by Andrew Marum and Frank Parise
Who could ever forget flagpole sitting, the zoot suit, canasta, hula hoops, the maxi skirt, slam dancing? Right; we all could and fortunately most of us have. But for posterity's sake it's probably just as well that Marum, a proofreader for a Wall Street law firm, and Parise, a Brooklyn-based free-lance writer, have put together this illustrated testimonial to Americans' short attention spans, covering nearly 250 fads from 1890 to the present. One could quarrel with some of their choices. Why Howdy Doody, for instance, but not Captain Video? The Farrah Fawcett look but not ponytails? Goldfish-swallowing but not Pez? Dallas but not Dynasty? Anyway, this book makes no pretense at pop sociology or history. It is indeed nothing but fun. (Facts on File, $22.95)
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