Being a former waitress herself, it's not surprising that oral historian/photographer Taylor turned her attention to "lifers"--the over-50 career waitresses who often are the heart and soul of a coffee shop or diner. After conducting interviews with 57 waitresses in 38 cities and towns across the U.S., the author found these women to be satisfied with their lives and proud of their job skills and occupation. Besides presenting portraits of some of these women (in both words and photos), Taylor looks at how female servers came to dominate coffee shops and diners; at the nuts and bolts of waitressing; and at the stereotypes that the larger culture has about waitresses. Delightful, thought provoking, and generously illustrated with the author's color photographs, this book will be appreciated by any reader who has eaten at a "real" diner. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)