Incredibly enough Columbia Records is 125 years old, and Sean Wilentz's lavishly illustrated
coffee-table book documents the label's history. The photos of Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Gould, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, and many more are a sight to behold. Wilentz delves deep into the history of the company and how it survives in the digital age. Amazon sells it for under $30.