Being the busy editor has left me with little time and ever- dwindling mental resources to read as widely and deeply as I wish. Indeed, when I do read, I wish to escape. Whether, it's to the past or to the future I hardly care; I just wish to "get gone."

Interestingly enough, a book was thrown my way that harkened me back to an age where past and future converged - the Lounge Age. Matt Maranian's book "Pad: The Guide to Ultra-Living" published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco, is a delicious concoction of How-To Manual and Swingers Guide Book.

In this book, you'll find many projects with which to recreate your very own pleasure palace/love lounge. You'll also find many interviews of people who have devoted their lives to the Spirit of Lounge. The pictures and illustrations of the various projects, done by Jack Gould and Susan Tudor, vividly drag this proto-alternative culture into our living rooms and onto our walls.

Imagine or better yet, remember, hanging, birdcage-swag-lamps, flame pits, bead curtains, faux fur galore! You can learn how to recreate this fantastic, "futuristic" period with everyday items, minimal cost and time!

Regardless of whether or not I have the time to start any of these projects, the wealth of creativity and ingenuity is as refreshing as any novel or self-help book. The campy energy of the book is enough to revitalize even the most jaded of Content Editors!