Paperback, 371 pages.$40.00 In the words of the author; "Through the lens of the drumkit, this book charts the history not only of America's outward cultural impact but also the international musical cultures that influenced America. It aims to situate the story of the drum kit within larger narratives including the changing dynamics of music business, education, creativity, race and gender relations, human migration, and the unstable divide between high and low culture.... It is an attempt to make sense of the history of the status of the drummer as a musician, the drum kit as an instrument, drumming as a practice, and how they interacted with the wider world as viewed from behind the kit."