Book excerpt: The prom has been a fixture in the life of American teenagers for as long as high schools have existed. Both encapsulating and magnifying the drama of adolescence, proms have been transformed from modest tea dances to costly extravaganzas supporting apparel and cosmetic makers, limousine services, hotels, magazine publishers, and hair salons. Focusing on social and economic trends, this volume examines the evolution of the prom, the development of the billion-dollar prom industry, and the event's place in popular culture, including its portrayal in film, television, and literature. Using the prom as a lens through which to view many aspects of American culture--money, sex, fashion, dance, music, television, transportation, communication, and even war--this work offers a fresh perspective on the history of American youth. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.