Arranged chronologically by month, this book provides brief biographies of the first 294 Playboy centerfold models, from Marilyn Monroe (December 1953) in the magazine’s premier issue, to Candy Loving (January 1979) in the 25th Anniversary special. The stereotype of the “Playmate of the Month” as an air-head sex object is far from the truth. Most of them led average lives. Some were college students, some were stuck in dead-end jobs or failed marriages. They tended to be ambitious and most found their experience with the magazine positive, even life-altering. Some enjoyed their brief notoriety and went on to become archetypal soccer moms or church ladies. Others used it as a stepping stone to careers in the arts, business or politics. A bibliography arranged by name is included.