Poplorica, by Martin J. Smith

An interesting book filled with tidbits about American popular culture, from the invention of non-leak disposable diapers to Gorgeous George, the wrestler who started it all, to the history of air-conditioning and how it changed the American South and West. Each invention or fad is analyzed in larger context, so as to give it significance in American culture as a whole, and certainly, for most of the pieces, this analysis is not contrived. Smith maintains a light, cheery tone throughout the book that makes it entertaining to read, far more than scholarly analysis should be, and, though some pieces are better than others, for the most part this book is very good.