Back when irony was just a literary device and people wore bell-bottomsfor their own sake, Western civilization reached its zenith and nadirsimultaneously. Jonathan Vankin's Big Book of the '70s looks insurprising depth at the trends and the notable figures of that decade, usingillustrations from dozens of excellent comics artists like Shary Flenniken andTerry Laban. Richard Nixon, Jane Fonda, Burt Reynolds, and Jimmy Carter all getthe Big Book treatment in a delicious combination of behind-the-scenespeeks and easily digested history lessons. Fads and phenomena like disco,running, and the rise of the women's movement are also explained and, in somecases, followed up through modern times. The writing is clear and snappy, theillustration is consistently well-done, and the topics chosen are a thorough,comprehensive mix of lightweight (pet rocks) and serious (Vietnam). --RobLightner