This is an absolutely gorgeous book. It has over 350 huge color photographs from the 1970s through 1990s. An amazing chronicle of a wildly influential piece of popular culture. I would definitely recommend it for anyone with an interest in music, dance, or fashion. ( )

I've never seen an episode, and I don't know a lot of the names, but there's nothing better than reading an author who's truly, deeply in love with their subject. Questlove bangs it out in short bursts, giving you a history of black music from Motown to LL Cool J. It seems like if you search any song he mentions in here, you'll recognize it from a sample in hip hop (especially Bad Boy songs). Yep, this gave me a musical education. It also gave me a look into the pre-hip hop world where hardness wasn't the rule, where innocence and fun were more on display.

I can't tell you how many times I stopped reading to youtube a Soul Train episode he was talking about.

The book does start to get a little repetitive in it's short profiles and constant episode recaps, but like I said, it's done with so much love it's still a joy to read. ( )