One of the most entertaining and insightful ways to view cultural/political history is through the prism of "failure." Is this an irony in the fabled land of success? Perhaps, but only at first reflection. The difference between failure and success is a cocktail of time and circumstance combined with a touch of (in) competence or (mis) judgment. Throw in a dash of dumb luck. Both are, as the author suggests, the flip side of the same coin and as American as Johnny Apple Seed; the seed, however it turns out, presupposes liberty, daring, and initiative. Hamburg explores in some detail over 300 examples over the past half century +, divided into 18 categories from crime and products to movies and social movements. What emerges is a tapestry of a changing American temperament and how it is constantly shaped and reshaped by public and private institutions. On one level, the book is an adventure in pure nostalgia - regardless of your age, it's a time machine back to the personalities, ideas, and merchandise you lived with, consumed, rejected, marveled at and often forgot. For Millennials, some things will be very familiar; others will open your eyes to the cultural world of your parents and grandparents. Be prepared for surprises: phenomena you might have regarded as successes, the author examines as failures. There is an omnipresent element of unpredictability: some concepts and projects may seem doomed from the start but triumph, even if temporarily, while others tapped as sure bets met an untimely end. The author's point-by-point portrayal paints a larger picture of how each of these events unfolded in the caldron of American corporatism and individual liberty.
About the Author: Terry Hamburg has an M.A. in History from Cambridge University (U.K.) and an M.A. in American History from the University of Michigan. For many years he was in the antiques business. As a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, his column "Test Your Antiques IQ" was nationally syndicated. Terry has authored two books. Grand Entrances, published by Penguin-Putnam, is a celebration of artistic/whimsical San Francisco storefronts. Baby Boomer Confidential is a narrative autobiography. His blog, Baby Boomer Daily, began in 2010. Currently, Terry is the Director of the Cypress Lawn Heritage Foundation. In that capacity, he gives lectures and tours on San Francisco Bay Area history and conducts antiques appraisals. The author is a regular contributor to websites on a variety of subjects.