"Beach Chair for Beginners" is the title of the manual at the beginning of this fascinating book. Now that both novice and expert can sit comfortably, they can enjoy a panorama of German beach life in the chair and learn that beach chairs were already known in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The book also explores what happens to this "German unique item" during a storm surge or in winter, as well as the German reunification at the waterfront and the journey of a beach chair to the Alps - a sign that the beach chair has also become very fashionable for gardens. Finally, artists and writers take a seat in the beach chair, that "peculiarly protective seating enclosure," as Thomas Mann so loved to describe it. Thus, this volume offers both entertaining and informative content and should be considered part of the "basic equipment" for every beach chair user from Usedom to Sylt to Norderney.