Jack Goldstein and the Cal Arts Mafia is the compelling story of Jack Goldstein and some of his classmates at Cal Arts who in the early 1970?s went to New York to discover an art world increasingly consumed by the desire for fame and fortune and the perks of success. The book is anchored by Jack's narratives of the early days of CalArts and the last days of Chouinard; the New York art world of the seventies and eighties; the trials and tribulations of finding and maintaining success; and his inter-personal relationships. They are complemented by the first person narratives of Jack's friends, including John Baldessari, Troy Brauntuch, Rosetta Brooks, Jean Fisher, Robert Longo and Matt Mullican. There are compelling portraits of many well known art world personalities, including Mary Boone, David Salle, and Helene Winer, all working in a time when "the competitive spirit was strong and often brutal, caring little about anything but oneself and making lots of money." Has anything changed?