[.ca] James Dean Died Here: The Locations of America's Pop ... (ISBN 1891661310)

Pop-Culture Almanac:
A must for anyone who is even slightly interested in American pop culture. This book is loaded with facts about all kinds of events all over the country. One of the cool things for me (when I first read this book) was realizing how many spots I've drivin past over the last few years without realizing that some historical event took place there. For instance: there is a Hollywood Video in LA that I've actually rented from that used to be the bank that Patty Hearst and her posse ripped off. It is a very easy-to-read-guide to all those cool events we've witnessed on TV over the last few years. And, no matter where you live in the country, you are bound to find an event that took place near you. GET IT!

Great look back.:
The book is everything the reviewers say it is. It does, however, contain many more descriptions than it does photos. A little more balance would be nice, but it's still tops!

Fun browsing:
This book is a lot of fun and one that you might want to take with you if you ever visit Sunset Blvd. (many events happened there!). It lists the locations of cultural landmarks and many entries have a photograph, but not all. Chapters are divided by "History and Tragedy," "Crime, Murder & Assassination," "Celebrity Deaths," "Movies," "Music," "Sports," etc. Landmarks such as the subway grating where Marilyn Monroe posed, Manson Family murder sites, the spot where Zsa Zsa slapped the policeman and Hugh Grant picked up a prostitute are all here. Some entries leave you yearning for more information - for example, it would be interesting to know what became of some of the famous celebrity houses and who lives there now. This information is sometimes noted but often it is not. Photos for ALL of the sites would have been nice too but many do not have photos. Lots of fun though and hopefully this will be a book that will be updated.

Fascinating!:
This book reminds me of the Book of Lists that were popular in the 70s. I could always pick those books up and find some tidbit I had missed in previous readings. This book highlights events you know happened, but may not know where they happened. I particulary liked items such as the fact that there is now a Virgin Megastore where the old Schwab's drug store was in Los Angeles. (Where, in fact, the author tells us that Lana Turner was NOT discovered!) A great summertime read. (Or any other time of year, for that matter!)

"you had to be there...":
Ever notice when you're telling a joke and people just aren't getting it you say, "well, i guess you just had to be there." looks like this author was, literally. and thanks to this book, you can be, too. the where is practically every pop culture landmark you can think of in the u.s. (and some you may have forgotten). area 51, the brady bunch house, the manson ranch, all places that you can actually go and see for yourself (of course, some places have less access than others). each listing comes with a street address, some even provide phone numbers and driving directions. but the beauty of this book is in the details, the bits of info that accompany the listings. like the fact that the lizzie borden death house has been turned into a bed and breakfast where guests can view the murder scene and sleep in lizzie's room, her parent's bedroom, or the guest room where her mother was killed. it's sad to note that some of the places that are part of our collective history are no longer there. it makes you realize the transitory nature of our culture. whether you visit the places in the book or not, i think you feel richer for having taken the journey with the author. his love of pop culture is infectious.