Customer Reviews

The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool: A Celebration of the Grooviest People, Events, and Artifacts of the 1960s

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Chris Strodder has written another fantastic book on the 1960s, but while his previous book "Swingin Chicks of the 60s" focused on 101 of the decade-defining women his current book focuses on the people, events, and just about everything that is memorable about this decade. The book has a "day in history" feature on every page that tells of births, marriages, movie openings and such for that specific date. Strodder writes about the big names of the 60s but always slips in the little-known, offbeat facts. He also writes about others that you might not have known or that might have slipped your mind and it's always clear why they are included. Strodder has side-bar information on astronauts, cars, movies, games, television shows, even Playboy Playmates. The book is fun and fact-filled. and if that isn't enough, the foreword is written by Michelle Phillips (of the Mamas and the Papas and Knot's Landing fame). This book is recommended to those that remember the 60s and those that want to.

I found this to be a fun and entertainig return to a decade that defined the Baby Boomers.
Just thumbing through the "Encyclopedia" quicky brings back names and faces that I haven't thought about in 30 years. Peter Max, Anita Ekberg, and Olivia Hussey are three.
Did you khow that Candy Johnson was considered to be the greatest go-go dancer of the '60s? Neither did I.
Do you remember the TV show "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."? Ok, but I bet you don't remember what U.N.C.L.E. stood for. And how about T.H.R.U.S.H.? It's all here and more.
This is a must-have for any self-respecting triva player.

This encyclopedia is a colorfully thorough and well-researched collection of facts and interesting details over-flowing from the pages. Not only that but a healthy sprinkling of wit and a nice conglomeration of eye-catching vintage photos make this book an attractive read. The versatility of the writing style make it exciting to read through one article at a time or to flip through aimlessly discovering hidden gems of Sixties trivia. It's a great way to locate classic movies, famous athletes, or inspirational music. Don't try to play a Sixties version of Trivial Pursuit with Chris Strodder, but if you have this source of Sixties knowledge on hand, you'll surely be able to impress your friends.

A lot of the book is just a rehash of Strodder's Swingin' Chicks of the 60's. I was disappointed that there were not photos for each subject in the encyclopedia. That being said, this is still a good book to have, but a bit of a let-down if you are expecting the same quality as Swingin' Chicks of the 60's.

First off, I agree with the majority opinion that THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SIXTIES COOL is great fun - since it came in I keep carrying it around to read one gripping entry after another. The emphasis is on people of the Sixties, and of quite a variety - singers, actors, athletes, artists, writers, politicians, astronauts - though entertainers are by far the majority. Also, the sidebars of data are very interesting and clever too. Srodder writes in a breezy, polished style that is very enjoyable, and he's either done a lot of research or just knows a heck of a lot about the era.

Still, I have a few reservations about the book. First off, one could debate the meaning of "cool" with the author. The vast majority of the book is devoted to famous entertainers - singers, actors, athletes. There are relatively few non-entertainers here, as, I was glad to see that Neil Armstrong of Moon fame gets his own entry, and some political figures like the Kennedys get theirs too. The ichthyologist Eugenie Clark made the list, but there aren't many scientists discussed in here. A few writers such as Kurt Vonnegut make it in. And some of the entertainers discussed are not even very significant, but are more cult figures. One could reasonably argue that it's just as "cool" to be making contributions to society in science, teaching, environmental protection, and the like as it is to be a famous entertainer. Strodder admits in the introduction that there was a lot he hated to leave out of his book, but with 334 pages to work with he had to draw a line somewhere. However, I'm probably trying to be too scholarly about it, since this book is clearly supposed to be fun, and relates mainly to popular culture that those who lived through the Sixties would most remember as being cool about the decade. Secondly, the book very much needs an index, or at least better cross-referencing. Most subjects have their own headings, arranged alphabetically. Yet there are a lot of people or things that are discussed under headings that you might not be able to guess. For instance, the comic strip Peanuts is discussed in the entry for the composer Vince Guaraldi, who wrote music for the animated Peanuts shows in the 1960s and '70s, yet there's no separate entry in the book for Peanuts or its creator Charles Schulz. Likewise, John Glenn and most of the other Mercury astronauts don't have separate entries, since they're discussed under "Alan Shepard." There are quite a few such examples, though there is some cross-referencing on the contents page.

Shifting back to what I like best about this EncyCOOLpedia, another aspect that I very much like is that Strodder tries to be positive, and focus more on what is good than what is bad about someone or something. And it's great that he always remembers to update us on "whatever happened to?" these people. All in all, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SIXTIES COOL is very enjoyable, and it's a fun way to learn about that fascinating decade.

No other decade in modern history was as influential, eclectic and packed with passion as the 1960s. From politics to pop culture, the 60s offered an incredible array of sights, sounds and swingin' sensations. It was the decade of Batman, Bond, the Beatles, bongs, Barbarella, beatniks, beach bunnies and Bob Dylan. From the Rat Pack at the dawn of the decade to the Rolling Stones at its zenith, from Motown to monster movie magazines, from drive-ins to dope, the 60s offered something for jet setters, hippies, suburban kids, surfers, radicals and fun lovin' freaks alike. There were also the tragedies, like JFK, Bobby, MLK and Viet Nam, that still resonate and affect our world today. And let's not forget the sexual revolution underlying this tumultuous explosion of art and war. Chris Strodder has already given us an essential chronicle of this era's sexual icons with his colorful tome "Swingin Chicks of the 60s." Now he broadens his lens to give us a widescreen view of the entire decade, spotlighting all the major figures who had such a powerful impact on all of us born before, during and since, from Hugh Hefner to Abby Hoffman to Andy Warhol and everyone in between and beyond, encompassing an amazing array of styles and attitudes, all of which are still very much evident in today's kaleidoscope, retro-obsessed but identity-challenged culture. Get Smart and Ride this Wild Surf, kids. It's groooooovy.

Chris Strodder has come up with another winner! It's full of stardust ! What a wonderful book to go down memory lane and reminisce with. A fun read ...It's like going to a birthday party with all the stars. What a great gift for those who are nostalgic for the sixties! And if you're not...you will be after reading this book.
Soooo much information. It's great!

The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool covers a wide mix of people from the obviously cool like Steve McQueen and Sean Connery to the unknown-but-cool while accounting for all the varied tastes and ages of 60s' fans (serious authors, the Rat Pack, rock bands, foreign movie directors, political revolutionaries, star athletes, and kids' cartoon characters all get profiles). Nearly every entry in the book is illustrated by a vintage photo from the era. Also running on every page of this 330-page book is a day-by-day chronology of events that happened on every day of the 60s - what happened January 1, then January 2, etc. in that decade, which is pretty interesting and entertaining. The whole ouvre should bring back lots of memories. The style is respectful, kind of breezy, humorous at times, and always interesting. Also covered are scandals and deaths and many other aspects of that period. There are lots of surprises, even for fans who think they already know about famous people from the 1960s. Giving a wonderful stroll down memory lane, that book is an highly recommended must for every Baby Boomer and fan of this stylish period!

Anyone who contrasts the stresses of the new century with this special decade in the last one, can really appreciate this book. It brings us back to a better time in our lives. Despite the Vietnam War, a lot was going on in America that could be celebrated, and this book brings it all back for us. Great antidote to high blood pressure! Great memory prodder! I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the highlights of the sixties and the "cool" personalities who entertained us then, and, if only in the interest of spicing up the conversation at cocktail parties, I highly recommend absorbing the information in this book! -- Joanne ORoark, Santa Barbara, CA

What a great book! A wealth of trivia, some of it well known, some not so. But all totally fascinating. We just kept turning the pages to find more & more interesting people & facts. Great also to see it covering more than just the States. The 60s were a world wide event & Chris has captured icons from across the globe.