1. Bad Fads by Mark A. Long (ECW Press). Beginning with the 1910s and taking you decade by decade through the 1990s, Bad Fads is a tour of the 20th century's silliest fads and most memorable trends. This book looks at the ridiculous things we have believed, said, done or worn — it captures the marathon dances of the '30s, the bizarre goldfish swallowing of the 're 40s, the disco crazes of the '70s and the baffling popularity of Pokémon in the '90s. Not only does the author recollect these trends and many more, he also reveals how they got started, how they became popular and how they finally fell out of favor. Some of these fads will make you snicker (or laugh out loud); most will strike a familiar chord. Use this book to trigger memories when you interview relatives, share stories with family or write your life story.

2. Going, Going, Gone: Vanishing Americana by Susan Jonas and Marilyn Nissenson (Chronicle Books). Do you remember vinyl records? Whatever happened to them? What about drive-in movies? Or library card catalogs? Or soda fountains? Or rotary telephones? Or girdles? In the past few decades, we've seen many familiar pieces of popular culture begin to disappear. Going, Going, Gone examines more than 70 vanishing aspects of 20th-century cultural life. Like Bad Fads, this book has tons of family history applications: Use it to jog your memory when you write your life story. Share it with children and grandchildren when you reminisce about the “good old days.” Refer to it when you do oral history interviews with parents and grandparents, showing them the illustrations and asking them what they remember about the items. Or just relax and let it take you down memory lane.