Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s by Frederick Lewis Allen

This was a great read and it isn’t “heavy” history. The author, Frederick L. Allen covers everything from fashion, to sexual norms, to the average workday of a married couple, ramifications of prohibition to the financial collapse of the stock market. You’ll feel like you KNOW the 20’s after reading it. It’s a highly acclaimed NYT Bestseller. Available in Kindle and Paperback. I bought his work on the 1930’s, after reading this. (Click the cover to get it on Amazon.)

only-yesterday-book

Fresh Factor ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ (1 rehash; 5 New information . . . for me at least)

I had not read much on this period other than Calvin Coolidge biographies and autobiographies.

Fun ♣ ♣ ♣  (1 not that enjoyable; 5 barely put it down)

Pretty entertaining, some chapters more than others.

Easy/Difficult ♣ ♣   (Kid’s comics being 1, Finnegan’s Wake by Joyce or War and Peace by Tolstoy being 5)

Practical  ♣ ♣   (Affects everyday living. 1 is not that practical; 5 is life shaping/ paradigm transforming)

Lessons: Don’t repeat the mistakes this period in history such as “playing the market” in speculation. It will ALWAYS self-correct.