The author’s style is blunt, unpretentious and brisk; he knows how to move things along entertainingly. Hollywood Eden brings the lost humanity of the record business vividly back to life. The era he explores, however, was as fragile as the perfect wave.

Selvin goes deep, drilling down to the musical localism of individual high schools, most notably West L.A.’s University High.

Entertaining and informative, Selvin’s book brings together bunches of Hollywood stories.

The book is full of fascinating, larger-than-life character.

Vivid.