The book, Cars Of The Fabulous '50s: A Decade Of High Style And Good Times represents an enjoyable, colorful look back at the automobiles and the culture that made the 1950s so memorable.  Each chapter covers one year, with an insightful introduction that relates the events and economic conditions that prevailed at the time followed by a "photo album" with captions portraying the many facets of this most memorable decade along with lots and lots of glorious Fifties cars.  The reader will also find reproductions of the many ads automakers used to push their products many of which featured exaggerated color illustrations rather than the photography commonly used today.  Sprinkled throughout the book are photographs that depict everyday life on "Mainstreet, USA" along with the cinema screen legends posing with contemporary cars.  The decade began with the continuation of the post World War II sales boom.  All automakers including Ford, GM and Chrysler along with most of the independents including Hudson, Nash, Packard and Studebaker sold all the cars that were manufactured.  By 1952, however, the sales boom matured and each automaker evolved their marketing plans to try and move inventory.  The larger manufacturers recorded reduced earnings while the independents headed down the path of reduced sales, few new product offerings and eventually either went out of business or were consolidated into new companies like American Motors Corporation.  As the decade ended, engine performance had improved and bold body styling cues including tail fins and chrome were all the rage.  The major sections of "Cars Of The Fabulous '50s: A Decade Of High Style And Good Times" are as follows: 1) Foreword; 2) 1950 - As the decade begins, automakers are still striving to meet the pent-up demand for cars that was created when the industry shut down during World war II; 3) 1951 - Independents Kaiser and Packard offer new designs but most manufacturers serve only facelifts; 4) 1952 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury all boast new styling but their industry rankings don't improve; 5) 1953 - Highlights include Chevrolet's legendary Corvette, a trio of "custom" GM ragtops and Studebaker's classic "Loewy" coupes, but a turnaround in the seller's market causes Ford and Chevy to duke it out in a sales blitz; 6) 1954 - Buick and Cadillac tone down their specialty convertibles and the public tones down its desire for Detroit's wares; 7) 1955 - A great year for the Big Three turns into a dismal year for the independents; 8) 1956 - Despite modern styling and brilliant engineering, the proud Packard nameplate graces its last luxury automobile; 9) 1957 - No doubt about it, the horsepower race is in full swing, and tailfins reach new heights particularly at Chrysler; 10) 1958 - Detroit unleashes bigger, flashier cars just as the economy unleashes a recession and 11) 1959 - In deference to a sudden interest in economy, compacts rise in popularity and the horsepower race momentarily slows to a near standstill.  This book's chronological format allows the reader to compare the automotive offerings of a given year, as well as, see the evolutionary progress made by the manufacturers over the course of the decade.  "Cars Of The Fabulous '50s: A Decade Of High Style And Good Times" goes one step further in that it associates social events with cars which ensures that this book is both a valuable and entertaining historical reference for any automobile enthusiast.  In addition to an informative narrative, this book includes more than 1,600 photographs many of which are in color.  This book is 416 pages and is in excellent condition.  The author is James M. Flammang along with the auto editors of Consumers Guide.  Edition published in 2001.