Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public

Book Description

In the course of more than sixty years spent covering Washington politics, Helen Thomas has witnessed a raft of fundamental changes in the way news is gathered and reported. Gone are the days of frequent firsthand contact with the president. Now, the press sees the president only at tightly controlled and orchestrated press conferences. In addition, Thomas sees a growing -- and alarming -- reluctance among reporters to question government spokesmen and probe for the truth. The result has been a wholesale failure by journalists to fulfill what is arguably their most vital role in contemporary American life -- to be the watchdogs of democracy. Today's journalists, according to Thomas, have become subdued, compromised lapdogs.

Here, the legendary journalist and bestselling author delivers a hard-hitting manifesto on the precipitous decline in the quality and ethics of political reportage -- and issues a clarion call for change. Thomas confronts some of the most significant issues of the day, including the jailing of reporters, the conservative swing in television news coverage, and the administration's increased insistence on "managed" news. But she is most emphatic about reporters' failure to adequately question President George W. Bush and White House spokesmen about the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, and on subjects ranging from homeland security to the economy. This, she insists, was a dire lapse.

Drawing on her peerless knowledge of journalism, Washington politics, and nine presidential administrations, as well as frank interviews with leading journalists past and present, Thomas provides readers with a rich historical perspective on the roots of American journalism, the circumstances attending the rise and fall of its golden age, and the nature and consequences of its current shortcomings. The result is a powerful, eye-opening discourse on the state of political reportage -- as well as a welcome and inspiring demand for meaningful and lasting reform.

Customer Reviews:

VERY INTERESTING BOOK.......2007-08-23

Helen Thomas has covered the White House since JFK and her insight into how the media has failed in the recent years to cover the White House and be the Watchdogs of Democracy is "Right on Point." There are very few "Real" Journalists like hardworking Helen Thomas around anymore!!

What's going on in Washington DC?.......2007-05-13

The lady in the red suit scores again with this cogent comment on the Washington press corps. Ms. Thomas, who pitches hardball questions during press conferences if she is allowed to do so, has very coherently and successfully produced a well-reasoned text about why the press corps failed the American people by not investigating the shenanigans surrounding the present administration. This is a necessary read for journalism students and probably for those interested history and political science.

A misleading title on a journalistic memoir.......2007-04-26

This book sorely disappointed me for two reasons. I strongly agree with the thesis of the title, that the media largely abandoned their important duty as watchdogs of democracy in the run-up to the War in Iraq, HOWEVER, this issue amounts to a grand total of ONE chapter in her entire book. The rest is a bunch of anecdotes tied loosely together. In fact, it reads more like an anthology than a unified work.

The second thing that disappointed me was also something of a shock: Helen Thomas, Grand Dame, Dean of the Washington Press Corps, is a lousy writer! I am serious. I read on average one or two political/nonfiction books a month, and this is one of the most poorly written I have read yet. Some of the books I have read are by "regular" people, some by pundits, and some by politicians. Nearly all of them write in a more interesting and engaging style than Mrs. Thomas. Her tone is often conversational at best, and her stories seem to be told as much to discuss presidents' interactions with the media as to tell you what an interesting career she has had.

I could not in good faith give it one star. It isn't horrible. It is just extremely disappointing.

rambling, disjointed, biasd, personal, fun.......2007-02-08

This is a rambling, disjointed, biased, personal account
of what should be an important public issue. The title
has a question mark, and the subtitle identifies the
culprit and makes an accusation. So how does "Watchdogs
of Democracy? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How
It Has Failed the Public" measure up? Not very well on
the subject, but better as a collection of snippets.

The foreword drones on and on for ten pages. Chapter 1
tells us Journalism is an honorable profession in
spite of Jayson Blair and a few others.
Chapter 2 mentions several scandals uncovered by the
press. Chapter 3 has anecdotes about presidents with
the press. Chapter 4 is about press secretaries.
Chapter 5 is about spinning the news.
Chapter 6 is about leakers and whistle blowers.
Chapter 7 admits that the news business is a business.
Chapter 8 complains about the FCC. Chapter 9 is
the subject of the book, the press as lapdogs.
Chapter 10 covers war correspondents, Iraq wars,
and Vietnam. Chapter 11 covers her choice of the
greatest American journalists. There is over 11
pages of closely spaced, double column index,
but no references.

Thomas seems to think there is little in Washington
except the White House. The other branches, and the
bureaus and departments are seldom mentioned.

Some Republicans will be bothered by some of her
attacks, and some Democrats will be delighted.
There are attacks, and both Democrats and Republicans
are the targets, perhaps in equal numbers, but they
are treated differently. Democrats tend to get the
passive voice and quirky little adjectives.
Republicans tend to get the active voice and
malicious adjectives. Bush 43 gets the worst
treatment.

Still, it is an entertaining book. The only time
I was tempted to put it down was Thomas quoting
herself giving a speech disguised as a question at
a White House Press Conference.

Neither focused nor organized.......2007-01-14

This book was clearly written for profit. Many sections of the book are only weakly connected back to the main theme and nowhere does Helen Thomas make her case-in-chief directly. Instead, the reader is treated to a series of vignettes which all too frequently bear only a tenuous relationship to one another and which make no effort to maintain continuity. While each chapter has a reasonably strong cohesion (though those boundaries frequently intersect in a way which would make any Venn diagram lover proud), they work together not as a fine Swiss watch, but instead more like a Rube Goldberg machine.
There is one theme which appears time-and-again: the idea that an objective and vigorous free press is a necessary part of democracy. This point is made consistently throughout the book from a cornucopia of different, albeit predicable, angles, and is artfully shown both implicitly and explicitly through excellent and enjoyable anecdotes accumulated during the author's sixty years as a White House correspondent. Unfortunately for the reader, her anecdotes frequently seem to be included for their value as self-platitudes rather than for intrinsic value or thematic attenuation. Also unfortunate is the inconvenient truth that Helen Thomas is no longer the type of reporter she praises, but the type she opines against: an opinion columnist.
There are certainly gems in the rough scattered throughout the 201 pages, but the author's tendency both to ramble and babble makes them difficult to find and detracts from their value. With regard to Thomas' periodic attempts a historical organization, her comments at the conclusion of chapter four are revealing: "There were other press secretaries and other spokespersons. I have mentioned only a few who stand out in my mind, for better or worse." Indeed, it seems she deemed fit to simply write down a train of thought as it occurred to her in the shower; that is to say, while not devoid of organization, the linking up of subjects is tenuous at best. Perhaps the most interesting and enjoyable aspect of Helen Thomas' writing style in this book is her robust use of vocabulary, which includes a scattering of excellent words on every page (some of which I even had to look up).

On My Own: The Art of Being a Woman Alone

Average customer rating:

Almost inspiring
Where's my book.
On My Own: The Art of Being a Woman Alone
The power of flying solo

On My Own: The Art of Being a Woman Alone
Florence Falk
Manufacturer: Harmony
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400098106
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

At some point over the course of the average American woman’s life, she will find herself alone, whether she is divorced, widowed, single, or in a loveless, isolating relationship. And when that time comes, it is likely that she will be at a loss as to how to handle it. As a society, we have an unspoken but omnipresent belief that a woman alone is an outcast, inherently flawed in some way. In this invigorating, supportive book, psychotherapist Florence Falk aims to take the fear, doubt, confusion, and helplessness out of being a woman alone. Falk invites all women to find their own paths toward an authentic selfhood, to discover the pleasures and riches of solitude, and to reconnect with others through a newfound sense of self-confidence.

Like so many women before her, Florence Falk found herself divorced, alone, and unsure of herself. Soon she realized that by embracing her solitude for what it was—a potentially enriching and life-altering experience—she could turn what once would have felt like “loneliness” into a far more positive and empowered “aloneness.” Falk notes that each of us has two opposing drives: one causes us to yearn to make close connections with others, and the other pulls us back into ourselves, into the need for selfhood and certainty that can only be shaped through solitude. In order to be whole, she says, we must heed both of those impulses. But in our modern culture, the former is stressed while the latter is neglected, even vilified. On My Own boldly shifts that paradigm.

With inspiring, intimate stories of women from all backgrounds, Falk illuminates the essential role that being alone plays in women’s lives. Whether she is in a stable relationship or on her own, every woman must learn to be by herself; for if she can be fully free, unfettered by society’s stigmas about being alone, life and all its possibilities will open up for her. And as Falk demonstrates, once a woman has discovered the richness of solitude, she is not likely to give it up so easily.

Customer Reviews:

Almost inspiring.......2007-08-24

The Art of Being a Woman Alone - now there's a subject which needed to be addressed. Women today (and for most of recorded history) have been culturally expected - even driven - to sacrifice themselves for others. More recently, ideals emerged which allowed women to seek their own interests and careers, and in todays world, most women know instinctively that they HAVE to be able to support themselves (and children if they have them) as men are no longer required to support them.
This, understandably, creates pressure.

In our modern drive to have everything, women have lost their Self. By losing one's Self, according to Falk, a person loses the ability to stand alone, to be self-sufficient, to enjoy solitude without being lonely and bereft. In addition, when one's Self is damaged or missing, there is nothing protecting you from psychic damage from friends, lovers, and the world in general.

In many ways, our culture resists the import of a woman who is able to stand alone. If you are valuing your own self, you are selfish - a horrible accusation to make of any girl or mother. If you cultivate your own interests, or enjoy your own company, you are self-absorbed - again, a negative. Falk wants us to take joy in selfishness, as we re-imagine ourselves and make peace with who we truly are. She wishes that more women would take time to be self-absorbed, to glory in the creative, WHOLE person who has been submerged for so long by our society, our relationships, and abuse.

Which brings me to the "almost inspiring." Falk finds it necessary to trace in microscopic detail the failed relationships, parental and peer abuse, and overarching societal pressure which causes modern women to lose their Self. This is an amazing downer in a book intended to inspire. In those pages (which are a majority of the book) there is a passivity - a helplessness in the face of a powerful and malevolent grinding cultural poverty. Comparing this to her stirring call for Self-awareness, I found it difficult when she failed to transfer this individual awareness into culture at large.

One example speaks of a girl, gifted and pretty, from an "academic" hippie family, and the teasing and social abuse she suffered at middle and high school. The girl, now a middle-aged woman, is only now dealing with this pain. Nowhere is it suggested that if the girl had a Self-aware mentor, she could have learned to stand ALONE and to rise above the taunts of her peers. Repeatedly, women and girls in her examples are left with gaping psychic wounds which are bemoaned as evil and spirit-breaking, but with no counter-examples to show HOW, if one is taught to grow into her Self from the start, those wounds could be minimized or avoided.

Much of this comes from the author's own experiences, as late in life she rediscovered herself and fought free of years of living for others. I do applaud women who, at any age, realize that no matter what or who is in your life, a healthy person's focus must be on themselves FIRST. However, I think that a celebration of women's rights to be whole people in themselves should try to show how to achieve that from the start, rather than passively accepting the damage until some midlife "eureka" is reached.

In spite of this, this book is stirring and powerful, and begs for women to accept that we CAN be alone and powerful, we CAN be at peace with our true Selves, and we CAN recover from childhood trauma and the pressures of life. This is an important message for everyone.

Where's my book. .......2007-07-07

I'd love to write a review and I'd love to have the book, but apparently it was sent to my old address, wasn't forwarded, and was sent back. I'd love it if you'd reship it to me at my new address: Barb Haynes, 108 Panico Trail, Murphy, NC 28907. Thanks

On My Own: The Art of Being a Woman Alone.......2007-05-14

This book was in great shape and was very inspirational. I have recommended it to several women of my age group.

The power of flying solo.......2007-04-17

On My Own is a revolutionary book. Florence Falk offers deep insight about the social and cultural frames that encourage women to see being alone as a "problem". Beautifully written, it traces, with true sensitivity, the many complex and often conflicting forces that 'contribute' to a woman's 'aloneness'. She boldly encourage us to shatter the paradigm, and reframes solitude as a positive state, a place of power, to be celebrated and explored with enthusiasm.

Around this country, millions of women, single or deeply lonely in their relationships, wrestle with questions about the role and place of partnership in their lives. This remarkable book offers us a way to see our aloneness in a new way....helping us to celebrate our solitude as a state of liberation.

It's hard to imagine a woman whose life would not be touched by reading this book. For many women, Falk's message will come as a key, unlocking a door they may never have known was even there.... and lives will change, forever. For some, perhaps, it will be revolutionary, and the change will come with great force. For others, it may be like a small stone, dropped into water, the rings rippling out gently, wider and wider... but either way, I am convinced, lives will transform. Give this book to a woman you know who is ready for freedom!

The Enlightened Bracketologist: The Final Four of Everything

Average customer rating:

OK, but uneven
Give It a Try
Quite Fun to Read and thought provoking
Bracket Play
great fun!

The Enlightened Bracketologist: The Final Four of Everything
Mark Reiter , and Richard Sandomir
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 159691310X
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

Introducing the ingenious, addictive tool for judging everything under the sun: ENLIGHTENED BRACKETOLOGY, the new science that makes opinion a sport.

Political battles are won and lost by popular vote. Great movies are nominated and chosen by committee. The rest of the world is more or less up for grabs. As a cure for the resulting confusion, Mark Reiter and Richard Sandomir have organized the world's most haunting and maddeningly subjective questions into a scheme of binary pairings that finally reveal what is truly the best in its class: What's the greatest

American beer? The best Elmore Leonard novel? The most reliable economic indicator? In each bracket five Darwinian rounds of binary matchups leave a lone survivor; textual notes explain the details.

Experts and subjects include: Ken Jennings on Game Show Catchphrases; Roz Chast on Animation Characters; Mo Rocca on Political Hot-Button Issues; Stefan Fatsis on Scrabble Words; Kurt Andersen on Conspiracy Theories; Jeff MacGregor on NASCAR Phrases; Will Blythe on Sports Rivalries; Henry Beard on Latin grammar; the editors of The Bark on Dogs for the Ages; Jesse Sheidlower on Punctuation; Rick Meyerowitz on Dodosaurs; and many more - 101 in all.

Go forth and adjudicate!

Customer Reviews:

OK, but uneven.......2007-09-28

The premise for this book is great, but more thought should have been put into selecting the subjects that were "bracketed." I found some of the brackets enjoyable, but others were just baffling. Alt-Country Songs? Freshwater and Saltwater Flies? I realize that the authors were trying to get a little bit of everything into the book, from NASCAR Phrases & Pickup Lines to Opera Arias & Latin Grammar, but the result was that I found myself skimming or skipping many of the brackets. A fun concept that could have been carried off better.

Give It a Try.......2007-09-04

The overall concept behind THE ENLIGHTENED BRACKETOLOGIST is that people can figure out the best of everything by putting together a bracketed tournament, similar to what is done during the NCAA basketball tournament. 102 different subjects are bracketed (101 are listed, but there is a bonus category of Baby Boy Names in the Coda). The bracket selections and their ultimate winners have been selected by over 90 different people and those people are usually experts or are heavily associated with their chosen field. So Ken Jennings put together the brackets for Game Show Catchphrases, the authors of THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GUILTY PLEASURES put together the brackets for Guilty Pleasures, and former Presidential speech writer Curt Smith put together the brackets for Presidential Speeches. The categories of brackets in the book are:

March Madness Moments
Where Were You When Moments
Animation Characters
Ad Slogans
Alt-Country Songs
American Beers
American Plays
Bald Guys
Black-and-White TV Programs
James Bond Gadgets
Dodosaurs
Bob Dylan Cover Songs
Candy Bars
Mondegreens, or Misheard Lyrics
Celebrity Sports Couples
CEOs
Spokescharacters Who Will Shill for Food
Cheese
Chick Flicks
Crosswordese
Classic Comedies
Conspiracy Theories
Corporate Jargon
Dogs for the Ages
Marital Arguments
Elmore Leonard Novels
Elvis Costello Songs
Emoticons
Endangered Species
Cooking Tools
Economic Indicators
Film Deaths
Frank Sinatra Songs
Freshwater and Saltwater Flies
Fruit
Game Show Catchphrases
Sportscaster Signature Calls
Memorable Speech Lines
Golf Swing Thoughts
Horses for the Ages
Jock Films
Guilty Pleasures
Guitar Solos
Hairstyles
Hip
Indie Rock Albums
Innovations in Sports
Inventions
Investment Strategies
Most Likely to Survive the 21st Century
Jew/Not a Jew
Kings and Queens of England
Latin Grammar
Long Songs
Longevity Strategies
Magical Sports Numbers
Male Vices
Meaningless Sports Statistics
Most Jersey
Mythological Figures
NASCAR Phrases
Newspaper Headlines
Opera Arias (Male)
Paul Simon Songs
Perfect Book Titles
Pickup Lines
Punctuation
Short Books
Plastic Surgery Disasters
Political Blunders of the Last 50 Years
Political Hot Buttons
Presidential Speeches
Priceless Things
Rednecks
Red Wines
Rivalries
Samuel L. Jackson Films
Scrabble Words
SEX AND THE CITY Wisdom
Shakespeare in Film
Sidekicks
Simple Things
Sins Against the Language
Sport/Not a Sport
Sports Books
Sucker Bets
Talk Show Hosts
Tell Me Again Why They're Famous
Troll Models
TV One-liners
Typefaces
Underdogs
Video Games
Wedding Gifts
White Wines
Women's Magazine Sex Cliches
Women's Undies
Your Boss's Annoying Habits
Yiddish Phrases
Shakespeare Insults
Baby Boy Names

The book does have a few drawbacks. There was no overall standard of how "contestants" were chosen therefore there is an overall lack of connection to the book. Different bracketeers used different criteria for their choices and some apparently just used their own personal preferences without any thought at all. Some of the categories are so limited in their appeal that it was very difficult to even care about what had been written, for example Opera Arias (Male)--I had heard of three composers and that was it; the rest made no sense to me. Lastly, though this is more a book of entertainment, at times it is political and leans towards the leftist side.

Despite these drawbacks, I found THE ENLIGHTENED BRACKETOLOGIST to be entertaining and at times informative.

Quite Fun to Read and thought provoking.......2007-06-02

This book inspires one to apply bracketology to just about any multi-option conundrum. Fun to read, can't necessarily agree with every one of their conclusions but that is what makes the book fascinating.

Bracket Play.......2007-05-16

I was inspired by what I see as new sort of mindmapping... A wonderful look see into the minds of others and the decisions they make.

great fun!.......2007-05-13

I heard an interview with the author of this book on NPR. I didn't think it would be that great, but then it was on one of the morning news shows, and in a magazine that I read. So I bought it. I'm so glad I did, it's SO much fun! It makes a great coffee table book, it easily starts a conversation.

There are a million different categories--best chick flick, best Denzel Washington movie, most commonly misspelled word, most commonly misstaken song lyric (one of my favorities, it says only the wrong words, so it's fun to figure out which song it's from), most annoying grammatical error. There's something for everyone. It gets you discussing which candy bar is really the best, or which is more annoying--bogus apostrophes or its/it's confusion. The book is wonderful--I highly reccomend it!

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto

Average customer rating:

Worth skimming
An oxymoron for Gen Xers
Like a great conversation
Manifesto?
How much junk culture can you take?

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto
Chuck Klosterman
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743236017

Amazon.com

There's quite a bit of intelligent analysis and thought-provoking insight packed into the pages of Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, which is a little surprising considering how darn stupid most of Klosterman's subject matter actually is. Klosterman, one of the few members of the so-called "Generation X" to proudly embrace that label and the stereotypical image of disaffected slackers that often accompanies it, takes the reader on a witty and highly entertaining tour through portions of pop culture not usually subjected to analysis and presents his thoughts on Saved by the Bell, Billy Joel, amateur porn, MTV's The Real World, and much more. It would be easy in dealing with such subject matter to simply pile on some undergraduate level deconstruction, make a few jokes, and have yourself a clever little book. But Klosterman goes deeper than that, often employing his own life spent as a member of the lowbrow target demographic to measure the cultural impact of his subjects. While the book never quite lives up to the use of the word "manifesto" in the title (it's really more of a survey mixed with elements of memoir), there is much here to entertain and illuminate, particularly passages on the psychoses and motivations of breakfast cereal mascots, the difference between Celtic fans and Laker fans, and The Empire Strikes Back. Sections on a Guns n' Roses tribute band, The Sims, and soccer feel more like magazine pieces included to fill space than part of a cohesive whole. But when you're talking about a book based on a section of cultural history so reliant on a lack of attention span, even the incongruities feel somehow appropriate. --John Moe

Book Description

Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman. With an exhaustive knowledge of popular culture and an almost effortless ability to spin brilliant prose out of unlikely subject matter, Klosterman attacks the entire spectrum of postmodern America: reality TV, Internet porn, Pamela Anderson, literary Jesus freaks, and the real difference between apples and oranges (of which there is none). And don't even get him started on his love life and the whole Harry-Met-Sally situation.

Whether deconstructing Saved by the Bell episodes or the artistic legacy of Billy Joel, the symbolic importance of The Empire Strikes Back or the Celtics/Lakers rivalry, Chuck will make you think, he'll make you laugh, and he'll drive you insane -- usually all at once. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is ostensibly about art, entertainment, infotainment, sports, politics, and kittens, but -- really -- it's about us. All of us. As Klosterman realizes late at night, in the moment before he falls asleep, "In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever 'in and of itself.'" Read to believe.

Download Description

"From the kid who brought you Fargo Rock City -- the first book in history to garner the praise of Stephen King, David Byrne, Donna Gaines, Sebastian Bach, Jonathan Lethem, and Rivers Cuomo -- comes Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs -- the first book in history to examine breakfast cereal, reality television, tribute bands, Internet porn, serial killers, and the Dixie Chicks. Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman -- with an exhaustive knowledge of popular culture and a seemingly effortless ability to spin brilliant prose out of unlikely subject matter. Whether deconstructing Saved by the Bell episodes or the artistic legacy of Billy Joel, the symbolic importance of The Empire Strikes Back or the Celtics/Lakers rivalry of the 1980s, Chuck will make you think, he'll make you laugh, and he'll drive you insane -- usually all at once. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is ostensibly about movies, sports, television, music, books, video games, and kittens...but, really, it's about us. All of us. As Klosterman realizes late at night, in the moment before he falls asleep, ""In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever 'in and of itself.'"" "

Customer Reviews:

Worth skimming.......2007-10-01

I recommend borrowing this book from your hip literary friend, who already owns it. It has some very funny chapters, and some of the interludes between chapters are truly great. However, it's really unsatisfying in large doses; after finishing a lot of the chapters, I just felt that I had wasted my time. Klosterman has a nice dry wit, and he's good at BSing about quirky topics. But that's really not enough for me to buy a book. Skim it at the bookstore or get it from the library; this is not a book that you'll ever want to reread.

An oxymoron for Gen Xers.......2007-09-16

I decided to read this book after considering the many positive reviews along with the accolades of several independent book sellers. I shouldn't have. I'm not going to say this book is bad, but its certainly not anywhere near being good either.

This book is a self-described manifesto, which it is not. It is the inane ramblings of someone who does not suffer from lycantrophy. It is dysfunctional, poorly written, and is essentially about nothing at all. I liken it to a Seinfeld episode, in print form, but without the distraction that comes from actual humor or entertainment value. In hind site, I'm starting to wish Klosterman did suffer from lycantrophy.

If you don't believe me, I will let a Chuck Klosterman quote from the book serve as a one line synopsis:

"Do you not see what I am no longer not saying to you? If so-congratulations!"

Like a great conversation.......2007-06-08

Reading this book is like having a long conversation about life with the most sarcastic/ funny person you know. Klosterman is easy to relate to, even when you haven't got the slightest idea what he is talking about.

Manifesto?.......2007-06-03

This book is only mildly funny and outdated. It seems like a bad rendition of the books he references, like "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius." The section on mixtapes is uninspired- "Love is a Mixtape," by Rob Sheffield is much more successful. This book produced no mindblowing or even relatively interesting ideas- a waste of time if you ask me.

How much junk culture can you take?.......2007-04-27

Chuck K is undoubtedly is a very clever dude and some of the insights here will make you laught at loud. Ultimately however I would advise cherry picking through these essays, as Chuck is so enamored of his beloved
'low culture' that it will get both stultifying and extremely banal. Make sure to skip the analyses of bad tv shows (esp The Real World and Saved by the Bell). Chuck tries so hard to show why disposable pap has an influence on society that he torpeoes hiw own argument - his assertion that Gen Y behavior pettern can be correlated to a character on Real World says much more about Klosterman than anything else. Similarly, his essay on the Lakers and Celtics rivalry sets perhaps a new low in 'serious' sports journalism, as the argument that the Lakers reperesent Democratic party values while the Celtics carry the torch for Republicans (CK seems to be a fairly staunch right-winger after his addiction to pop culture is peeled away) is beyond absurd, and his assertion at the end that "if you dont' care about the Lakers-Celtics you don't care about anything" (this is said unironically) is downright embarassing.

Chuck will also be very strident in his declarations of what is 'cool' and 'uncool'. The repeated appearance of these exact words in almost evry essay (sometimes sevral times) becomes very annoying and pointless. Klosterman (by his own admission) of course is 'uncool', but his endless obsession with coolness (and defining it)renders it meaningless.

So enjoy, but be careful.

Interior Design and Decoration (5th Edition)

Average customer rating:

Classic Prinicples
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
A Very Historical Overview of Interiors

Interior Design and Decoration (5th Edition)
Sherrill Whiton , and Stanley Abercrombie
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0130307483

Customer Reviews:

Classic Prinicples.......2002-12-28

This book is a must for anyone wishing to understand classic prinicples of design. It gives details unavailable in many standard works. I had an earlier edition while in university and when I lost it after a move, was delighted to be able to find another copy of this valuable resource. It was like Christmas to have it once again in my possession.

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!.......2001-02-26

As an instructor of Interior Design, I cannot praise this book enough....My students as well as fellow instructors find it an invaluable tool, not only in teaching beginning level courses, but also as a great reference manual after the student graduates....Several of us still have well-worn copies in our offices...Buy this book, you won't be dissapointed!

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!.......2001-02-26

A Very Historical Overview of Interiors.......2001-01-25

I found this book to be loaded with information. The author did an especially good job of incorporating the political, economic, and social context into the discussion of period styles. My main complaint about this book, however, was the complex writing style. It seemed to jump around a lot in attempt to include a basic overview of everything. This became VERY confusing at times. I feel it would be most helpful to someone who already has a solid background in the history of interior/furniture design periods. There was a lot of information about specific arts and crafts of each period (ie. metalwork, ceramics, woodwork).

Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture

Average customer rating:

one of the best books about visual culture
excellent!
Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture
Review of Chapter Nine
Brief on Practices of Looking (with emphasis on Chapter 8)

Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture
Marita Sturken , and Lisa Cartwright
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0198742711

Book Description

This comprehensive and engaging introduction to visual culture provides an overview of a range of theories about how we understand visual media and how we use images to express ourselves, to communicate, to experience pleasure, and to learn. Using over 175 illustrations, Professors Sturken and Cartwright examine how images - paintings, prints, photographs, film, television, video, advertisements, news images, the Internet, digital images, and science images - gain meaning in different cultural arenas, from art and commerce to science and the law, how they travel globally and in distinct cultures, and how they are an integral and important aspect of our lives. These images are analyzed in relation to a range of cultural and representational issues (desire, power, the gaze, bodies, sexuality, ethnicity) and methodologies (semiotics, marxism, psychoanalysis, feminism, postcolonial theory). Practices of Looking provides an explanation of the fundamentals of these theories while presenting visual examples of how they function. Central concepts such as ideology, the concept of the spectator, the role of reproduction in visual culture, the mass media and the public sphere, consumer culture, and postmodernism, among others, are explained in depth and in accessible, informative language. Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright provide the best introductory book for students coming to the study of visual culture for the first time. Truly interdisciplinary, this book aims to be the key text for courses across a range of disciplines including media and film studies, art history, photography, and communication media.

Customer Reviews:

one of the best books about visual culture.......2007-09-21

The authors of this book very clearly articulate the considerable factors of the visual culture in mass media and visual art. Not only the pictures cited in the texts are also quite helpful to better understand the details of description, but also more importantly this book provides knowledgeable contents and information enabling readers to be aware of the significant roles of visual culture and how it is embedded in our lives, influencing the whole culture, society, industry and other many impacts of social forces.

excellent!.......2007-02-26

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in media studies. The language is simple and articulate. The authors provide plenty of visual evidence in each chapter. If you enjoy reading about popular culture, even advertising strategies- this is the book for you.

Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture.......2006-03-25

I actually returned this book after leafing through it. It was a little disappointing and did not have much information other than common sense kind of info. Where was the meat?

Review of Chapter Nine.......2003-09-30

As a class assignment, I closely studied chapter nine of Practices of Looking, and researched several of the listed source materials. This chapter is entitled "The Global Flow of Visual Culture" and deals with the globalization of Western media, primarily in the form of television and the internet. The authors explore such topics as the history of media globalization, its effects on non-western cultures, pros and cons of the internet, and possibilities that new global technologies afford us.
This chapter was well-presented, persuasive, and useful. It offered a cohesive and informative discussion of a broad variety of topics, dealing with each one in satisfactory depth and detail. After researching a few of the listed sources, I found that while some of them seemed to be surplus to the actual chapter content, those that were used were, on the whole, represented accurately and fairly.
I recommend this book to anyone studying visual culture, due to its detailed and informative treatment of this broad and varied topic.

Brief on Practices of Looking (with emphasis on Chapter 8).......2003-04-26

In Practices of Looking, imagery in culture is shown to play on the way we perceive, initiate, and direct ourselves in our daily life. This book, indicates that we rely on imagery to guide us daily. This book explains how imagery is the most relied upon role model of today; basically, due to the fact that it is the most direct measure for a humans consumption of information. It provides input on how imagery sells goods through advertising, how images evoke personal memories, and how images can provide us with scientific data. In Society, Imagery can be found in all areas of the social arena. Influence of imagery is never counted alone in any arena. It is quoted in Practices of Looking "That images are never singular, discrete events, but are informed by a broader set of conditions and factors. The identity of science in correlation with imagery is explained in a wide spectrum of social engagements. Anything in the fine arts, film, television, and advertising, to visual data, can provide insight into the way we see things.

In Practices of Looking, written by Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright, mediums of influence and expression for Science and Imagery are identified in Chapter 8, Scientific Looking, Looking at Science. This chapter projects ideas with scientific imagery from the early 19th century to modern day. The chapter opens your eyes to the realization that we are constantly being fed ideas from imaging dealing with any subject matter. Whether the ideas are correct or not, most people today take the information and the images they see very seriously, especially when there are relations to science. Maybe due to the fact that science has proved itself in time, at least this is one opinion written in Practices of Looking; life science is seen as the "truth" and is accepted as objective knowledge due to the fact that doctors have a clearer understanding for the body through their experience. The understanding and the experience of Doctors is covered very thorougly throughout this chapter. It explains how imagery even comes into play in arenas we would never correlate influence from imagery, like (law and medicine). This chapter provides us with archival proof, predictions, perspective for current and past issues, time frames, and also developmental measurements. I found this book to be a great resource for understanding the influence that imagery has upon us in society. It really gives one a great look at the daily impact that imagery plays, and how it effects the publics outlook. I would definately recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about "how art and media plays a role in society".

Average customer rating:

Not for Beginners

Same Book As Audio In Media With Infotrac

An industry primer

Sound God

Never is late to learn

Audio in Media (with InfoTrac ) (Wadsworth Series in Broadcast and Production)
Stanley R. Alten
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Tools of Screenwriting: A Writer's Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay

Television Production Handbook

Video Basics

Pro Tools 101: Official Courseware

Modern Recording Techniques, Sixth Edition

ASIN: 0534630464

Book Description

In this market-leading text, Stanley Alten, an internationally recognized scholar and expert in the area of audio production, provides students with an introduction to the basic techniques and principles needed for audio production in media. The text has helped professors effectively teach this technically based course to the introductory audio production student through its clear and current illustrations and photos and student-friendly writing. Comprehensive, technically accurate, and up-to-date, the text covers informational, perceptual, and aesthetic aspects of sound as they apply to each stage of the production process -- from planning to post-production.

Customer Reviews:

Not for Beginners.......2007-02-25

If, as this book claims, is a beginner's guide offering a nontechnical approach, than I am the Queen of England. I have an advanced degree, am published myself and work as a college professor in another field, but for all practical purposes, this book might as well as be in another language. If this book is truly for beginners, it would avoid sentences like "There are two parallel signal strengths, channel and monitor. In the I/O section, equalization and other signal processing can be delegated to the monitor system for auditioning without effecting the signal being sent to the multitrack recorder, or the signal can be sent to multitrack recorder, or both." Sure.

The editors at Wadsworth should have caught this, but my guess is no editor ever read it. Expensive and frustrating.

Same Book As Audio In Media With Infotrac.......2003-05-16

This text is a broad-based approach to audio for radio/TV/film, and music recording. The emphasis is on audio for production students rather than for engineers, and the text covers informational, perceptual, and aesthetic aspects of sound as they apply to each stage of the production process-from planning to post-production.

An industry primer.......2002-12-31

This was my college text for Broadcasting in 1984/85 and I taught Radio Production from this book. I am a video editor (Avid) and a freelance audio engineer having mixed/recorded over 500 music performances. I STILL reference this book. It is easy to understand, direct and thorough; maybe the only textbook you might keep.

Sound God.......2000-07-27

I have had Stanley Alten for a professor and he knows what he is talking about. He is the know-all be-all of sound. His books are easy to read and to understand and great for people learning sound techniques.

Never is late to learn.......1999-08-05

The most important in this book is that you can find anything about sound. I mean 1) fundamentals in sound 2) technology from past to future and 3) aplications. This book speaks of any thing in sound for any aplication (TV, studios, acoustic ect)

Average customer rating:

Textbook
Careful...
Great bookq
Misleading Title
not the actual book

Looking Out, Looking In
Ronald B. Adler , and Russell F. Proctor II
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

Student Activities Manual for Adler/Proctor/Towne's Looking Out, Looking In, 12th

ASIN: 049509580X

Book Description

Used by more than a million students, LOOKING OUT, LOOKING IN, Twelfth Edition, continues its outstanding tradition of combining current information with a fun, reader-friendly voice that links course topics to your everyday life. You'll discover the reasons to improve your interpersonal skills and sharpen your critical understanding of the communication process through diverse and compelling examples that illustrate how communication skills can affect both the world around us and our own lives. Improve your relationships and your future career success, with the only text that offers the tools that have been proven to build better communication skills for almost 30 years!

Customer Reviews:

Textbook.......2007-03-03

It has a clear organization, and interesting insets. For a textbook, it intrigues. The comic inserts are a tip of the hat to culture, and everything is up-to-date.

Careful..........2007-02-24

This is an okay book for note taking and has a lot of the terms identified, but please note THIS IS NOT THE TEXT BOOK!!! I'm not sure whose fault it was but when I went to buy it it only stated the tilte and cover of the textbook. I had to go back and buy the book elsewhere. Please be careful! As for the book itself it is a thin paperback notebook with key tearms (arbitrary as well as book terms) on the left side and a blank sheet to write notes on the left. The terms are pretty well chosen and helped me on a test. If this is all you want then get it but once agian be careful.

Great bookq.......2007-02-17

I love the book. I am using it for a communication class I am taking and it is extremely helpful and easy to read. It uses today's terminology and is very up to date in regards to examples used and the way that its worded. It is a great book to learn a lot about communication that we don't necessarily learn from day to day interaction.

Misleading Title.......2007-01-19

Was very disappointed when I received 'Cram101 Textbook Outlines' to accompany "Looking Out Looking In". I thought I had ordered the book "Looking Out Looking In". Very misleading when purchasing this. I don't know if something was listed wrong or not, but when ordering I usually type in the ISB # to find the book I need. Somehow I got the Looking Out... Textbook Outlines.

not the actual book.......2007-01-19

This is the Cram101 textbook outline, not the actual book. I was unpleasantly surprised by this when I received it in the mail after paying to have it expedited. The title that amazon puts is misleading, even the other customer reviews are misleading. The only place that mentions Cram101 is the publishers review - which I found only after I got this worthless book.

Average customer rating:

Serious yet fun
Insightful Photographs
Welcome to the pink box
As much a voyeuristic look inside the pink box as a thorough guide to the menu and customs of the sex industry
Why???

Pink Box: Inside Japan's Sex Clubs
Joan Sinclair
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810992590

Book Description

In Pink Box, photographer Joan Sinclair takes us on a journey inside the secret world of fuzoku (commercial sex) in Japan, a world where kawaii (cute) collides with consumerism and sex.

Unrivaled in their creativity and the sheer number of choices, the clubs featured in this book offer their clientele every fantasy imaginable. Subway groping, visits to the nurse's office, and comic book character encounters are just the beginning of the immense list of possibilities that are played out in colorful playrooms for adults where no detail is overlooked. Sinclair's photographs capture it all, while an introduction by sociologist James Farrer provides a brief history of commercial sex in Japan and places the images in the context of contemporary Japanese culture.

Customer Reviews:

Serious yet fun.......2007-09-16

The Pink Box is about Japan's fantasy and sex clubs. While full of interesting and, sometimes, shocking photos taken while in many of the clubs the book also explains how the clubs work. The rules they follow, the people who work there, the types of people who come to enjoy the clubs and why they survive in Japan in the first place. It is serious but with a touch of humor and great fun.
And some of the girls are just hot.

Insightful Photographs.......2007-08-05

There's something intensely interesting about the dichotomy between Japan's formal, public culture and the wide acceptance of the sex club culture. In some ways, it mirrors the religious face of American culture versus the gratuitous sex we accept in magazines, movies and TV. Still, Japanese culture and American culture are quite different and this book goes a long way towards making sense of the differences.

In fact, "interesting" is probably the best adjective to describe Ms. Sinclair's photographs. Despite their subject matter, they aren't particularly erotic. Instead, they are explanatory. They are posed. They are beautiful, yes, and they cover a wide cross-section of the sex trade but they capture people working. Because of that, they reflect a certain banality of working life that we don't normally associate with sex.

In addition, the brief bits of text that accompany the photos contribute to the air of explanation. And yet, finishing the book leaves a clearer and prettier picture of the sex club culture in Japan than something like Araki's Tokyo Lucky Hole. There's is much to be said for Araki's grittier and more ambiguous work but Sinclair's has its own pleasures. For someone looking to understand more of this part of Japanese culture, Sinclair's book should not be missed.

Welcome to the pink box.......2007-07-27

Joan Sinclair's photographic voyage through the adult clubs of Japan is anything but boring. Far from it, it shows the exotic and erotic side of what's presumably a very conservative culture. The most prominent places are in Shinjuku's Kabuki-chou, the red-light district in Tokyo that's also home to the yakuza, and in Osaka. The sad thing is that if one is a foreigner, chances are zilch that one can experience this fantasy world because they cater only to their own, and given how conservative the yakuza are... need I say more?

I just have to admit how imaginative my countrymen are in those businesses in the red-light district. Naturally, the Japanese high school girl in her uniform is a figure of fantasy regarding sex, so yes, there are high school girl cosplays. They have been targets of perverts on trains, such as groping or pinching, so yes, in image clubs, they have mock trains where one can do those things to the girls there. There are also OL (office lady) cosplays, where one can choose the colour of stockings and uniform worn by the lady they choose. The sign outside reads "OL--Sexual Harassment Office." Then there is the nurse costume, stewardesses, waitresses, I am reminded of one fast food burger chain whose motto was "make it your way." Some clubs, like the Reijo Club C'est Bien, have a menu--polaroids are a 1000 yen (about $10), pantyhose a 1000 yen, strap-ons are 2000 yen, and S&M goods 2000 yen, to give a few examples. And there's a multiple choice questionnaire where the customer circles what one wants the girl to do.

The owners of the establishment also take the time to protect their girls, as they have signs requesting customers not to force their girls, to refrain from rough touches or language. And the real thing is a no-no in those clubs. One might think the girls are being exploited, but as one girl says, "It would take a year to earn the money for my purse if I was working in an office."

Then there are clubs where there aren't any women. The doll club are for customers who are shy to be with real women so there are life-sized silicone dolls where customers can choose the face, hair length, costume, and the V-word. The fee is the same for spending time with a real woman.

The peeping rooms are clubs for anonymously spying on girls who never see the customers, the distance separated by one-way mirrors or lucky holes. For something bizarre, how about 2000 yen to play inside a tub of green gel? And in Club Mammoth, there are two very hefty girls, who are still cute, and are worth being sandwiched inbetween.

There's also a "pink dictionary" of terms in the back. Explicit, elegant, and cute, and in a pink plastic cover. Well worth reading for those interested in that side of Japan.

As much a voyeuristic look inside the pink box as a thorough guide to the menu and customs of the sex industry.......2007-06-27

Just after her 30th birthday, San Francisco attorney Joan Sinclair returned to Japan (she had been an English teacher there in her early twenties) to embark on an ambitious project of photographing the sex clubs in Tokyo's red light district. She remembered the cornucopia of sex options in Tokyo and had always wondered why it wasn't written about or photographed. She soon learned that the main obstacle was access to clubs. Sinclair couldn't pay her way in, so she cajoled and befriended the right players and now provides both American and Japan with a glossy look behind the closed doors of the sex industry.

The book is as much a voyeuristic look inside the pink box as it is a thorough guide to the menu and customs of the sex industry. Clubs offer services in fuzoku (commercial sex) ranging from hostess services in the geisha tradition, to image clubs ("play" rooms to fulfill fantasies with schoolgirls and police officers), to telephone clubs with internet stations and live chat, to a few full-on brothels. Clubs cater to males, females, and swinging couples. Many operate in legal limbo--sex for money is illegal, so customers pay for legal aspects and any intercourse is a private affair between consenting adults. Customers must obey the rules or face ejection and banishment, complete with posted Polaroids of offenders!

Looking thought the several hundred photos in this book (of workers, customers, menus, and settings), I was struck by how small the fantasy rooms and cubicles are. Sinclair writes that she often had to shoot with a unipod due to the space restrictions. I especially enjoyed the club menus and questionnaires translated in the book, indicating acts beyond my imagination which can be requested by the customer.

Why???.......2007-06-27

A rather sophmoric look into Japan's sex clubs. There is really no content in this book, rather photo's that would get a pubescent boy's mind wandering in ways it shouldn't.

Overall I would not recommend this book unless it was for a gag, however the translucent pink synthetic book cover and title are some what playful

Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader

Average customer rating:

Wow... are we not spellchecking or editing books anymore??
Fair information, edited by a twit.
Excellent resourse for post-modern media theory.
Media, stereotypes, white ideologies, marginalization.
best text reader ever for my communication major

Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Text-Reader

Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 076192261X

Book Description

Incisive analyses of mass media – including such forms as talk shows, MTV, the Internet, soap operas, television sitcoms, dramatic series, pornography, and advertising—enable this provocative new edition of Gender, Race and Class in Media to engage students in critical mass media scholarship. Issues of power related to gender, race, and class are integrated into a wide range of articles examining the economic and cultural implications of mass media as institutions, including the political economy of media production, textual analysis, and media consumption.

Ten new, original essays are included in this text, along with compelling previously published articles and book chapters by both established media scholars and new voices in the field. Together with new section introductions by Gail Dines and Jean Humez, the readings provide a solid yet accessible critical introduction to mass media studies.

Features:

Authority. Original essays and important reprinted articles from renowned scholars comprise this comprehensive and diverse volume
Original essaysand important reprinted articlesfrom renowned scholars comprise this comprehensive and diverse volume
Accessibility. Work in cultural studies and queer theory is made accessible to undergraduate students
. Work in cultural studies and queer theory is made accessible to undergraduate students
Activist Philosophy. Extensive bibliography and media resources encourage conscientious activism.
. Extensive bibliography and media resources encourage conscientious activism.
Integrated analysis. Race is examined throughout the text rather than treated in a separate chapter.
Race is examined throughout the text rather than treated in a separate chapter.
Original essaysand important reprinted articlesfrom renowned scholars comprise this comprehensive and diverse volume . Work in cultural studies and queer theory is made accessible to undergraduate students . Extensive bibliography and media resources encourage conscientious activism. Race is examined throughout the text rather than treated in a separate chapter.

New to the Second Edition:

Expanded coverage of "queer" representations in mass media

New section introductions provide readers with a guide for each section

New section on the violence debates and a new section on the Internet

Two sections devoted to consumerism, marketing, and advertising

Recommended for courses in mass media, feminist theory, race, class, and gender, and social theory in the Sociology, Communication, and Women’s Studies disciplines. Also recommended as a general reference title for scholars and anyone interested in the representation of race, class, and gender in the media.

Customer Reviews:

Wow... are we not spellchecking or editing books anymore??.......2007-06-21

First, let me say that the premise of each article was great for a 400- or 500-level college course and prompted many heated discussions.

But, along the lines of the other reviewer... how are we to take it seriously when we come across dozens of grammatical errors, missing words (the most prevalent error) and punctuation disasters? It read as though the articles were submitted, read by a third-grader and then stuffed hurriedly into the book for publication. A quick read by the "editors" would have found the vast majority of errors.

This is not something isolated, for 3 out of the 4 textbooks I have been assigned this summer session have dozens (yes, "dozens") of grammatical, typographical and punctuation disasters -- books well into their 2nd, 4th and 7th editions. No wonder kids graduating college habitually spell "too" as "to."

Fix the errors before you print the third edition!

Fair information, edited by a twit........2004-02-15

I could not finish reading the book, because I could not take the authors seriously. The many misspellings and mechanical errors were far to distracting. This text is a worthy example of how NOT to write a book.

Excellent resourse for post-modern media theory........1999-09-14

As the media becomes one of the most dominant means by which we frame our social reality, it becomes crucial for each of us to understand how media can become a mean to someone's own end. An excellent treatment of hegemony and dominant/ prefered readings. This should be a required text in all communication/ social science programs. But it ain't bad readin' for anyone else who consumes media either, namely you!

Media, stereotypes, white ideologies, marginalization........1999-01-11

An excellent reader explaining the media's role in perpetrating common stereotypes of historically marginalized people. Includes analysis of advertising, sexual representation, TV and music. An excellent textbook for cultural studies.

best text reader ever for my communication major.......1998-12-06

broad and complete view point on the issues that face college critics in media fields. Most comprehensive text I have been required to buy with my major. Would highly recommend to other prof.s

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