Best shows us that, while the prom is often trivialized, most kids take the prom seriously. The prom is a space where kids work through their understanding of authority, social class, gender norms, and multicultural schooling. Proms are more than just pictures and puffed sleeves--they are a mythic part of youth culture and, for better or worse, will always be a night to remember.

The prom has been a fixture in the life of American teenagers for as long as high schools have existed. Both encapsulating and magnifying the drama of adolescence, proms have been transformed from modest tea dances to costly extravaganzas supporting apparel and cosmetic makers, limousine services, hotels, magazine publishers, and hair salons. Focusing on social and economic trends, this volume examines the evolution of the prom, the development of the billion-dollar prom industry, and the event's place in popular culture, including its portrayal in film, television, and literature. Using the prom as a lens through which to view many aspects of American culture--money, sex, fashion, dance, music, television, transportation, communication, and even war--this work offers a fresh perspective on the history of American youth. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

The social debut and its offshoots--the high school prom, the sorority presentation, beauty pageants--continue to emphasize celebrity, class, and community. But why does this peculiar tradition persist? In "Debutante," Marling demystifies debdom and the "long-term American hankering after the trappings of royalty."

Americans in the 1960s were affected by many revolutions that would change the course of history in America. There was musical revolution, sexual revolution, social revolution, educational revolution, racial integration, race riots, and the effects of the Vietnam War. For a young black man like Nathan Summerdale, many of these changes had not yet reached the small city of Sarasota. Nathan knew that in order for him to experience these exciting changes, he had to leave his small community of Newtown.

The urban population is becoming increasingly diverse and growing (ethnic) diversity is having a singular effect on nightlife in Dutch cities. By studying the motivation behind and nightlife choices of the young people who participate in ethno-party scenes, Boogaarts-de Bruin investigates how the changing urban population affects the supply side of the nightlife market using an analytical model she has developed and which she calls the model of structured choice. This approach is sensitive to the flexible use of the processes of agency and structure due to the systematic distinction that it makes between societal and personal factors. Accordingly, it is revealed that in order to analyze and adequately explain the nightlife experiences of and choices made by ethnic youngsters, an integrated model is required which centralizes the interaction between the structural strategies of the producers on the one hand and the personal preferences and agency of the consumers on the other. What is more, this book demonstrates that nightlife has changed because of the increasing ethnic diversity of the Dutch population. Finally, in the epilogue, the fieldwork results are discussed in light of the currently heated debate regarding the integration processes of ethnic minority young people (in nightlife).

If you love Jasmine Guillory, Lauren Layne and Helen Hoang, you'll devour Jayci Lee's delicious new romantic comedies! Early readers are loving The Dating Dare! 'I loved how realistic the main characters were . . . I could honestly see this being made into a movie; one I'd definitely be queuing up to watch' 5* reader review 'This book was SO FUN! . . . Seth and Tara are amazing together. Their chemistry was phenomenal and they just bounced right off the page!' NetGalley review 'Ooh I enjoyed this one. A great love/hate at the start and its just blossoms . . . the words and story just flow off page, it feels seamless and delightful' NetGalley review One dare. Four dates. Only their hearts to lose... No serious relationships. This is the one rule Tara Park made for herself and it has been working swimmingly, especially since she's busy with Weldon Brewery. But when Seth Kim, temptation personified and her best friend's new brother-in-law walks into her life, Tara might be willing to bend her golden rule . . . but only for four dates, which she agreed to after a few good rounds of beer - and a game of truth or dare. Seth Kim can't believe Tara agreed to his dating dare. He's leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings attached fling seemed like a nice distraction for both . . . But while their dates have a tendency to hit roadblocks, their non-dates and chance meetings are becoming frequent - and heated. What was supposed to be a little fun game is turning into something that neither is ready for. But sometimes, the best things in life are the ones we never see coming. Raves for Jayci's A Sweet Mess! 'A perfect balance of impeccable wit, laugh out loud hilarity, and off the charts chemistry. A Sweet Mess is a sinfully decadent romantic comedy! Helena Hunting, New York Times bestselling author 'A rich, vibrant romance that's a feast for all the senses!' Lauren Blakely, New York Times bestselling author 'This book was SO FUN!...Seth and Tara are amazing together. Their chemistry was phenomenal and they just bounced right off the page!' reader review 'The words and story just flow off page, it feels seamless and delightful...Lots of drama and a brilliant bumpy road' reader review

The following recommendations represent the top 16% of 2441 horror movies reviewed by Steve Hutchison. The classification method combines genres, subgenres, ambiances, and antagonists. The movies are ranked according to their star, story, creativity, action, quality, creepiness, and rewatchability ratings.

Why’d I do it? I suppose it’s the only question that really matters. Seventeen-year-old Crow will stop at nothing to protect her younger sister—even if it costs her her own life. But then she’s given a chance to come back and make things right. There are a few catches, though. First, she won’t come back as herself. And before she can set things straight, she’ll have to figure out what’s what—and things aren’t exactly as clear-cut as she remembered. Powerful and hard-hitting, this is a compelling story about what it means to live your life—for your own sake—from an award-winning author.

REA’s English the American Way: A Fun ESL Guide to Language and Culture in the U.S. with Embedded Audio & Mp3 Download Helps English Language Learners Improve Their Skills A fun guide to everything American for the English language learner! Authored by seasoned ESL instructors, this handy guidebook is perfect for people who already have a good grasp of English, but want to improve how they speak the language as it is spoken in the United States. Written in a lighthearted and easy-to-follow style, this book is a great resource for people of all ages and all nationalities. Each unit introduces commonly used phrases, vocabulary, and verbs, and offers sample dialogs to illustrate everyday American life. Sentence completions, quizzes, tips, and illustrations make learning fun. Individual units cover topics essential to the mosaic of American life: making friends, basic skills, driving, dining out, dealing with money, home life, emergency situations, doctor visits, handling a job interview, and more. To improve your pronunciation, listen to the embedded audio that accompanies this e-book or download the Mp3. The audio contains all the dialogues and pronunciation pointers found in the book so you can listen along and practice your speaking skills as you read. The dialogues are read by native speakers and are a great way to work on accent reduction. If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to improve your English language skills, this is the book for you!

A nerd romance involving science students in physics, biology, biomedical engineering, and math. The story takes place mostly at major universities, VCU, UVA, Caltech, UCLA, UCSD, UCSC, and U OF Iowa. A group of altruistic students develops a device that can be used to cheaply identify diseases. In the process of working together closely they make other discoveries of a personal nature.