Forty-six tiny graphic remainders from a period of swift transformation in Japan. The introduction and short chapter headings explain why and how the nation was turning into an industrial--and retail--empire and how the urban youth leisure market morphed into a consuming force. The images, in an accordion-fold extravaganza designed by Nicole Recchia to allow for easy comparison and contrast, illustrate influences like Cubism, Bauhaus and Russian Constructivism, and advertise everything from sexy cabarets to movies (Metropolis, Man in the Iron Mask), caramels, cosmetics and socks.

MARK BATTY Publisher