The world of Oz has given joy to countless generations of children; the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City has become part of our culture. Before he published THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, Baum tried acting, sales, and newspaper work without much success. Neither he nor his publisher had total confidence in Oz, but it promptly became a bestseller and has remained so ever since. Baum went on to write 13 more Oz books, while pursuing success in the theatre and becoming involved in the early movie business in Southern California.