Taschen, 2004, softcover, illustrated, condition: new.
4½, rounded up
i cannot properly convey my adoration for Taschen publications; i have some of the All-American Ads tomes ('40s, '50s, and '60s editions*) and a few small 'icons' books like this one. 'Surfing' is my newest edition, a complete surprise find from a seller online, and i could hardly wait for it to arrive.
one notable thing about me is my weird obsession with mid-century surfing and 'tiki' culture.
every year round this time, i turn to Jan + Dean and Dick Dale on my Pandora, and i wait (im)patiently for the socially-acceptable moment i can put out my lawn flamingos, string up my Hawai'ian shower curtain, display my solar-powered tiki statues, and hang my Polynesian-inspired décor.
this book may be a contributor to my fanaticism, but it also will undoubtedly make my wait more bearable. living in a snowy part of the US, spring isn't ever truly here until May, but i can always flip through this little gem when i start to forget what the sun looks like.
some of the pages could have been formatted a bit better, but i can't really complain. this is an excellent selection of Surfdom by a publisher who really seems to -get- me.
*the '10s, '20s, and '30s editions are 1000% on my wish list. here's the part where i beg:
please, #Taschen, my birthday is in April, and i haven't won the lottery; sending me those three would make the next 4 years infinitely more tolerable and would help make my personal bubble that much more trumpless. ( 8
