What You Need To Be Hip

(From The Hartford Courant -- By Clarisa Ramirez)

DAVID MANSOUR's FROM ABBA TO ZOOM: A POP CULTURE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE LATE 20TH CENTURY is one of the latest publications milking GENERATION X and Y's obsession with AMERICAN POP CULTURE.

This lighthearted reference book gathers famous and obscure pieces of our past, from the '50s through today.

With each pop reference there are short definitions (some with relevant catchphrases) for kitschy products, movies, songs, etc.

For example, under THE H-SECTION is "Humanoids From The Deep: Mutated half-salmon, half-human scaly monsters that attacked PACIFIC NORTHWEST fishing villages to mate with big-breasted women. Featured in the low-budget horror movie of the same name."

There are also many, many lists. Five pages of this 544-page book are devoted to POP CULTURE EVENTS 101

Mansour, a KANSAS CITY HAIRSTYLIST and avid toy collector, says he gathered and researched youth-friendly material for this book because he believes pop culture connects people.

But with FROM ABBA TO ZOOM riding the coattails of ROBERT LANHAM's THE HIPSTER HANDBOOK (2003) and last year's VH1's television series I LOVE THE '80s, this book is a cliche.

And, with the convenience of search engines on THE INTERNET, who really wants a book to look up BAZOOKA BUBBLEGUM?