One book I really enjoyed, which had a lot to say about a place and time that yet resonates to the present day, was Tom Wolfe's "Bonfire of the Vanities" I recently re-read it, and enjoyed it all over again.

It was turned into a movie about five years after its publication, and the movie was truly horrible, so horrible that I purchased a DVD of it. So horrible there is a book about the making of the movie. It's made more interesting by the fact that a competent and well known director, Brian De Palma made it, some excellent actors were in it (Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffiths, Kim Cattrall, Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis), but it was defeated by miscasting and cowardice. Tom Wolfe's story was a pitiless romp through the ethnic soup of New York City, gaily splashing about the bowl. The story was modified to fit the PC mores of the time and to curry viewership. And talented as the actors are, few of them fit their assigned roles.

The movie was so bad there's a book about it: "The Devil's Candy" which is not bad.