These essays cover a wide range of topics, including a California murder trial, Haight-Ashbury hippies, Howard Hughes, quickie Las Vegas weddings, and the act of keeping a notebook.  Didion’s analyses of public events are as poignant as her reflections on more private behaviors; she is as suspicious and critical of what motivates Las Vegas brides as she is of her own impulse to write. Although at times a bit polemical, Didion’s combination of thoughtful observations and spot-on sentence structure makes her style interesting and enjoyable to read.  Favorite one-liner: “I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not.”