Ron Light writes, “I’m proud to announce the recent release of my book Pedal Culture: Guitar Effects Pedals as Cultural Artifacts (Backbeat Books), derived from a 2017 design exhibition I curated at San Francisco State University. The book is a themed exploration of eight different object displays richly illustrated in approximately 100 original photographs. Exhibits explore symbolic associations in the branding of sonic effects with notable cultural touchstones from popular arts and culture, ranging from gruesome tabloid tales of murder and mayhem to all-too obvious associations to guacamole and chips. Unlike other books about the expansive (and expensive) world of guitar gear, the curatorial tone of Pedal Culture employs an irreverent sensibility expressed in a whimsical and ironic attitude toward its subject. It is intended as a hip, personally expressive design project fusing form, content, and aesthetics into a volume oozing both art style and curatorial substance.”