From 1968 to 1973 there appeared on the airwaves a television variety show that transformed the genre and opened a window into black music, art, culture and politics that was nothing short of groundbreaking. Conceived and hosted by Ellis Haizlip, "Soul!" mirrored the vibrant and revolutionary breadth of the African American and African diasporic cultural experience at that moment. With a range of guests from the highly noted to those making their first televised appearances, "Soul!" sought to hold a mirror up to black culture in a way that was unprecedented.Gayle Wald has done an excellent job chronicling the conception, development and life of this unique show. Though her writing and analysis is clearly academic--and the writing often has a dry academic tone--the vibrancy of the material itself and Wald's deep engagement with the subject transcends that. One would hope for a more dynamic voice to match the subject, but Wald is to be commended for her commitment to bringing the significant accomplishments of this program to wider pubic attention through her research. The production photographs by noted photographer Chester Higgins (then just beginning his career) are a valuable and visually dynamic addition to the text. "It's Been Beautiful: Soul and Black Power..." is an essential addition to the library of anyone looking to know more about black culture and the state of public television during its formative decades in the 1970s and 80s.