by-country list of sources
  • A state-by-state list of sources
  • How to organize your research material
  • How to incorporate history and storytelling into your writing
  • How to design and print your family history
  • How to share your family history with relatives

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William Latham and Cindy Higgins

How to Speak Shakespeare

in








How to Speak Shakespeare





Cal Pritner and Louis Colaianni




September 2001




160




$16.95



Film, Theatre, & TV



9781891661181



6 x 9



softcover

In How to Speak Shakespeare, authors Cal Pritner and Louis Colaianni teach readers how to make sound and sense out of the Bard. Their methods have taught thousands of people—from high school students to English literature and theater arts graduate students, from beginning actors to professional actors—how to understand and effectively communicate the poetry of Shakespeare.
In order to make the book user-friendly, the authors have organized it around passages from Romeo and Juliet. The material has been tested successfully with high school students, graduate students, amateur actors, and professional actors. The authors' teaching method is essentially a simple three step process: Test Your Understanding, Stress for Meaning, and Celebrate the Poetry. Classroom and rehearsal-tested exercises are included along with additional background on Shakespeare and his work.

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Cal Pritner and Louis Colaianni

How to Win Lotteries, Sweepstakes, and Contests in the 21st Century 2nd Edition

in








How to Win Lotteries, Sweepstakes, and Contests in the 21st Century : 2nd Edition





Steve Ledoux




July 2004




240




$14.95



Black-and-White Photographs



How-To & Reference



9781891661426



5 3/8 x



Trade Paper

In this completely revised and updated second edition of his best-selling book How to Win Lotteries, Sweepstakes, and Contests in the 21st Century (over 75,000 copies sold!), Steve Ledoux—America's Sweepstakes King—reveals the secrets that have enabled him to win thousands and thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. He also shares his skills in choosing lottery numbers, entering and winning sweepstakes and contests, and spotting illegal scams in this savvy collection of prize-winning strategies.

Lottery and sweepstakes hopefuls learn how to find the right contests to enter, how to protect themselves from cheaters, and what to expect after winning, including how to deal with the IRS and give interviews to the media. Internet sweepstakes, contests, game shows, and resources complete this guide to winning the jackpot! Readers will learn:

  • How to easily increase their chances of becoming a winner
  • Strategies for choosing lottery numbers
  • How to spot an illegal lottery, sweepstakes, or contest
  • Where to find out about lotteries, sweepstakes, and contests taking place nationwide
  • How to choose which lotteries, sweepstakes, and contests to enter
  • What to expect after they've won their fortune-from dealing with the IRS to giving interviews to newspaper and television reporters

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Steve Ledoux

I Love You a Thousand Ways : The Lefty Frizzell Story

in ,








I Love You a Thousand Ways : The Lefty Frizzell Story





David Frizzell Foreword by Merle Haggard




June 2011




328




$24.95



Black-and-White Photographs



Music, Biography & Memoir



9781595800589



6 x 9



Hardcover

I Love You a Thousand Ways is the story of one of the most loved, respected, and imitated singer/songwriters in the history of country music, a man whose songs touched the lives of millions of people. Lefty Frizzell’s relaxed style of singing proved to be a huge influence on a wide variety of country and pop music stars such as Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones, John Fogerty, George Strait, and Tim McGraw.In addition to his incredible vocal talents, Lefty was widely recognized for his songwriting skills. He had four songs in the country top ten at the same time in 1951—a feat that would only be repeated one more time on any chart, when The Beatles had five songs on the pop chart in 1964. Among Lefty’s many hits are: “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time,” “Mom and Dad’s Waltz,” “The Long Black Veil,” and “Saginaw, Michigan.”

Willie Nelson’s 1977 album, To Lefty From Willie, was a tribute to Frizzell and consisted entirely of cover versions of Frizzell songs. Fellow Texan Roy Orbison was also a devout fan of Frizzell’s sound. In 1988, as a part of the Traveling Wilburys, Orbison chose the name “Lefty Wilbury” in honor of his musical hero.

Lefty was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. I Love You a Thousand Ways is a long overdue, beautiful tribute to one of the most underrated musicians of all time, a man whose music continues to influence new generations of musicians and music fans.

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David Frizzell Foreword by Merle Haggard

“I Say, I Say…Son!” : A Tribute to Legendary Animators Bob, Chuck, and Tom McKimson

in ,








"I Say, I Say...Son!" : A Tribute to Legendary Animators Bob, Chuck, and Tom McKimson





Robert McKimson Jr.




November 2012




232




$45.00



Hundreds of Color Illustrations



Film & TV, Pop Culture



9781595800695



8 1/2 x 11



Hardcover

"I Say, I Say . . . Son!" offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the work of the McKimson brothers, three of the most accomplished and influential animators in history. Tracing the brothers' careers from the 1920s onward, this beautifully illustrated book details how Bob McKimson created such beloved characters as Foghorn Leghorn, the Tasmanian Devil, Sylvester Jr., and the original Speedy Gonzales, and explores Chuck and Tom McKimson's voluminous body of work at Warner Bros. Cartoons, Dell Comics, and Golden Books.

Featuring original art from the Golden Age of Animation, "I Say, I Say . . . Son!" includes a wealth of material from the top animation archives—original drawings, reproductions of animation cels, comic book illustrations, lobby cards, and screen captures—along with never-before-seen photographs and other memorabilia from author Robert McKimson Jr.'s personal collection.

"I Say, I Say . . . Son!" is a vibrant tribute to three groundbreaking animators whose long careers included work on the Looney Tunes, Pink Panther, and Mr. Magooseries, as well as many other animation classics.

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Robert McKimson Jr.

Jackson Pollock : Memories Arrested in Space

in ,








Jackson Pollock : Memories Arrested in Space





Martin Gray




January 2004




192




$14.95



Pop Culture, Biography & Memoir



209781891661327



5 3/8 x 8 3/8



softcover

Jackson Pollock: Memories Arrested in Space is Martin Gray’s remarkable biographical poem on the life of the dynamic and controversial American painter. The narrative chronicles the reckless, adventurous, and often desperate life of the twentieth century’s most pivotal American artist, from his beginnings in the American northwest through his pioneering of a revolutionary new painting technique that came to be known as Abstract Expressionism to his death at the wheel of a car on Long Island when he was only 44 years old.Written entirely in iambic trimeter (the same meter that Gray used to write about Charlie Parker’s life and work in his internationally acclaimed Blues for Bird), Gray’s biographical poem runs more than 3,000 lines.

In Jackson Pollock: Memories Arrested in Space, Gray captures the essence of the brilliant yet tortured artist in language that reflects a Pollock painting: spontaneous, beautiful, and haunting, with bursts of energy that touch the soul and make it soar. Art and poetry lovers alike will rejoice in Gray’s homage to a true American icon.

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Martin Gray

James Dean Died Here : The Locations of America’s Pop Culture Landmarks

in ,








James Dean Died Here : The Locations of America's Pop Culture Landmarks





Chris Epting




May 2003




312




$16.95



Hundreds of photos



Travel, Pop Culture



9781891661310



6 x 9



softcover

James Dean Died Here takes you on a journey across North America to the exact locations where the most significant events in American popular culture took place. It's a road map for pop culture sites, from Patty Hearst's bank to the garage where Apple Computer was born. Featuring hundreds of photographs, this fully illustrated encyclopedic look at the most famous and infamous pop culture events includes historical information on over 600 landmarks--as well as their exact location. James Dean Died Here is an amazing portrait of the bizarre, shocking, weird and wonderful moments that have come to define American popular culture.

Chapters and Sample Entries

Americana: The Weird and the Wonderful
Bigfoot
Groundhog Day
McDonald's (First Location)

History and Tragedy
The Hindenburg Crash
Abraham Lincoln's Log Cabin
Rosa Parks' Bus Ride

Crime, Murder, and Assassination
Bonnie and Clyde are Killed
Patty Hearst Bank Robbery
O.J. Simpson

Celebrity Deaths and Infamous Celebrity Events
John Belushi
Hugh Grant
John Lennon

Let's Go to the Movies
The Casablanca Airport
Diner s diner
The "Field of Dreams"

R&B, Rock 'n' Roll, and All That Jazz
The American Bandstand Studio
Jimi Hendrix Burns His Guitar
Sid & Nancy's Hotel Room

Channel Surfing
The Brady Bunch House
The Andy Griffith Lake
The Seinfeld Diner

Play Ball!
Wilt Chamberlain Scores 100
Eddie Gaedel
Willie Mays' Famous Catch

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Chris Epting

Just Doing My Job : Stories of Service from World War II

in








Just Doing My Job : Stories of Service from World War II





Jonna Doolittle Hoppes Foreword by Arthur J. Lichte, General, USAF




May 2009




344




$24.95



Black-and-White Photographs



Biography & Memoir



209781595800428



6 x 9



Hardcover

Profiles of Civilians and Soldiers Whose Extraordinary Actions Changed the Course of World War II

From the Author of Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle—Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero

Preserving the personal histories of civilians and soldiers who united to defend America during the Second World War, this unique oral history tells the stories of ordinary citizens who left jobs and families behind to contribute to the war effort.

Chronicling the sacrifices made by otherwise average people, this keepsake features profiles of and interviews with the men and women who responded to the call to action by putting their lives on hold to fight for their country at home and abroad.

From soldiers and spies to factory workers and nurses, the heroes profiled in this history include Dick Hamada, a Japanese American who became a spy for the Office of Strategic Services; Edith McClure, an Army nurse stationed in England; Bobby Hite, one of the famed Doolittle Raiders, who was captured by the Japanese and endured years of torture and solitary confinement; and pilot Bob Hoover, who was shot down over enemy territory and imprisoned but managed to escape by stealing a German plane.

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Jonna Doolittle Hoppes Foreword by Arthur J. Lichte, General, USAF

The Keystone Kid : Tales of Early Hollywood

in ,








The Keystone Kid : Tales of Early Hollywood





Coy Watson, Jr.




November 2001




312




$24.95



Hundreds of photos



California, Film, TV



9781891661211



8 3/8 x 10 7/8



softcover

Coy Watson, Jr. made his motion picture debut in 1913 when he was nine months old. Before he could walk or talk, Watson had appeared in several of Mack Sennett's popular "Keystone Cop" comedies, earning him the nickname, "The Keystone Kid," and establishing him as Hollywood's first child star. From 1913 to 1930, Watson acted in over 60 movies, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Dark Angel, Show People, Puttin' on the Ritz, I'm No Angel, State's Attorney,and many other classics.

In The Keystone Kid, Coy Watson, Jr. shares his memories of the idyllic early days of Hollywood, and of being raised as a member of "The First Family of Hollywood." Watson's father, Coy, Sr., acted alongside the biggest stars of popular Westerns before becoming the first special effects man in Hollywood. He is credited with inventing the use of piano wires to create movie magic, including the flying carpet for Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad. He later went on to become Hollywood's first animal trainer, working with all manner of lions, and tigers, and bears!

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Coy Watson, Jr.

L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank, and Played

in ,








L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank, and Played





George Geary Foreword by Barbara Fairchild




October 2016




336




Hundreds of photos and ephemera



California



9781595800893



8½ x 11



Hardcover

L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants is an illustrated history of dozens of landmark eateries from throughout the City of Angels. From such classics as Musso & Frank and The Brown Derby in the 1920s to the see-and-be-seen crowds at Chasen’s, Romanoffs, and Ciro’s in the mid-20th century to the dawn of California cuisine at Ma Maison and Spago Sunset in the 1970s and ‘80s, L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants celebrates the famous locations where Hollywood ate, drank, and played.

Author George Geary leads you into the glamorous restaurants inhabited by the stars through a lively narrative filled with colorful anecdotes and illustrated with vintage photographs, historic menus, and timeless ephemera. Over 100 iconic recipes for entrees, appetizers, desserts, and vintage drinks are included, and all are updated for today’s cook and kitchen.

While many people have heard the story of Elizabeth Taylor requesting that Chasen’s famous chili be flown to her on the set of Cleopatra in Rome, L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants will offer facts and trivia that aren’t as well known to the general public, such as Bob Hope’s favorite place to enjoy a hot fudge sundae after the Academy Awards, the restaurant where part of a table was sawed off to accommodate a pregnant Lana Turner, and the pharmacy where composer Harold Arlen wrote “Over the Rainbow” for The Wizard of Oz.

But L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants contains much more than the fancy, high-priced restaurants favored by the Hollywood cognoscenti. The glamour of the golden age of drive-ins, drugstores, nightclubs, and hotels are also honored. What book on L.A. restaurants would be complete without tales of ice cream sundaes at C.C. Brown’s, cafeteria-style meals at Clifton’s, a late-night breakfast at Ben Frank’s, or a mai tai at Don the Beachcomber?

Most of the locations in L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants no longer exist, but thanks to George Geary, the memories are still with us. And with Geary’s updated recipes, we can still enjoy many of the same iconic dishes that kept customers coming back to their favorite haunts week after week. L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants will have you longing for the days when going out for a meal was truly a special event.

George Geary Foreword by Barbara Fairchild

L.A. Noir : The City as Character

in ,








L.A. Noir : The City as Character





Alain Silver and James Ursini




October 2005




176




$19.95



Black & White Illustrations Throughout



California, Film, TV



9781595800060



8 1/2 x 11



softcover

Los Angeles as Seen in Noir's Greatest Films!

Los Angeles has always been as much a star in film noir as any actor, be it Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner or Jack Nicholson. In L.A. Noir: The City as Character renowned film historians Alain Silver and James Ursini explore the world of noir cinema in the context of Los Angeles. The book features dozens of noir and neo-noir landmark films from Double Indemnity, Criss Cross, Sunset Boulevard, Gun Crazy, The Big Heat, Kiss Me Deadly, Touch of Evil in the classic period (1940-1960) to such neo-noir notables as Chinatown, L.A. Confidential, Mulholland Drive, andPulp Fiction.L.A. Noir illustrates how these noir films use L.A.'s diverse cityscape and architecture to convey a unique vision of urban corruption and existential fatalism, not only in the ever-changing, chaotic downtown of Bunker Hill, Main Street, and Chinatown, but in its affluent coastal communities (Santa Monica, Malibu) as well as its deceptively sunny suburbs (South Bay, San Fernando Valley). The authors deftly analyze the key films of noir while integrating them into the geography and history of this "dark city" which became such an important icon of noir literature and film.

L.A. Noir is profusely illustrated with approximately 150 photographs-many of them appearing in print for the very first time-including production stills from the movies discussed, archival photos of the locations from the films and new photographs of the locations today, chronicling the ever-changing cityscape of this noir character-Los Angeles.

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Alain Silver and James Ursini

The Largest U.S. Cities Named After a Food : …and Other Mind-Boggling Geography Lists From Around the World

in








The Largest U.S. Cities Named After a Food : ...and Other Mind-Boggling Geography Lists From Around the World





Brandt Maxwell




November 2004




312




$16.95



How-To & Reference



9781891661471



6 x 9



Trade Paper

More than 500 astonishing lists and oddities fill this unusual compendium of geographic trivia. From a list of countries with the lowest number of international tourists per year to information about the largest countries in the world without an FM station, this book of wide-ranging curiosities makes minutia from across the world fascinating. What U.S. towns have the same name as a foreign country? Which large U.S. cities claim the highest percentage of households without telephone service? What state's residents call soft drinks "pop" more than any other? This humorous and revealing book holds these answers and many more.

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Brandt Maxwell

Led Zeppelin Crashed Here : The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America

in , ,








Led Zeppelin Crashed Here : The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America





Chris Epting




May 2007




336




$16.95



Hundreds of Black-and-White Photos



Travel, Music, Pop Culture



9781595800183



6 x 9



Trade Paper

Visit the Locations of the Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America!
Bob Dylan’s motorcycle accident. Mick Jagger’s Memory Motel. Buddy Holly’s crash site. Bob Marley’s U.S. debut. Elvis Presley’s first public performance. The Sex Pistols’ first and last concert in America. The home where Kurt Cobain died. Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off of a bat. David Bowie’s secret Diamond Dogs rehearsal location. Bruce Springsteen’s “E” Street. John Lennon’s final days. Monterey Pop. Woodstock. Altamont.

In Led Zeppelin Crashed Here: The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America, pop culture historian Chris Epting takes you on a journey across North America to the exact locations where rock and roll history was made. Epting has compiled nearly 600 rock and roll landmarks, combining historical information with trivia, photos, and backstage lore, all with the enthusiasm of a true rock and roll devotee. No other book delivers such an extensive list of rock and roll landmarks—from beginnings (the site where Elvis got his first guitar), to endings (the hotel where Janis Joplin died), and everything in between. The rowdiest and the most talented rockers are all featured, with sidebars on musical greats like Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and U2. And, of course, you’ll learn all about the infamous “Riot House” on the Sunset Strip where Led Zeppelin “crashed.”

Led Zeppelin Crashed Here: The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America is an entertaining and rollicking road map through the entire history of rock and roll!

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Chris Epting

Letter Writing Made Easy! : Featuring Sample Letters for Hundreds of Common Occasions

in








Letter Writing Made Easy! : Featuring Sample Letters for Hundreds of Common Occasions





Margaret McCarthy




January 1998




224




$12.95



How-To & Reference



9780963994622



5 3/8 x 8 3/8



softcover

In Letter Writing Made Easy!, author Margaret McCarthy offers sample letters for hundreds of common occasions. Need to write a thank you note? Want to dispute a bill? Having trouble expressing your feelings upon the death of a friend's loved one? McCarthy has provided samples which you can use as is, or modify to suit your own particular style or concerns.

  • How to write more intimate personal letters
  • How to write more powerful business correspondence
  • Practical advice on format, style, tone, forms of address . . . and much more
  • Includes hundreds of ready-to-use samples

Thank-You Notes
Requests
Apologies
Protests
Invitations
Expressing Opposition
Special Occasions
Complaints
Encouragement
Cancellations
Condolences
Disputes
Reminders
Responses
So put down that phone and write a letter! It's not only more personal, it's more effective. And with Letter Writing Made Easy!, writing a letter is a breeze!

Click below to purchase this book:

Margaret McCarthy

Letter Writing Made Easy! Volume 2 : Featuring More Sample Letters for Hundreds of Common Occasions!

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Letter Writing Made Easy! Volume 2 : Featuring More Sample Letters for Hundreds of Common Occasions!





Margaret McCarthy




June 1998




224




$12.95



How-To & Reference



9781891661006



5 3/8 x 8 3/8



softcover

In Letter Writing Made Easy! Volume 2, author Margaret McCarthy offers even more sample letters for hundreds of common occasions. Need to apologize to a friend? Want to complain about a rude salesperson? Having trouble expressing your feelings about a loved one's illness? Need to thank a co-worker for his assistance? McCarthy has provided samples which you can use as is, or modify to suit your own particular style or concerns.

  • How to write more intimate personal letters
  • How to write more powerful business correspondence
  • Practical advice on format, style, tone, forms of address . . . and much more!

Includes hundreds of brand new ready-to-use samples not found in volume one:
Thank-You Notes
Apologies
Condolences
Disputes
Encouragement
Congratulations
Special Occasions
Requests
Protests
Opinions
Complaints
Cancellations
Sad Occasions
Responses
Suggestions
So put down that phone and write a letter! It's not only more personal, it's more effective. And with Letter Writing Made Easy! Volume 2, writing a letter is a breeze!

Click below to purchase this book:

Margaret McCarthy

Life Is Short. Eat Biscuits!

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Life Is Short. Eat Biscuits!





Amy Jordan Smith Illustrated by Ted Meyer




June 2004




96




$9.95



Color Illustrations



Humor



9781891661419



6 x 6



Trade Paper

The lessons that dogs have to teach us about unconditional love and happiness are presented in this compilation of canine-inspired maxims. Infused with wit and humor, the Zen of dogs is captured in such inspirational bits of wisdom as, "For a dog there is only do or not do," and "Ask yourself, 'What would Lassie do?'" Masterfully designed with whimsical illustrations throughout, this collection of Taoist insights offers a refreshing perspective on living a happier and fuller life.

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Amy Jordan Smith Illustrated by Ted Meyer

Loving Through Bars : Children with Parents in Prison

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Loving Through Bars : Children with Parents in Prison





Cynthia Martone




Janaury 2005




216




$21.95



Reference & Social Sciences



9781891661488



6 x 9



Hardcover

There Are 2.3 Million Children with a Parent in Prison. It's Time for Their Voices to Be Heard.

An estimated 2.3 million children in the United States have a parent in prison-children whose lives are filled with a unique kind of instability and uncertainty.

These children are themselves victims of their parents' crimes, members of a neglected segment of our population who are potentially damaged by stigma and shame and who are at risk of being pulled into a vicious cycle of future criminality and deviant social behavior. Such children are child prisoners-kids who must learn to understand living and loving through bars.

In Loving Through Bars: Children with Parents in Prison, Cynthia Martone offers a searing and poignant view of these unfortunate kids, presenting their particular plights through a series of stories.

Among the people readers will meet are a little girl who chats with murderers at Attica Prison while visiting her father, the recently released prisoner who has seven children by five different mothers, and the second-grader whose dad regularly calls him from jail and encourages him to put a pillow over his mother's head at night in order to kill her.

Written by an experienced public school administrator-Martone has been awarded the Outstanding Educator Award for the State of New York-this examination of the instability and uncertainty that plague children of prisoners chronicles their attempts to cope and presents a possible starting place for societal response.

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Cynthia Martone

Making Waves: My Journey to Winning Olympic Gold and Defeating the East German Doping Program

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Making Waves: My Journey to Winning Olympic Gold and Defeating the East German Doping Program





Shirley Babashoff with Chris Epting Foreword by Donna de Varona




July 2016




312




$24.95



50 Photos



Sports



9781595800879



6 x 9



Hardcover

In Shirley Babashoff’s extraordinary swimming career, she set thirty-seven national records and six world records. Prior to the 1990s, she was the most successful U.S. female Olympian and, in her prime, was widely considered the greatest female swimmer on the planet.

Heading into the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, Babashoff was pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Hopes were high that she would become the “female Mark Spitz”—the American swimmer who returns home with a collection of gold medals.

All of that changed the moment Babashoff and her teammates arrived in Montreal. After dropping off their bags at their residences in the Olympic Village, the U.S. women’s swim team headed over to the swimming venue to get acquainted with the facility and participate in a light workout. As the women were changing in the locker room, they heard male voices on the other side of the lockers, and so they ran for the door. Babashoff found her coach and told him, “I think we are in the men’s locker room!”

After he assured Babashoff that they were in the women’s locker room, the team went back inside, peeked around the corner of the lockers, and received the shock of their lives: the male voices they had heard were actually coming from the East German female swimming team. It had only been one year since Babashoff last saw them, at the World Championships in Colombia—but they had all but transformed into men. Their voices were deep, their muscles made them look like bodybuilders, and some of them even had facial hair.

Getting on the bus to return to the Village, Babashoff was asked by reporters for her opinion of the East German team. She replied, “Well, except for their deep voices and mustaches, I think they’ll probably do fine.”

The comment was the spark that lit the flame.

Babashoff made other similar remarks about the East German swimmers soon after, and the media vilified her as “Surly Shirley.” It was clear to her that the East Germans were doping, so she spoke out. However, Babashoff was punished for voicing her opinion against those who cheated.

Babashoff would go on to win four silver medals in individual events in the 1976 Olympics, as well as a gold medal as the anchor swimmer on the 4 x 100 freestyle relay—considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history, ranking right up there with the U.S. hockey team’s “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviets in 1980.

During her time in the spotlight as a world champion and Olympic medalist, Babashoff was featured in Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, and many other magazines, as well as all the major television networks and hundreds of newspapers. In 1989, the East German doping program was exposed to the world. In the ensuing decades, Babashoff has been pursued repeatedly by major media outlets and, to date, has declined to comment. But with Making Waves, she has decided to break her silence, to tell her story and help fight the culture of cheating in both amateur and professional sports.

At the heart of Making Waves is Babashoff’s deeply personal story, one that she has never shared in public. But it is part of a much bigger story—one about morality, politics, celebrity, and the win-at-any-cost mentality and its tragic impact on society. Making Waves weaves together four distinct narrative threads: Babashoff’s celebrated career as a champion swimmer on the international stage; the behind-the-scenes drama of her personal life; the story of doping in East Germany (the East German athletes themselves were the ultimate victims, developing a wide array of illnesses over the years as a result of the drugs they were forced to take); and the modern era of steroids and other performance-enhancing drug abuse that ensued after the 1976 Olympics.

From her difficult childhood growing up with an abusive father in Southern California in the 1960s, to her triumphs as the greatest female amateur swimmer in the world, to her first Olympic experience at the 1972 Munich Games, to the heartbreak of the 1976 Games and her subsequent retirement from competitive swimming, Making Waves displays all of the characteristics that made Babashoff both the greatest female swimmer of her time—and the most controversial. Unflinching, honest, and forthright, it is a story that is, unfortunately, more relevant today than at any other time in the history of competitive sports.

Shirley Babashoff with Chris Epting Foreword by Donna de Varona

Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here : More Locations of America’s Pop Culture Landmarks

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Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here : More Locations of America's Pop Culture Landmarks





Chris Epting




May 2004




312




$16.95



Hundreds of photos



Travel



9781891661396



6 x 9



Trade Paper

In 1945, a watershed moment in pop culture history occurred when Norma Jeane Baker walked into a beauty salon at 6513 Hollywood Boulevard and changed her hair from brunette to blonde. With Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here, Chris Epting follows-up his critically acclaimed James Dean Died Here with another collection of the locations where the most significant events in American popular culture took place. This fully illustrated encyclopedic look at the most famous and infamous pop culture events includes historical information on over 600 landmarks-as well as their exact locations. Like its predecessor, Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here is an amazing portrait of the bizarre, shocking, weird, and wonderful moments that have come to define American popular culture.

Chapters and Sample Entries
Americana: The Weird and the Wonderful
Marilyn Monroe's America o Frank Sinatra Landmarks
Elvis Presley's Haircut o McDonald's Hot Coffee Spill

History and Tragedy
Little Rock, Arkansas High School Integration o Martin Luther King Jr.'s Church o Great White Concert Fire

Crime, Murder, and Assassination
Mobster Mayhem o Jesse James' Bank Robbery
Central Park Jogger o Night Stalker's Hotel

Celebrity Deaths and Infamous Celebrity Events
Billie Holiday o Anne Heche o Eddie Murphy
Winona Ryder o Kobe Bryant o Hank Williams

Let's Go to the Movies
Woody Allen's New York o The Shawshank Redemption's Prison o Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo
The Godfather: Part II's Lakeside Estate

Rock 'n' Roll, R&B, and the Blues
Bob Dylan Walking Tour o Album Cover Landmarks
Rolling Stones' Landmarks o Rock 'n' Roll Festivals

Channel Surfing
Friends' Fountain o SNL's "Cheeseburger!" Restaurant
Welcome Back Kotter's High School

The Write Stuff
Steinbeck Writes The Grapes of Wrath o Ernest Hemingway Commits Suicide o Edgar Allan Poe's House
Eugene O'Neill's House

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Chris Epting

Mark Spitz : The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion

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Mark Spitz : The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion





Richard J. Foster Foreword by Mark Spitz & Introduction by Keith Jackson




July 2008




288

The Only Authorized Biography of the
Greatest Olympic Athlete of All Time!

Mark Spitz is arguably the most famous and successful Olympic athlete of all time because of his legendary performances at the 1972 Olympics, where he won seven gold medals while breaking seven world records. His amazing life story is told for the first time in the authorized biography Mark Spitz: The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion.

This exclusive account follows Spitz’s roller-coaster career: age-group prodigy, four-medal "flop" at the 1968 Olympics, outstanding collegiate career at Indiana University, gold-medal haul in 1972, lucrative endorsements, and a brief and unsuccessful stint in entertainment.

And the meatier stories—the role his father played in his career, his often stormy relationship with coaches and teammates, his experiences as a Jewish athlete with anti-Semitism and the Munich massacre, his impact on the commercialization of swimming, his relationship with Michael Phelps, and others—have been largely unknown, ignored, barely touched upon, or distorted.

Mark Spitz: The Extraordinary Life of an Olympic Champion provides insights into Spitz’s career, behind-the-scenes anecdotes about him and his competitors, and untold stories that shed light on his complicated personality and relationship with his father. Old and new fans alike will appreciate the depth and details of this swimming icon’s story.

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Richard J. Foster Foreword by Mark Spitz & Introduction by Keith Jackson

MGM : Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot

in ,








MGM : Hollywood's Greatest Backlot





Steven Bingen, Stephen X. Sylvester, & Michael Troyan




February 2011




312




$34.95



Hundreds of Black-and-White Photos



Film & TV



1595800557



11 x 8.5



Hardcover

M-G-M: Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot is the illustrated history of the soundstages and outdoor sets where Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced many of the world’s most famous films. During its Golden Age, the studio employed the likes of Garbo, Astaire, and Gable, and produced innumerable iconic pieces of cinema such as The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, and Ben-Hur.It is estimated that a fifth of all films made in the United States prior to the 1970s were shot at MGM studios, meaning that the gigantic property was responsible for hundreds of iconic sets and stages, often utilizing and transforming minimal spaces and previously used props, to create some of the most recognizable and identifiable landscapes of modern movie culture.

All of this happened behind closed doors, the backlot shut off from the public in a veil of secrecy and movie magic. M-G-M: Hollywood’s Greatest Backlot highlights this fascinating film treasure by recounting the history, popularity, and success of the MGM company through a tour of its physical property.

Featuring the candid, exclusive voices and photographs from the people who worked there, and including hundreds of rare and unpublished photographs (including many from the archives of Warner Bros.), readers are launched aboard a fun and entertaining virtual tour of Hollywood’s most famous and mysterious motion picture studio.

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Steven Bingen, Stephen X. Sylvester, & Michael Troyan

Movie Star Homes : The Famous to the Forgotten

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Movie Star Homes The Famous to the Forgotten Book Cover




Movie Star Homes The Famous to the Forgotten





Judy Artunian and Mike Oldham




Santa Monica Press




May 2004




312

From Gloria Swanson's 1918 Hollywood bungalow to Brad Pitt's Beverly Hills estate, Movie Star Homes: The Famous to the Forgotten profiles the extravagant, lavish, and eccentric residences of the rich and famous. Each of the entries includes a photo of the star and brief summation of the star's career, the address of the star's home, a photo of the home as it looks today, and fascinating facts about the residence. In addition to magnificent mansions, the homes where celebrities lived before they became famous are also featured, such as Natalie Wood's humble 1945 residence and the home of Buster Keaton before he built his famed Italian villa in Beverly Hills.

Includes the homes of:

Julie Andrews
Fatty Arbuckle
Fred Astaire
Lauren Bacall
Lucille Ball
Drew Barrymore
Kim Basinger
Warren Beatty
Ingrid Bergman
Humphrey Bogart
Clara Bow
Marlon Brando
Jeff Bridges
Lon Chaney Jr.
Charlie Chaplin
George Clooney
Gary Cooper
Joan Crawford
Tom Cruise
Bette Davis
Sammy Davis Jr.
James Dean
Clint Eastwood
Douglas Fairbanks
W.C. Fields
Errol Flynn		Henry Fonda
Harrison Ford
Clark Gable
Greta Garbo
Judy Garland
Lillian Gish
Cary Grant
Tom Hanks
Goldie Hawn
Audrey Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Bob Hope
Samuel L. Jackson
Buster Keaton
Gene Kelly
Grace Kelly
Nicole Kidman
Harold Lloyd
Shirley MacLaine
Groucho Marx
Robert Mitchum
Tom Mix
Marilyn Monroe
Eddie Murphy
Paul Newman		Jack Nicholson
Nick Nolte
Gregory Peck
Mary Pickford
Brad Pitt
Sidney Poitier
Elvis Presley
Debbie Reynolds
Arnold Schwartzenegger
George C. Scott
Frank Sinatra
Sly Stallone
James Stewart
Barbra Streisand
Gloria Swanson
Elizabeth Taylor
Shirley Temple
Spencer Tracy
Lana Turner
Rudolph Valentino
Denzel Washington
John Wayne
Orson Wells
Mae West
Natalie Wood

And Many Others!

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Judy Artunian and Mike Oldham

My So-Called Digital Life : 2,000 Teenagers, 300 Cameras, and 30 Days to Document Their World

in








My So-Called Digital Life : 2,000 Teenagers, 300 Cameras, and 30 Days to Document Their World





Bob Pletka




September 2005




176




Pop Culture

What Do Teenagers Have to Say About Their Lives in the 21st Century?

My So-Called Digital Life is the result of a unique project created by Bob Pletka, technology director for the Covina-Valley Unified School District in Southern California. Pletka instituted a program in which 2,000 high school and middle school students from throughout the state of California-including inner-city, suburban, and rural areas-were given digital cameras and one month to capture their day-to-day life experiences.

In the end, approximately 10,000 photographs from over 2,000 teenagers were distilled down to the most compelling 350 images of what life is like for our children in the 21st century. All of the students were able to communicate with each other over the internet, sharing text, audio, photos, and video. Professional photographers, teachers, historians, and community leaders advised the teenagers, but the images, thoughts, fears, and hopes are theirs alone.

This resulting book presents an uncensored view of the lives of the students as they take on issues of identity, education, technology, family, work, and friendship. The visual story of photographs, essays, and photo captions also shows us whether our schools are places of alienation or communities of support, enclaves of safety or territories of hostility. Are we ready to hear what teenagers want to tell us about themselves?

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Bob Pletka