'My Bug.'
edited by Michael J. RosenArtisan, $19.95
The Volkswagen Beetle, that odd little four-wheeled icon of the 1960s, became a cultural legend in its own time. The tiny, practical car that was "good on gas" was very popular, whether to own or to ridicule. Every college student from the '60s and '70s has several VW stories, even if it was something as simple as picking up a fellow student's 'bug' and and hiding it behind some college building.
Every Volkswagen owner has spent multiple hours trying to find his car after being victimized by a predictable prank.
Michael Rosen has compiled more than 100 nostalgic stories, anecdotes, illustrations, cartoons and photographs by some of today's foremost writers and artists, all of them former Beetle owners. Some of those licensed Beetle drivers include Russell Baker, George Plimpton and Roy Blount, Jr.
Blount wrote about his VW heater: "It performed so grudgingly as to be counterproductive, like service personnel in communist countries. I think the heater just recirculated the body heat of passengers."
Many other jokes are included, such as a drunk being knocked down by a St. Bernard, then, as he staggers to his feet, is hit by a Volkswagen Beetle. When bystanders rush to help, the drunk says, "The dog didn't hurt so much, but that a tin can tied to his tail nearly killed me!" -- Dennis Lythgoe
'The Ancient Greek Olympics'
by Richard Woff
Oxford, $16.95
As the 2002 Winter Olympics get closer to reality for Salt Lakers, this book is a terrific resource. The original Olympics didn't take place in one of the great cities of the world, but in Olympia, near the west coast of Greece. No one even lived there. Olympia was important because it was sacred to Zeus, the king of the gods, and it was in his honor that the games were held.
Richard Woff, an educator at the University of London, provides the history and mythology of the ancient Olympics, including the training of athletes, the excitement of thousands of Greek spectators and the day-to-day activities of the games. In fact, there is a chapter for each day from one to five. Some of the games, such as discus throwing and running, were similar to modern events -- but others, like chariot racing, have no equivalent in today's games.
The author provides more than 75 color illustrations and photos, detailed sidebars and ancient athletic trivia. -- Dennis Lythgoe
'There's Still a Person in There: The Complete Guide to Treating and Coping with Alzheimer's'
by Michael Castleman, Dolores Gallagher-Thompson and Matthew Naythons
Putnam, $23.95
Stereotypes and misconceptions are far too common about Alzheimer's Disease, as well as the caregiver. Even Ronald Reagan's public announcement six years ago that he was suffering with the disease did not calm the misconceptions. This book, written by three knowledgeable researchers, is a worthy attempt to look at the illness in a positive way. The authors provide the most crucial information needed by any family grappling with Alzheimer's.
The authors treat its history, the ways it is diagnosed and the various illnesses that are often mistaken for it. They also include a series of moving personal profiles that demonstrate the human nature of the illness and the ways it affects those who struggle with it. -- Dennis Lythgoe