Book excerpt: Step back into the fabulous world of the 1950s! Popular culture was stimulated as products were mass produced and the middle class emerged. After World War II, America prospered and took the lead in popular culture as people rebuilt their lives by looking forward. Designs of whimsy and abstract patterns jump along the pages in bright and exhilarating colors. From furniture and textiles to Hawaiian shirts, poodle skirts, vinyl handbags, gabardine jackets, rayon dresses and more, nearly every aspect of modern living in the 1950s is shown in full color. Over 770 color photographs display this lively period in all its fantastic glory. Never before has such an expansive volume been published from the collector's point of view. Whether a dealer, collector, historian, or just someone interested in the 1950s, you will be delighted as these 224 pages unfold to tell the story of this popular and fun-filled decade.