{"product_id":"2940170293537","title":"Lake of the Ozarks: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America","description":"\u003cp\u003eBefore there was \"tourism\" and souvenir ashtrays became \"kitsch,\" the Lake of the Ozarks was a Shangri-La for middle-class Midwestern families on vacation, complete with man-made beaches, Hillbilly Mini Golf, and feathered rubber tomahawks. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was there that author Bill Geist spent summers in the Sixties during his school and college years working at Arrowhead Lodgeamp;mdash;a small resort owned by his bombastic uncleamp;mdash;in all areas of the operation, from cesspool attendant to bellhop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat may have seemed just a summer job became, upon reflection, a transformative era where a cast of eccentric, small-town characters and experiences shaped (some might suggest \"slightly twisted\") Bill into the man he is today. He realized it was this time in his life that had a direct influence on his sensibilities, his humor, his writing, and ultimately a career searching the world for other such untamed creatures for the \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eCBS News\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eLake of the Ozarks\u003c\/i\u003e, Emmy Award-winning \u003ci\u003eCBS Sunday Morning\u003c\/i\u003e Correspondent Bill Geist reflects on his coming of age in the American Heartland and traces his evolution as a man and a writer. He shares laugh-out-loud anecdotes and tongue-in-cheek observations guaranteed to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia for \"the good ol' days.\" Written with Geistian wit and warmth, \u003ci\u003eLake of the Ozarks\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers back to a bygone era, and demonstrates how you can find inspiration in the most unexpected places.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hachette Audio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47169631715568,"sku":"2940170293537","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940170293537_p0.jpg?v=1763707686","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940170293537","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}