Rating: 
Summary: Days of the Dogs
Review: Another cult classic from the illustrious Glen E Friedman. Friedman's exploits are world famous and his influence is undeniable. The idea for this book is yet another example of his publishing genius. To combine the works of his enormously intelligent mentor and inspiration C.R. Stecyk III, with his own private archives of photos from the Dogtown era, proves once again that Friedman stays consistently ahead of the curve. And for the record, Craig Stecyk III should be recognized once and for all as the ultimate authority on everything cool. No one could have written about skateboarding the way Stecyk did and the fact that he shared it with the world makes us all luckier than we may ever realize. Radical moments in skateboarding history that changed the world all wrapped up in a beautiful black binding. This book is a potent collection of Stecyk's photos and articles about the Z Boys and Dogtown from 1975-1979. Along with Friedman's powerful photos, it's a brilliant brew of magic. For nostalgia junkies, skateboarders, and of course everyone that sees the Dogtown and Z Boys movie, each turn of the page is an orgasmic experience. Mad Dog, Red Dog, Bull Dog, Bullet, J-Boy, P.C., Baby Paul, . . . Dogtown - The Legend of the Z Boys is the quintessential encyclopedia of the skate history of Dogtown and the infamous Z Boys in the late 70s. "Pushing the old boundaries establishes new 'limits'. In actuality, the only limiting factor is that of your imagination. You can go as far as you want to take it, or perhaps more aptly as far as it takes you. After you leave the realm of traditional preconceptions, you enter the area of endless freedom. There exists no right or wrong, rules are unheard of, and the course is uncharted." - C.R. STECYK III
Rating:
Summary: Paper Magazine - May 2002
Review: Due to severe droughts throughout California in the mid-1970s, swimming pools emptied out across Los Angeles and the Zephy-Boys changed skateboarding and art in America forever...The documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys chronicles the story of an aggressive group of rebellious longhairs who converted the post-WWWII suburban sprawl into their playground, establishing a model for modern skateboarding. Sounds simple enough. But they didn't know it then and neither did anybody else. Twenty five years later, the story is finally being told. Artistically, through Stecyk and photographer Glen Friedman, the subculture of skateboarding provided groundwork for the vibrant, organic aesthetic of urban culture that fourishes three decated later, inspiring many of the most influencial artists and filmakers of today.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost as good as having my old Skateboarders...
Review: Finally, collected in one hardback book are all of the "Dogtown" articles from the mid 70's Skateboarder magazine. What a treat! In their original incarnation, these articles (especially the single page "Who's Hot!")festooned the walls of my bedroom. Even if the originals hadn't disappeared over the years, most probably never survived the pillaging of their contents; thus, a hardback reprint is a treasure! But the real surprise is how well these articles were written. Your average 13 year old skate nut is hardly a literary critic. So, I didn't really expect the articles themselves to still hold up nearly 30 years down the road. SURPRISE! They are extremely well-written, in a very adult voice. I'm amazed so many of us read these as young teens, they are really quite sophisticated. Whether Stecyk is writing as "John Smythe" or himself, his voice is intelligent and never descends to the "whoa, dude rad!" depths unless quoting a specific skater. The skaters themselves sound quite self-aware, and each has a distinctive attitude that comes thru, even in the first articles. Stacy Peralta is the proto-typical laid back SoCal surfer guy, into peace & inner-growth. Tony Alva is always & forever the rock star, fully into the babes & bling bling being thrown his way, but never losing sight of skating. Jay Adams is the unpredictable, mischievious imp, while Bob Biniack is thuggish & Wentzle Ruml is devil-may-care & funny. Friedman's photos are awesome of course, & the color seperations & printing quality lavished on these photos is really impressive. This could have easily been a throw-away done for nostalgia or to cash in on the resurgence of "old school" skating, but instead someone took the time to do it right. The cover alone is a masterpiece of photo-reproduction. "The Legend of the Z-Boys" is a major bargain at this price.
Rating:
Summary: The Begining of the Revolution
Review: First off, the physical quality of this book is impressive. The binding, cover, and pages are extremely well done. This is a solid coffee table book. Second, the contents are mind blowing. The stories are well narrated and entertaining, the "whos hot" brings back a flood of skateboarder magazine memories, and the photos (some never shown before) are a collection of the finest skateboarding pictures ever presented. While looking at pictures of Tony Alva carving Gonzo's, you can almost hear Hendrix or Nugent playing in the background. These photos leap off the page, grab you, and pull you into the action. This is a must read for any fan of 70s skateboarding. For any young skaters out there, pick up this book and take a history lesson.
Rating:
Summary: The Begining of the Revolution
Review: First off, the physical quality of this book is impressive. The binding, cover, and pages are extremely well done. This is a solid coffee table book. Second, the contents are mind blowing. The stories are well narrated and entertaining, the "whos hot" brings back a flood of skateboarder magazine memories, and the photos (some never shown before) are a collection of the finest skateboarding pictures ever presented. While looking at pictures of Tony Alva carving Gonzo's, you can almost hear Hendrix or Nugent playing in the background. These photos leap off the page, grab you, and pull you into the action. This is a must read for any fan of 70s skateboarding. For any young skaters out there, pick up this book and take a history lesson.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME- PERFECT- AMAZING - COOL!
Review: Friedman and Stecyk went all the way on this one. After seeing it at a film festival I thought the movie was amazing, but this book just took it all the way over the top. For sure, the only two people who could have done it, did it! Now I know more than ever why all these guys are living legends. Stecyk's original stories from the 70's and all of those previously un-released Friedman images from the 70's (100+ pages of them) are even more than I expected. The whole thing is nothing less than cool, inspirational and beautiful. This small format but thick book is amazing, it really does feel like a textbook on Dogtown that everyone who loves the movie or culture will have to own. I can't believe Friedman was so young when he shot those pictures! Stecyk's words will inspire, excite, and really entertain anyone who reads them, he's an awesome writer.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Companion To The Movie...
Review: Glen Friedman is one of the pioneers of skateboarding. Of all the famous pictures you've run across through the years, of skating in the 70's and 80's, he probably took most of them. From Tony Alva, to Tony Hawk. This book is great for someone like me who was skating in both decades and is still an avid follower of the genre. For anyone who remembers SKATEBOADER MAGAZINE, you will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Companion To The Movie...
Review: Glen Friedman is one of the pioneers of skateboarding. Of all the famous pictures you've run across through the years, of skating in the 70's and 80's, he probably took most of them. From Tony Alva, to Tony Hawk. This book is great for someone like me who was skating in both decades and is still an avid follower of the genre. For anyone who remembers SKATEBOADER MAGAZINE, you will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: ********
Review: I bought this book a couple of months ago and I constantly find myself going back to look at it. The pictures keep me in awe and the articles are fascinating. The one thing I don't like about the book is that although they acknowledge Peggy Oki's part in the Z-Boys Revolution they have almost no photographs of her. She was female skateboarding at that time. Other than that the book is fantastic and fascinating a great coffee table book but also a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Worth Buying
Review: I think the Z-Boys were very lucky to have Glen Friedman and Craig Stecyk around during their moment in the sun. Both obviously knew something dynamic was happening and were able to capture this early culture of skating and the Dogtown days. The photographs are great and the articles and interviews give you a taste of the Z-Boys' personalities as they were. The pool pictures are more intimate as if the photographers were camera-crashing their parties, and it just looked like they were having fun hanging out. Very well put together. I think if you buy the DVD, CD and this book you'll feel complete.
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