Sharing a similar layout, all of the volumes begin with an introduction and a time line of the decade. Their 19 chapters (which include such topics as trends, world events, political issues, literature, science and technology, fashion, music, immigration and Canada/US relations) are titled identically for consistency. Students will find the "slang" boxes particularly amusing for many of the phrases coined decades ago are still spoken today. Each chapter is a double-page spread with coloured heading bars at the tops of the outer edges.

      Vocabulary is fairly simple, and the text easy to comprehend. A table of contents, glossary and an index are provided. There is also a section of short activities (true or false, matching and multiple choice questions), designed to test readers' recall, at the back of each book.

      Abundant black-and-white archival photographs and colourful photos and maps enhance the text. Clever use of coloured backgrounds, strategically placed, enlivens the layout, particularly in the earlier volumes in which almost all of the photographs are black-and-white.

      Though the series represents merely a general overview of the past century, the volumes are, nevertheless, fascinating reading. For those students who require more information, a list of books and internet links is provided for further research.

      Not to be missed!

Highly Recommended.