The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby

This first book by Tom Wolfe is a gathering of his best work where the author takes a sharp-eyed look at the American scene, and zeroes in on the new, exotic forms of status-seeking - social, cultural, and otherwise - that were flourishing at the time across the country from New York to Los Angeles.

A central notion threading through Mr. Wolfe's rich assortment of observations is that recent years have seen the emergence of a good many intriguing art forms and styles of life, having nothing at all to do with the 'elite' culture of the past. Vulgar and common to the Establishment, they really express the ordinary American's sense of form and beauty. The Twist, The Beatles, the Surfers, the Bouffant Hairdos, the Drag Racers are all expressions of this exuberant new culture, which might be called Postwar Teenage. The epitome of this pop culture is the neon city of Las Vegas.

Wolfe also observes the activities of older culture-makers, such as investigating the way the 'upper crust' frantically seeks new forms to preserve its statuts against the 'common man', whether in raising children, fashion, nightlife, or 'art-worship.'

Throughout, Wolfe's eye for the crucial detail is startling, his ear for the speech of all sorts of people uncanny, his wit and view of life entirely original .