Book Description
For the better part of 30 years, liberal bias has dominated mainstream media. But author and political journalist Brian Anderson reveals in his new book that the era of liberal dominance is going the way of the dodo bird.
Customer Reviews:
Mostly filler........2007-09-26
Although I bought this book looking to see insight on what the next generation of American conservatives may be, the book overall looses focus and tends to point out the obvious (eg., conservatives look to Fox News and talk radio). I beleive there are maybe two chapters worthy of print in this entire book. However, in midst of the filler here there is a strong point to be made about the changes of how the younger generations today view politics.
Not Perfect - But Insightful and Amusing.......2007-06-09
South Park Conservatives is a gem of a book; short, to the point, and leaving its reader (so long as you're right of center) with a renewed sense of hope. Starting with the same premise as so many other authors (Bernard Goldberg comes to mind), Anderson lambasts the hopelessly biased media. Rathergate is only one count of many in his indictment.
He is also, fitting for a fellow who is the editor of City Journal, willing to look at the disturbing degree to which modern liberalism is inherently illiberal. These are the people who whole-heartedly buy into Marcuse's doctrine of "liberating tolerance" and Rawls's argument that political debate must only take into account "reasonable" doctrines; both thinkers' constructs obviously have no place for conservatism or conservative principles. Thus liberal attempts to depict Republicans and conservatives as racist, misogynistic and homophobic bigots is part of their own internal effort to throw conservatism out of the bounds of "reasonableness." This is also, of course, a liberalism with a penchant for ironic Orwellianism and double speak, and the unspoken rule that free speech ends if you don't agree with them. See the treatment at Columbia of the Minutemen (or closer to home, the treatment at Duke of David Horowitz). Further this is the group that refuses to see bias in anyone that agrees with them; thus they can justify calling Dan Rather objective while working themselves into a lather over anyone who airs a conservative perspective. By extension, this is why Democrats are making noises about reinstating the "Fairness Doctrine" (itself an Orwellian misnomer) - because only those that disagree with them are biased and in need of balancing.
But whereas this is as far as many go, Anderson rightly points out that things are changing. Quickly. Sure liberals still hold on to the Big 3 (whose viewership is plummeting) and many major newspapers, to say nothing of large swathes of the academe. But technological revolutions have given rise to a new media - talk radio, cable news, the internet - where Republicans are either a major force or effectively dominate. Rush and O'Reilly are the face of this new media. And they're not just disseminating the conservative message like never before, they (and especially the blogs) are holding the mainstream media accountable, calling BS when (often) appropriate, and forcing them to cover stories that would otherwise be ignored as incompatible with the liberal meta-narrative.
He also suggests that times are changing on campuses around the country as conservative principles, journals, College Republicans chapters, etc. are flourishing. He's quick to point out that the faculty, overwhelmingly liberal, still hold the high ground, but that conservatism is no longer invisible on campuses. Some of his interviewees suggest that this is the result of liberal indoctrination, a sort of classroom blowback; universities also act as a sort of ideological forge where faced with liberal nonsense in all its absurd glory, students embrace and refine their conservative principles.
But what Anderson doesn't point out is that these very instruments of conservative campus revival also suggest that liberals are doomed to another generation of failure. The modern Republican revolution - 1994 to the present (?) - has been grounded in ideas, in alternatives to tired Democratic policies (no matter how you frame it, tax and spend is still tax and spend, and cut and run is still cut and run!); the next generation of conservative activists are already getting introduced to that culture of innovation. Their liberal counterparts , in contrast, are too often picketing against some new "injustice" or soaking up the latest drivel of race/gender/class studies - nice if you're seeking a career in navel-gazing, but absolutely insufficient if you're going to shape the future of the nation.
Finally, the title itself points to an entertainment industry that is in places reacting viciously to the PC nonsense and condescension that characterize the Left as a whole and especially its Hollywood incarnation. Leading the charge here is Comedy Central's South Park - not so much conservative as anti-liberal, gleefully destroying liberal idols and mocking liberals such as Al Gore, Rob Reiner, and Michael Moore. Priceless stuff really.
South Park Conservatives isn't an equally intellectual counterpoint to Bloom's Closing of the American Mind; it isn't meant to be. Rather, it chronicles some critical evolutions in the media and suggests that incessant griping about liberalism's chokehold on the MSM is overwrought, that it is in many ways a colossus with clay feet. It's got a message, but it's light enough to be a beach read. Go forth and enjoy.
Surprisingly good--3 1/2 stars...........2007-03-13
This book was given to me and almost got sent to the thrift store. I've never watched much South Park and I'm kinda tired of political books. However, just before getting rid of the book, I took a look at the chapter on South Park and got hooked. I had no idea the South Park episodes were full of so much political satire. It always seemed to be a show that made fun of everything, but as this book pointed out--their biggest target is the left-wing. This book is about more than just South Park--other highlights are the chapter on the right-wing blogosphere and conservative comedy.
Oh my G*d....They killed PC.!.......2007-01-18
Before I begin, let me assure you, as the author does, that this book is not (entirely) about South Park, nor does it take its fuel from the characters and situations therein. Brian C. Anderson has explained here how the new generation of other-than-left-wing college student and young professional express themselves and find solace in today's culture.
That said, I must sing the praises of the South Park chapter. For years I have tried to give my conservative peers, including church members, a sibling,Bush-43 campaigners, etc., an accurate, funny explanation of South Park. "Well, there's these four guys...well, they're fourth graders, and their teacher, Mrs. Garrison...well, he used to be Mr. Garrison, but he had a sex change, you see...anyway, the kids are always railing at anything that's PC. And there's two handicapped kids in the classroom, Jimmy and Timmy, and Timmy can only say his name. And he wins the rock contest with his band, just saying, 'Timmy! Timmy!' And Jesus has his own show, and he sent his producer to hell for turning it into a Jerry Springer type show." By now my audience is either looking at me very sympathetically, or they're at probate court filing a petition to have me hospitalized at the nearest psychiatric ward.
Anderson, to the contrary, writes a brilliant essay on Trey Parker and Matt Stone's anti-PC creation, which has been adopted by Republicans and conservative libertarians alike and tells us what appeals to us about the show (a bingeing Rob Reiner coming around trying to shut down the cigarette factory down, for example).
Surrounding this essay, though, are other writings about what impacts conservatives, and what we impacts. Rush Limbaugh's rise is chronicled, as are Newt Gingrich's and C-Span. And what would a book on conservative culture be without the story of FOX News? As Anderson was completing his book, Matt Drudge and the blogging phenomenon was just coming into vogue, and he covers it well.
He also brings up the expected liberal arguments that these media outlets--Rush's show, FOX news, for example, are propoganda. Well, Rush has always maintained that his IS a thoroughly right-wing shop....and anybody can open up a thoroughly left-wing shop across the street anytime they want (like "AirAmerica"). But what about FOX's "fair and balanced" tag line? Anderson brings up examples from that seem to prove they have a right to say that.
Mr. Anderson is a joy to read. Entertaining, intellectually challenging...I will definitely be looking for further titles from him.
The Revolt: A Long Time in Coming.......2006-11-26
Until Bernard Goldberg published BIAS, it was pretty well taken for granted that the hegemony that the liberal left had over the major media was so all-powerful and pervasive that one simply accepted it as an immutable law of nature. What Goldberg did to eviscerate CBS, Brian Anderson in SOUTH PARK CONSERVATIVES swells Goldberg's thesis to include the entire major media, from television to newspapers to book print. Now, readers of Anderson's admitted polemic against the left can trace the growth of the stranglehold that the left used to wield, but now thanks to alternative media can hope for a far more balanced view.
It becomes clear that from the opening chapter "The Old Media regime" that Anderson correctly portrays the liberal left as the elitist if not clueless entity that it is. He notes that those who are the liberal power brokers of mass media truly do not see themselves as the idealogues that the rest of the nation does. Rather, their self-image is one of a careful concern for the ethics and moral growth of our nation, and this self-image they see as middle of the road and representative of Middle America. In fact, Anderson describes the left's anguish when others dare to question their moral rectitude and probity. "Wait a second," say some pressmen, when confronted with such facts. "Maybe we journalists are usually liberal, but that doesn't mean we allow our political views ever to influence our reporting. We're pros." One can almost hear the pain as they grasp what others say as ingratitude. And as Anderson writes, it is this different moral universe in which the liberal left inhabits that renders them as historically ineffective and increasingly irrelevant.
Anderson, as many others have noted, describes the battle between a morally queasy left and a morally centered right as one in which the former used to hold most of the high cards, but now thanks mostly to Fox news, talk radio, and the blogosphere, the right is beginning to rake in the aces. The left still holds sway but as of today, that hegemony is slowly crumbling. The right may never totally swap places with the left in terms of total control of the media, nor would that be a good thing either, but now for the first time, left-leaning mouthpieces like the New York Times can no longer twist and spin the news in a manner of its choosing. Brian Anderson in SOUTH PARK CONSERVATIVES has become one of a flood tide of left-watchers who insure that when all the news that is fit to print is printed it will be printed in a manner that is fair and balanced. And when that is not so there will be a public squak to indicate that the revolt is not yet over.
Amazon.com
Jean Kilbourne first gained prominence in the 1970s as the maker of Killing Us Softly, a documentary that detailed how the images of women in advertising were destructive for women in real life. In the years since, her thesis hasn't changed much, but the evidence supporting it has accumulated at an overwhelming rate. One of the first points that Kilbourne makes clear in Deadly Persuasion is that advertising does influence people, which is why newspapers and magazines engage in cutthroat competition to convince corporations to place ads in their publications, on the principle that their readership consists of the most valuable demographic. What appear in those ads, though, are images that equate emotional well-being with material acquisition; encourage women--beginning in their teenage years--to work at preserving the one "right" look; and associate rebellion and independence with the consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
Kilbourne is militant on these issues, and some readers may find her positions a bit too extreme, as when she lambastes ads that employ surre alism for imitating a drugged state of altered consciousness or when she declares that most sexual imagery in advertising is "pornographic," elaborating in such a way as to denigrate the very idea of casual sex. And, despite several attempts at grim sarcasm, Deadly Persuasion is ultimately rather humorless. Kilbourne's heart, though, is definitely in the right place, and her demonstration of the extent to which we allow corporations to shape our desires is truly eye-opening. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
The average American views three thousand ads in one day. Yet remarkably, most of us believe we are not influenced by advertising. In this lively and shocking exposé, Jean Kilbourne reveals how deeply advertisers insinuate themselves into our daily lives. Advertisers do far more than influence our taste -- they manipulate our desires so that their products will become our closest friends.
Drawing upon twenty years of research and using hundreds of examples, Kilbourne reveals the true nature of our connection to the myriad products that advertisers sell to us. From the earliest days of our childhood to the mature years of our adulthood, advertisers encourage us to develop a relationship with things. Whether it is the ice cream that will comfort us when our blind date goes wrong, the nail polish that will make us feel wild, the car that carries us away from a boring spouse, or the wristwatch that is our true pride and joy -- the product promises us that it can be trusted when people let us down. But when we substitute things for people, we mirror the behavior of addicts -- dooming ourselves to return, unsatiated, to that pint of ice cream or new lipstick. This dynamic is nowhere more evident than in alcohol and tobacco advertising, where advertisers are explicitly promoting a relationship with an addictive substance. The next glass of wine can never love us back like a person does -- but with time, it can become the focus of all our emotions. This is exactly what alcohol advertisers want to happen, Kilbourne points out, for the alcoholic is the industry's best customer. No wonder, then, that such advertisers entice teenage consumers to take the first step in a lifelong relationship.
We are all at risk in this toxic cultural environment. But as Kilbourne shows, women and girls are at special risk. Because the psychology of women is so deeply rooted in relations with others, women are particularly vulnerable to the promise of a relationship with a product. Advertisers exploit this fact throughout a woman's life, from the onset of her teens, when she is susceptible to the lure of romance and rebellion in a cigarette advertisement, to her adult years, when she yearns for release through the promise of a chocolate binge or glamour through the next sip of a dry martini. That is why most ads aimed at women offer comfort, power, and gratification -- feelings that many women don't experience in their day-to-day lives. All of us, including women and girls, can learn to resist this kind of deadly persuasion; but in order to do so, we must first be attuned to advertising's methods and its messages.
Through her lectures and award-winning documentaries, Jean Kilbourne has alerted several generations to the dangers of advertising. Here, she brings her life's work together with the trademark intelligence, passion, and humor that have made her a national figure. A warning shot about the perils of the media and a call to resistance on the part of all women, parents, and educators, Deadly Persuasion is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our culture. After reading it, none of us will ever look at ads -- or ourselves -- the same way again.
Customer Reviews:
Phenomenal.......2004-07-15
This book was OUTSTANDING. The only thing that pains me about it is that I bought it out of bargain bin. I would have gladly paid full price.
I thought I knew quite a bit about the insidiousness of advertising but this book brought new information on that subject. It is has some very enlightening points on the nature of addiction.
Buy it for your favorite teenage grrrrrrrrrrrrl.
Only a little out of print..........2003-11-27
This powerful and vital book is out of print - but only under this title. "Deadly Persuasion" was released in November 2000 under the new title "Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel". Under that title, the book has never gone out of print, so it is easy to acquire. And you definitely should acquire it!
Deadly Persuasion.......2002-07-25
A brillient and stunning consideration of how advertising affects society. Rather than the more popular route of blaming problems of the modern world on entertainment media, Kilbourne convincingly argues that it is, indeed, the unnoticed and unceasing stream of advertisments which is harmful. Required reading for anyone who ponders modern sociology.
get it back in print!.......2002-02-05
This book not only changed my attitude towards advertising and commercialism, but changed the way I see myself and the world around me. I'm shocked that the book is no longer in print, although after reading it I get the impression Jean Kilbourne would not be entirely surprised. How can you survive without supporting commercialism? I thought at times she overstated her point and could have been more concise, but on the whole her style is entertaining and easy to follow. The adverts on most of the pages are also very interesting - although you feel a bit guilty about being entertained by them! This book has to get back into print - maybe it needs some more advertising?!
This book changed how I view advertising.......2001-04-25
This book is a must read for anyone, especially women. I always thought of myself as someone who was not affected by advertisements, but this book makes it painfully clear how not one is unaffected by ads, regardless of what types of good you purchase. It correlates the selling of ideas and attitudes through advertisements with degenerating relationships between males and females, people of different social classes and ethnicities, even different ages. Advertisements sell ideas about self-concept, american culture, and values right along with their products. I found the idea that advertisers create a culture, and use the idea of that culture to sell us not only products, but lifestyles, and attitudes towards other people, our society, and ourselves fascinating and horrifying. This book will make you not only a more aware consumer, but also a more aware citizen. It was fascinating, clear, and well-researched.
Book Description
A groundbreaking investigative work by a critically acclaimed sociologist on the corporate takeover of local news and what it means for all Americans
For the residents of Minot, North Dakota, Clear Channel Communications is synonymous with disaster. Early in the morning of January 18, 2002, a train derailment sent a cloud of poisonous gas drifting toward the small town. Minot’s fire and rescue departments attempted to reach Clear Channel, which owned and operated all six local commercial radio stations, to warn residents of the approaching threat. But in the age of canned programming and virtual DJs, there was no one in the conglomerate’s studio to take the call. The people of Minot were taken unawares. The result: one death and more than a thousand injuries.
Opening with the story of the Minot tragedy, Eric Klinenberg’s Fighting for Air takes us into the world of preprogrammed radio shows, empty television news stations, and copycat newspapers to show how corporate ownership and control of local media has remade American political and cultural life. Klinenberg argues that the demise of truly local media stems from the federal government’s malign neglect, as the agencies charged with ensuring diversity and open competition have ceded control to the very conglomerates that consistently undermine these values and goals.
Such “big media” may not be here to stay, however. Fighting for Air delivers a call to action, revealing a rising generation of new media activists and citizen journalists—a coalition of liberals and conservatives—who are demanding and even creating the local coverage they need and deserve.
Customer Reviews:
Any college-level course in media studies needs this........2007-03-12
FIGHTING FOR AIR: THE BATTLE TO CONTROL AMERICA'S MEDIA examines how national radio shows are adjusted to 'sound local', how the media consolidation is hurting America, and how in fact there is a vanishing case for local representation in the media. The author's interviewed many programming directors, DJs, reporters and more for this book surveying the politics and presence of media conglomerates, FCC and legal influences on media regulations and ownership, and how stories are promoted or killed by special interests. Any college-level course in media studies needs this.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
What to do about media consolidation should be the #1 issue in the 2008 election........2007-02-27
The genie is out of the bottle. Over the past 15 years our radio and television stations, newspapers and magazines have been gobbled up by a handful of media conglomerates. Turn on the radio in just about any city in this nation and you will hear the same tired and unimaginative programming. Local content has largely been eliminated on a good many of these stations and the number of commercials has increased dramatically. In many of our largest cities media companies are allowed to operate up to 8 radio stations, 3 televisions stations, cable TV service and even the local newspaper. It is an alarming state of affairs to say the least! In his new book "Fighting For Air: The Battle To Control America's Media" author Eric Klinenberg brings these critical issues to our attention. While the American public has been asleep at the switch our President, the Congress and those who are supposed to regulate such matters have allowed companies like Clear Channel, Entercom, Citadel and Infinity to gobble up our local media. If you have grown tired of all of the canned programming and recognize the importance that local media outlets have played throughout American history then this is a book you should definitely consider.
So how did this happen? Over the past two decades our government has been "deregulating" media. At one time, no company was allowed to own more than one television station in a community. The number of radio stations were also strictly regulated. And the FCC would never have allowed a company that owned a major daily newspaper to own a television station in the same town. All of this began to change in the 1980's as broadcasters cried poverty and declared that they were having a difficult time turning a profit. There was some truth to this claim, particularly for small to medium size AM radio stations. Broadcasters petitioned to have ownership restrictions relaxed and as you will see the deregulation of our media began in earnest in the late 80's. Perhaps the most dramatic and controversial measure was the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In one fell swoop Congress and the FCC eliminated the national station ownership limit altogether and raised local limits from four to as many as eight radio stations in some communities. As a result of this legislation, Clear Channel now controls more than 1200 local radio stations in the United States. A funny thing happened as local radio and television stations were gobbled up by the media giants...local programming began to disappear. The change is most noticable on the radio where thousands of local hosts have been let go. Talk shows that used to focus on local issues have been replaced by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. And that guy giving you the weather on your local TV station may be based in a city hundreds or maybe even thousands of miles from your town.
Eric Klinenberg does an outstanding job of framing these issues for his readers. There is so much at stake here. It matters not your political persuasion. Each and every one of us has lost something precious. It is high time that the American people began to fight back! "Fighting For Air: The Battle To Control America's Media" is a great way to educate yourself about these extremely important issues. But we face an uphill fight. For obvious reasons you will never hear or see these issues discussed and debated on the major networks nor will you see them written about in the major newspapers in this country. Once you understand this, you will then begin to realize why so many Americans are convinced that the short-sighted and irresponsible consolidation of the media should rank as the top issue in the upcoming election. We must demand accountability from our elected officials. This is a comprehensive and well written book and one that I can highly recommend!
FCC = BIG BUSINESS agency that writes the laws for their PUPPET LEGISLATURES.........2007-02-19
EASY GO! That is a tag line for the players in Las Vegas. It is also a tag line for the press when it comes to democracy. In other words, the bottom line is democracy is too expensive.
The accountants, marketers, & investment bamkers have stormed the newsrooms and hijacked its mission - there is NO LONGER THE ILLUSION THAT PUBLIC SERVICE IS THERE FIRST MISSION. IT has become instead a mission to establish local momopolies. Jack up advertising rates, downsize the editorial staffs( & where possible, break up unions), shrink news rooms.
News is actually commentary and entertaiment, not local reporting. What used to be a public trust is now just a cash cow.
What has been lost for the citizen is what A.J. Liebling, legendary press critic, called diversity in ownership that promotes competition, creates opportunities for smaller companies, local business people, creative programming, and in its stead, no public benefit. In short its the journalism, not the news print, that should be the bottom line.
Now they are going after the internet spreading THE LIE that new technology has rendered the changes of internet consolidation obsolite. Net Neutality is in the fascist's crosshairs.
Speaking of Michael Powell, who never met a merger he did'nt like, or monopoloy for that matter; the public be damned was his attitude.
In short the checks & balances made possible by diverse competition are being eradicated. When it all comes down to it there will be 2 or 3 companies that essentially own access to our culture. It will be impossible to break up as THOSE MONOPOLIES WILL BE SO POLITICALLY POWERFULL AND WILLING TO SPEND UNGODLY AMOUNTS OF $$$ - THAT NO GOVERNMENT COULD STAND UP TO THEM.
Highly Recommended
Figthing for Air is essential reading for understanding media reform.......2007-01-17
Dr. Klinenberg has provided a valuable service to Americans in his excellent historical and sociological study of media consolidation, its implications for access, content, and justice at both the national and local levels, and the growing movement to challenge consolidation. The work is a model of scholarship for a mass audience, meticulously documenting both the secondary literature and the extensive interviews Klinenberg has conducted with numerous industry and movement figures, while losing none of the immediacy of a compelling narrative and persuasive argument. Clearly and concisely Klinenberg marshals a compelling case.
My only criticism is that a more extensive discussion of the political economy of consolidation and its wider context in the US and international economies, and a more detailed critique of the failed libertarian economic paradigm which was used to sell consolidation to policymakers would be useful. But that would be asking for a much longer and more complicated book, and one which would probably not have done as admirable a job in explaining in simple and direct terms the complexities of consolidation and its dreadful consequences of American public life.
I recommend Fighting for Air as essential reading for anyone who wants to understand this vital area of public policy.
A Critical Contribution to the Field.......2007-01-17
As a participant in the "media reform movement" who has witnessed and participated in the events Klinenberg describes, I found his observations accurate and his analysis penetrating. I have full review on my professional blog. To give the teaser:
Anyone who wants to understand the media reform movement should buy this book. More importantly, this is the book to give your friends and relatives so that they can understand why the media reform movement matters, and why it will succeed in transforming the media landscape despite the multi-billion dollar forces arrayed against it.
Others have written excellent books on the rise of media concentration and why it sucks rocks. What makes Fighting for Air different, and therefore a must read, is that it chronicles the history of the media reform *movement*. Certainly you will understand by the end of the book why media concentration has inspired a movement of people dedicated to stopping further consolidation and reversing the effects of our increasingly centralized and homogenized media. But this realization comes through the telling of the stories of the movement -- its people, its victories, and its set backs.
[...]
Customer Reviews:
Educated Ignorance.......2006-09-26
Such a terrible mis-directed perversion of Mind. Well educated Ignorance. A true weaver of Stalinist theory. What a malignant waste of thought.
Necessary Reading.......2006-05-20
This Chomsky book, while tough to get through at points (have a dictionary on hand), is an absolute must if you are interested in learning how to "read" the mainstream news.
Facts are given and cited. And Chomsky, as always, asks readers to draw their own conclusions. I drew mine. This was the first book of his I read, but it wasn't the last.
The Obligation of Silence, Containing The Enemy, & Awaiting The Hidden Hand.......2006-01-08
"They who have put out the people's eyes, reproach them of their blindness." ~ John Milton
This was released in 89', the end of the Reagan/Bush era, and offers an insightful outline of then-versus-now contrast. Many similar behind the scene names and fear-based strategies. The specifics have changed, yet the song unfortunately remains the same. Chomsky demonstrates our democracy's historical need of "containment of the enemy" [a populace in which free voices have the capacity to resound] through imposed and vested interests, and through a pervasive media propaganda model, which, as adjuncts of government, manipulate a collective turning of an onus blind eye from the crimes, atrocities, familar ideologies, preferences and prefabricated belief structures of the favored state.
As usual, the unyielding Chomsky wields an elementary punch of fact-packed, deep-impressioned, miles-back swing. It's quite astonishing to read such blatantly anti-democratic {compared to the widely adhered to definitions and perceptions of democracy} quotations from prominent historical political figures who formulate policies designed to advance and serve oligarchic interests through deceiving the people, and diminishing their capacity for involvement and of having a direct hand in the shaping of public policy.
"Necessary Illusions" is an essential read in the canon of what Chomsky refers to as necessary "intellectual self-defense courses" to counter Power's perilous necessary illusions which menace our representative form of government, human rights here and abroad, and, realistically, the fate of our species and the planet.
I love it. If Only I Could Read It!.......2002-12-04
I am influenced by Chomsky more than any other political philosopher (although he seems to encompass much more than a mere career categorization). I've studied him on and off for the past five years, and I find it harder and harder to rely on mass media (TV, radio, movies, increasingly more of the internet) for any information. It's like lost innocence. One can never look at these things the same after reading Chomsky.
In this book, he tackles these themes, but concentrates a great deal on U.S. international relations. The equation is basically this: corporations control the government and own the media. U.S. international relations are directly affected and influenced by the whims of multinationals; namely the desire for [inexpensive] production and [inexpensive] resources, exploiting civilians and foreign lands to achieve these means. The government is in the pocket of the corporations.
The ordinary American has little say. We may vote; but we vote for one party; solely representing the interests of the rich, and the huge corporations.
That's a bit of Chomsky in a nutshell. This book supports these arguments with EXHAUSTIVE research. I admit, I found it exhausting to read, but not from lack of interest. He is detailed; which makes his arguments valid. He uses countless examples, all supported by the contradictory historical actions and propaganda of U.S. foreign relations; where the government lies to the public via the media. There are so many quotes and supportive examples that the bibliography could be 40 pages long!
So, I love Chomsky. However I really don't like reading him; but I try. I find the easiest way to get the big picture of Chomsky's views is by watching the documentary, Manufacturing Consent, reading Z Magazine, and also "The Real Story" series of transcribed interviews with Chomsky.
Perhaps I'm just a lazy reader. However I think this book legitimizes many of Chomsky's views, in a dense, detailed, way. But without these supporting examples and quotes, his views couldn't be seen as valid.
Eyeopener for newcomers, disappointment for Chomskyites.......2000-07-25
On the whole, this book is disappointing and greatly inferior to Chomsky's similarly theme-ed Manufacturing Consent. Necessary Illusions amounts to little more than an updating of media duplicity in mainstream coverage of Central America and Israel. From the title, I expected a more systematic analysis of methods, mechanics, and reasons that operate behind media coverage. Instead, Chomsky offers a loose model of journalistic propaganda and a few methods for detecting its presence, viz. the Comparison Method. However, the model is neither detailed nor a really very useful one. Thus at a time when tv's propaganda function, for one, is becoming clearer to the public, Necessary Illusions fails to deliver much beyond the usual case studies familiar to Chomskyites. Important as this empirical work may be, especially for newcomers to Chomsky, what is needed is a more thorough-going model of how raw news gets processed into self-serving policy reinforcement. In short, a better model of the communication industry's ideological function.
It's surprising that someone as skilled at theorizing as Chomsky appears to shy away from this next logical step to his many invaluable case studies. Americans by and large recognise that despite being "free", the popular media is not to be trusted. Now we need be persuaded why this is so. Perhaps Chomsky doesn't want to risk credibility by pursuing more abstract formulations where researchable fact is less immediate. Whatever the reason, in this book he has clearly debunked some of America's most prestigious and self-serving institutions, which is always a worthwhile read.
Book Description
The text moves from an overview of International Communication systems and their role in politics to a brief discussion of the technical capabilities and constraints of those systems. The next five chapters discuss the history and development of international systems and a final chapter outlines future possibilities. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on systems and structures, the architecture of international communication.
Book Description
New to this edition: Every new copy of Mass Media/Mass Culture is packaged with a Free Making the Grade CD-ROM, Free Access to PowerWeb: An Online Reader and Resource Guide, and a Free Text-Specific Online Learning Center Website.
Written for the Introduction to Mass Communication course, Mass Media/Mass Culture: An Introduction demonstrates how media impacts our culture today, and how the interrelationship of media and culture has influenced our civilization since dawn of mass communication. This textbook gives students the tools to understand the world around them and teaches them how to critically analyze the media that influences their lives.
Customer Reviews:
excellent!.......2005-09-12
Service was exccellent. Exactly the book with the exact description was recieved, with-in excellent time frame. Great work!
Very helpful.......2004-05-18
This book has been very helpful and interesting. I teach Communications at a Community college, and this book will be a great addition to the fall curriculum. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in a good communications book. I would also like to thank djtom33; the book I bought from him was in excellent condition and was delivered swiftly.
Mass Media Mass Culture.......2003-10-14
I use this book in my television production class and I must say it is a great book. It is easy to read and easy to understand. The photos and up to date articles make it even better! A+ for this book!
Excelent Book.......2003-02-03
This book is the best text book I have seen in years. With easy and fun to read chapters, color photos and the CD aide, you can't go wrong with this book. Wheather you are using it for a class or just want to learn about Mass Media, this is the book for you.
Average customer rating:
- The Hidden Agenda
- Great legal, political, and philosophical analysis of a divisive issue
- Shines some light on weak pro-choice logic
- Provocative and Blunt - Death is the Important Word
- TO LET BE, OR NOT TO LET BE: THAT IS THE QUESTION
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The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life
Ramesh Ponnuru
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Book Description
Abortion has been a polarizing issues for three decades. But today, the politics are changing fast. Public support for abortion-on-demand is dropping, while euthanasia and cloning have also become part of controversial debates. Political journalist Ramesh Ponnuru explains how these issues represent the creeping advance of the party of death - it wants to narrow the circle of human beings with a right to life by excluding the unborn, the seriously disabled - and maybe even infants. Ponnuru details how the party of death took over the Democratic party, and how it has corrupted the law, politics, and even the teaching of history. He also explains how figures such as Mario Cuomo, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Barbara Boxer have camouflaged the party of death's extremism - all with help from the media. But Ponnuru also has insight into a different political future, and closes by asking how America might look after Roe v. Wade is overturned. In an America that is turning away from abortion on demand, the Democrats may prove to be the last victims of the party of death.
Customer Reviews:
The Hidden Agenda.......2007-05-13
It was not many years ago that both major political parties tiptoed around abortion as a party platform, with both fearing to take a stand either way. However, beginning with the takeover of the Democratic Party by the Far Left, the full panoply of death on demand became the calling card of that party. In THE PARTY OF DEATH, Ramesh Ponnuru describes the current state of the Democrats as the ones who support the right of women to choose the death of their unborn child through abortion. As if abortion were not stringent enough, he details how a lack of concern for the fetus is but the stepping stone on the not so slippery slope that leads to areas allied with abortion: euthanasia and stem cell cloning.
Ponnuru traces the transformation of the Democratic Party as one that used to boast of such stalwarts as John Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, and Scoop Jackson to Ponnuru's aptly named Party of Death. Beginning with the nomination of George McGovern for President in 1972, the increasing secularization of the Left removed it from viewing society as one based on ethics shaped by law to one as law untouched by ethics. Ponnuru notes that this switch to death on demand was a gradual one with many democrats not even aware of what their leaders were planning. He further adds that none of this could have happened in a political isolation. What was needed was the willing connivance of the Supreme Court to incrementally alter the Constitution via creative interpretation so that Roe vs. Wade would become the inevitable result.
Ponnuru savages those who advocate late term abortion as the nearest thing to state sanctioned killing on a massive scale. No one has ever come close to defining exactly what a person is or when the fetus is sufficiently close enough to qualify as a sentient being with full Constitutional rights, but he makes it pretty clear that the current leaders of the Democratic Party do not concern themselves with such troubling thoughts. It is no surprise that allied issues like euthanasia are seen by democrats as yet another example of the de-valuing of human life for political gain. Ponnuru suggests that abortion probably will be a part of human life--however ugly or unwanted--for the foreseeable future, but if there is truly a moral line that distinguishes human beings who have some moral qualms about sucking out the brains of a fetus in a late term abortion from those who see absolutely nothing wrong with that, then his appellation of democrats as the Party of Death will be a most deserved one.
Great legal, political, and philosophical analysis of a divisive issue.......2007-01-12
The early fifth century saw the beginning of what historian Edward Gibbon would call the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Why would this empire, the greatest the world had ever seen, at one time stretching 1,000 miles, begin to show cracks? It had survived over a millennium, and had been an empire for four centuries. What was the problem?
Emperor Constantine had sanctioned Christianity a century earlier. Followers of the civic pagan gods increasingly blamed the demise on the Christianization of Rome. After all, it could hardly be a coincidence that the barbarians were at the gates soon after Rome had given up asking for protection from the pagan gods, right?
St. Augustine, hearing these fears and rumblings, decided to respond with his extended work that would come to be called De Civitate Dei (City of God). Augustine said, no, Christianity is not responsible for the fall of Rome. The civic pagan rites were flawed in their own right. And, even if Christianity was responsible for the impending fall of Rome, it would not matter. For, it is not Rome that we are to see as our salvation, but rather the Heavenly Kingdom promised by God.
There are two "cities," Augustine says, the City of God and the City of Man. The City of God includes all of the angels in Heaven, the souls of the virtuous people who have died and gone to Heaven, the faithful members of the Church who are still alive on earth, and, possibly, virtuous living humans who are not members of the Church. The City of Man includes the fallen angels, the souls of the wicked who have died, as well as wicked men and women still alive on earth. The City of God is not to be strictly identified with the Church, since there are baptized members of the Church who are not virtuous, and there may be people who are not members of the Church but are nonetheless virtuous. The City of Man is not to be seen as Rome, or any other particular human community, since there are citizens of Rome who are virtuous and are part of the City of God. We need to see Rome, and any other human society, Augustine says, for what it is: a city that we are citizens of, that we should work to make virtuous, but ultimately only a temporary home on our way to our heavenly reward. Work to make society better, while at the same time remembering our human existence on earth is not the be all and end all.
The Late Pope John Paul II coined the phrases "culture of life" and "culture of death" to describe those in our society who respect and protect human life versus those who, for whatever reason, deem some humans as inconveniences who can be disposed of for some `greater good.' To cut through the euphemisms, what the Pope meant was those who support or condone abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty (when other means of protecting society are available) are contributing to a `culture of death' that treats human life as below things such as pleasure or subjective happiness. Recently, author Ramesh Ponnuru wrote the attention grabbing title, Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life. The title is polemic, and it doesn't help that he has a blurb praising the book by Ann Coulter on the cover, but his writing and arguments are careful and reasoned. His two main theses points are as follows:
(1) Roe V. Wade was a poorly handed down case, constitutionally and ethically. People do not really understand what it says. In effect, it leaves abortion legal for all nine months; since it leaves it to the whim of the doctor to determine whether the fetus has a claim to life in the final two trimesters (what do you think an abortion doctor would say?). Further, our Constitution is silent on the issue of abortion, and implies nothing in any way or form about a right to terminate a pregnancy, despite all the talk about "penumbras." Would it not be better, Ponnuru argues, to let the legislatures deal with such a divisive issue than have a Supreme Court rule down from on high, with the authority of a Constitution that says nothing about a right to abortion? The fact that the issue was taken out of the hands of the people, unlike in European countries where national consensuses have formed giving some leeway to pro-life and pro-choice forces, leads to the divisiveness in our nation over the issue.
(2) The Democratic Party has largely become the abortion party, alienating its traditional bases of the working class, unions, Catholics, African-Americans, and others, by putting support for legal abortion as the number one objective of the party, the one issue among all issues that no Democrat with aspirations for high office can stray from orthodoxy. It's important to remember, though, just as Rome cannot be seen strictly as the City of Man, the Democrats cannot be strictly the Party of Death, since there are a number of Republican pro-choicers, and there are Democratic pro-lifers. But, the Democrats, sadly, have largely embraced the abortion cause.
Is Ponnuru right in painting the Democrats as the `Party of Death'? Wilfred McClay, writing on the First Things blog on August 21, 2006, does not "find much merit in the idea that there is a `party of death' at work in American politics." He sees it as a wrong formulation, for "our biotechnological enthusiasts are nothing if not partisans of life, infinitely extensible." It is based on the idea that each of us should be able to have complete mastery over our lives, and "manufacture a world [we] can live in without let or hindrance." But, we are not in complete control. We live in communities, where we have responsibilities to one another. We are called to care for the helpless, to, as Mother Theresa said, give until it hurts. As McClay explains:
Life is unfreezable, and complete independence is a sterile fantasy, inconsistent with our human nature. That nature speaks to us continuously of the organic interdependency of things, of a world churned and roiled by the endless process of aging and decay, and the miraculous generation of new life out of them--the ebb and flow of what the ancients called "generation and corruption." The recognition of these things, and the acceptance of our place in them, is precisely why we care for the infirm and the weak and the hopeless among us, rather than feed them to the sharks, particularly when they are flesh of our flesh, and we of theirs.
Rome may not in the strictest sense have been the City of Man, but its refusal to see past the idolatry of a glory of Rome in itself, without regard to the City of God, helped precipitate its final fall in 476 AD. More than just the Democratic Party, our culture, though not to be identified strictly with the Culture of Death, must make a decision on whether it is to increasingly view human life as a commodity or good unto itself, if it is not to endure the same fate as Rome.
Shines some light on weak pro-choice logic.......2007-01-05
The abortion debate is subtler than many people realize. Others do realize it, yet they want the whole ugly thing to go away. Then you have those who realize it and try to explain. Ramesh Ponnuru falls in the third camp, and we should be thankful for that. For the most part, the book is both crisp and clear. Some of the important points Ponnuru makes:
1. The pro-life argument can be made in a completely secular manner. The pro-life argument will work without faith in the Trinity, Krishna, Zeus, or any god for that matter.
2. Abortion is legal in the United States through nine months of pregnancy due to the broad language of the abortion laws.
3. A support of infanticide is difficult to separate from the pro-choice argument. i.e. see Peter Singer and other pro-choice academics.
4. Pro-lifers are winning the abortion argument via an incremental approach toward abortion law.
Though most of his work is focused on the lengths Democrats go to cater to the pro-choice ideology, to his credit Ponnuru criticizes Republicans as well as Democrats. If some Republicans rely on flimsy pro-choice arguments, they should be called out on it just the same. I would have given the book 5 stars, but I think one weak point is the essay format. What I mean is, the book is more like a collection of essays. The chapters are short and easy to read, but sometimes that's a disadvantage. At times, I would like a little less rambling about examples and a little more explanation of arguments. Examples can help illustrate a point, but they can also get a bit cumbersome at times.
Minus this minor criticism, I very much recommend the book. The light Ponnuru shines on the mostly weak pro-choice logic is worth the price. Some good history lessons are also included.
For a very in-depth secular pro-life argument, check out Patrick Lee's Abortion and Unborn Human Life. Randy Alcorn's Pro-life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments is a good supplement. See Peter Singer's pro-choice arguments in Practical Ethics for some overview on the pro-choice argument (though Singer relies on some rather feeble consequentialist arguments).
Provocative and Blunt - Death is the Important Word.......2006-12-30
"The Party of Death" will unsettle those who lean towards or favor abortion, embryonic stem research, and/or euthanasia. Author Ramash Ponnuru, a senior editor at the National Review, writing with razor-edged moral acuity, skillfully debunks the excesses and hypocrisy of those promoting these as morally acceptable by scrupulously sticking to non-religious arguments.
Ponnuru begins his book by correcting several myths relating to the Supreme Court's Roe V. Wade decision - that it is a grand compromise between extremes, that the decision is more limited than it is, and that overturning Roe would criminalize all abortions. Ponnuru methodically demonstrates that these are not true.
Roe and its companion case, Doe v Bolton, make abortion on-demand a constitutional right up until moments before the birth. States may regulate abortion in the second and third trimester, says the court, but not if they run afoul of the mother's "health." This is not a compromise when the interpretation of a "mother's health" is understood. "Health," as Ponnuru shows, can mean anything under the elastic category of a woman's overall "well-being."
Ponnuru adds that the Supreme Court overreached and acted as a legislative body with the Roe decision. A point also eloquently made by former Senator John Danforth in his recent book, "Faith and Politics." Ponnuru notes that the public actually favors many restrictions on abortion and believes that the issue should be returned to the states where favored restrictions can be legislated.
"The Party of Death" moves from a detailed discussion of abortion to how the "culture of death" has been extrapolated and now threatens the elderly and disabled with weeding out the unfit, cloning, and euthanasia.
The hypocrisy of these positions was further amplified by Nathanael Blake, in his June 2006 column: "Why do so many ardently support such a morally and logically untenable position, even though it contradicts their own stated principles. Those distressed by the clubbing of baby seals don't mind the murder of the club-footed. Those who support extending legal protection to apes because their abilities resemble those of mentally disabled humans encourage the killing of mentally disabled humans in utero... People have been killing those who get in the way of the life they'd like for all of history. Even abortionists can be understood - those who will murder for money have long been among us."
The "Party of Death" is not the Democratic Party but rather those who continue to spawn a convenient cultural disregard for "human life." Unfortunately, for the Democratic Party, these people have made the Democratic Party their home and have made it synonymous with abortion and death.
Ponnuru's title is provocative. His book states bluntly what many people would rather couch in euphemism or, better yet, not say at all. Death is the important word. Ponnuru shows us how these choices, right or wrong, are a choice for death. And unfortunately, the debate, today, is over "what" is killed and who gets to decide.
This is a must read for anyone interested in the landscape which the "Culture Wars" are being fought and in the future of western society.
TO LET BE, OR NOT TO LET BE: THAT IS THE QUESTION.......2006-12-18
THE PARTY OF DEATH by Ramesh Ponnuru is quite possibly the most important book published thus far into "The Aughts" (the year 2000 through 2006). This book goes straight to the heart of its subject, abortion, with penetrating logic, powerful arguments, and probing theories. This is hardly a diatribe; rather it's reasoned fairly, but still a persuasive defense for Life, written from a purely secular position. This book deserves to be read and seriously contemplated by every single concerned adult, regardless of where they stand on this controversial and crucial issue. Are you pro-choice? See if your outlook can withstand Ponnuru's insight and contentions. If so, you will finish the book more informed about your opinion. And if not, you will find yourself driven into the Light of Truth by a nonreligious text.
Five questions:
1) Do you understand the great "misconception" about the Roe v. Wade ruling, and why it leaves the United States alone among its peers in offering no legal protection to the unborn at any stage of development?
2) Did you know that when defenders of the Nebraska ban on partial-birth abortion cited the fact that no medical schools taught it as evidence for the claim that it had little medical value, some major medical schools began teaching it in time to affect the litigation?
3) Are you aware that the much ballyhooed claim that the 1973 Roe decision was necessary to save the lives of women who were dying in large numbers due to illegal abortions is utter nonsense? The Centers for Disease Control reported that 39 women died from illegal abortions in 1972, while 24 women died that same year from the legal variety.
4) Would you like to know how an offhand remark about the music group, The Beach Boys, was instrumental in transforming NORMA McCORVEY (the REAL name of "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade fame) from an abortion clinic employee into a dedicated antiabortion protester and dogged proponent of a Roe v. Wade ruling reversal?
5) In 1984, Dr. Bernard Nathanson (himself an occasional abortionist at the time) asked his friend, Jay, another doctor, who was then performing 15 to 20 abortions daily, to tape his next operation with an ultrasound device. Dr. Jay did so, and what he saw during the playback in the editing studio later, left him so unnerved that he never performed another abortion. Does this tell you anything?
A November 2004 poll found that 55% of the public thought abortion should either be illegal altogether or illegal with only rape, incest, and for saving-the-life-of-the-mother exceptions. 31% thought it should be legal for any reason but only during the first trimester. Only 9% felt that abortion should be legal for any reason at any time. So, why has the federal government agreed to enforce a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a social issue that only 9% of the population concurs with? (And if you think I've misrepresented the ramifications of the Roe v. Wade decision, then you should certainly have answered "No" to question number one above!)
In THE PARTY OF DEATH, Ramesh Ponnuru also illustrates with fine diamond clarity the interrelatedness of abortion, embryo destruction, and euthanasia, and how the slippery slope of the first two will logically and inevitably lead to a snowball effect concerning the last, and subsequently, a severe degrading of society's regard for life in general. Ponnuru's writing style did not especially appeal to me, and I wish he had spent a little more time detailing the physiological reactions to CHEMICAL birth control forms, so readers would better understand why these are considered abortifacients by pro-Lifers such as myself. [For additional information on this point, see THE FACTS ABOUT ABORTION (AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE'S LIFE GUIDE SERIES).] Regardless, Ponnuru's mental acuity and scalpel-sharp theoretical comparisons makes THE PARTY OF DEATH a true "must-read" publication.
Many years ago, an 18-year-old girl calling herself "TOO YOUNG IN LAS VEGAS" wrote a letter to Dear Abby. She told how she had become pregnant as a result of being raped (a very rare occurrence, by the way). But TOO YOUNG gave birth to the baby anyway and then put the boy up for adoption. Three years later, she was still wearing around her neck, a locket containing a photograph of her son. I saved that article because I thought then (and still do) that this was the greatest example of following Saint Paul's exhortation, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21) I will always love that woman, whoever she is, for her brave, bold, life-affirming and evil-conquering act! If only we all had the spiritual sight of TOO YOUNG and could equally see the glory behind the grime.
In THE PARTY OF DEATH, Ramesh Ponnuru effectively dismantles the myth that colonial America did not consider abortion to be a common law crime. And in The Declaration Of Independence, this country's establishing document, our Founders wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Now, what part of "Life" doesn't America understand?
Average customer rating:
- Chomsky is brilliant, but ...
- Point Well Made?
- Media Control
- Bad book
- Media Contro by Noam Chomsky
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Media Control, Second Edition: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda (Open Media Series)
Noam Chomsky
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Amazon.com
"Propaganda," says Noam Chomsky, "is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state"--in other words, the means by which leaders keep the masses in line. In this slim pamphlet, he looks at American propaganda efforts, from the warmongering of Woodrow Wilson to the creation of popular support for the 1991 military intervention in Kuwait, and reveals how falsification of history, suppression of information, and the promotion of vapid, empty concepts have become standard operating procedure for the leaders of the United States--both Democrats and Republicans--in their efforts to prevent citizens from raising awkward questions about U.S. policy.
Book Description
Chomsky's classic back-pocket primer on U.S. government propaganda and media bias, now available in an edition expanded to include his comments regarding media coverage of terrorism and U.S. foreign policy in a post-September 11 world.
Customer Reviews:
Chomsky is brilliant, but ..........2007-07-31
Brilliant, very insightful. I have only one problem with Noam Chomsky's position - his absolution of general population from responibilities of their goverment. Yes, America is a big bully and there is a lot of propaganda, but isn't it what the majority wants to hear? Doesn't it feel good when we can beat up on countries like Yugoslavia to make us feel good about our might? The problem with Irag and Vietnam is that, as with all bullies, if you fight back, the bully turns cowardly. Continuing resistance of Iraqies makes Americans, and media, feel insecure about themselves - with all that might and money we cannot control a few cavemen! Propaganda is successful not becuase there is a goverment conspiracy with media - it is successful because we want to hear what the media says.
Point Well Made?.......2007-03-22
A very dumb Senator from Kentucky said of "Free Speech," once upon a time, that ones ability to give money to a political party, or candidate, equals speech. To limit how much money one can contribute, is limiting ones speech. Essentually this means if you have not the bucks, you should not be heard, or cannot be heard, or will not be heard, or you have nothing to say worth listening to.
As we in this country allow the consolidation of our media, this is quickly becoming the case. Big corporations buy air time on the radio, or television, and showcase their products, or services, and there is no rebutal. In essence they can lie, which is what 98% of advertising is anyway, and there is no one with the bucks to buy airtime to say they are telling a lie. Cell phone carriers lie about the cost of their service, as do banks, and insurance companies.
"Media Control," is commenting on just this sort of an event. This is a major reason why the everyday citizen cannot hold a major political office, the cost of air time. That which makes political campaigning so very expensive. The more we allow a consolidation of media, the more one sided will be the tale you hear. Propaganda. The one huge reason Newt (Scrooge) Gingrich squealed so loudly aganist public broadcasting. It is all about MONEY.
Mr. Chomsky makes a good argument that this is a disasterous pratice, even more dangerous than the government having absolute control over media. This only means you can only be heard if you can pay for the time. People with varing opinions are for the most part shut out of the debate, because the FCC, like the FDA, only backs big business. We are not as free, or democratic as we might think.
Newspapers only reporting that which brings in money, and does not make big advertisers look bad. Just so much music being played on the radio, because some guy far removed from your community thinks we should have cookie cutter music. Examine if you will CNN, a once no nonsense news gathering organization, that is until Time Warner bought the network. Now you cannot get the news for the commercials. Thank God for a mute button. Besides we only get maybe 40% of the available news if that much as it is, and very, very little in the way of international news. Unless a Pope were to pass, or the true idenity of the person responsible for knocking up Anna Nicole were revealed.
A very good lesson in freedom lost, and how the accomplice is your own government, because we know more about Lindsay Lohan's parting habits than we know about what the White House, or Congress is up to.
Absorb this very compelling book, and divise a way out of this mess.
Media Control.......2007-01-12
This book is very informative and excellent reading. It is a must read for youth, and young adults.
Bad book.......2007-01-07
I find Noam Chomsky's books to be difficult reads in any circumstance, but this book (more of a pamphlet) is a dreadful book. While the points (point?) he makes are most likely true and potentially interesting, the book simply repeats stuff Noam has said elsewhere. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
Media Contro by Noam Chomsky.......2007-01-05
To read this book is to know why "Noam Chomsky is the most important intellectual of the 21st century."
Book Description
Whether you’re distributing dailies, authoring a commercial DVD, or prepping video clips for the Web, Compressor is essential for creating quality digital content. In this quick-reference guide, professional filmmaker Brian Gary reveals essential techniques for audio and video compression. Learn timesaving batch-encoding and test-clip workflows. Import files in Final Cut Pro and QuickTime formats and encode them for authoring in DVD Studio Pro. Use advanced codecs like H.264 to create standard- and high-definition content. Compress content for the latest hardware platforms, including iPod and HD DVD. Also learn how to take advantage of job management strategies, such as letting Compressor oversee hours of encoding unattended and emailing you when it’s done. With this guide you’ll master the art of minimizing file size and maximizing image quality.
Customer Reviews:
A fine pick for a computer library or individual learning........2007-04-19
Compressor is the program key to creating quality digital content, and Compressor Quick-Reference Guide is a quick-reference guide any user of Compressor needs. Learn about workflows, import files, take advantage of job management options, and more with a quick guide which offers up a self-paced course any Compressor user needs. A fine pick for a computer library or individual learning.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Comprehensive and easy to use guide..........2007-02-28
This is the reference guide I've been looking for! Easy and very intuitive. You'll be compressing your files and learning how to get the best look using this guide. I recommend it to any one working in this field. For beginners and pros. You can't go wrong.
Book Description
From "the most important thinker on intellectual property in the Internet era" (The New Yorker), a landmark manifesto about the genuine closing of the American mind.
Lawrence Lessig could be called a cultural environmentalist. One of America's most original and influential public intellectuals, his focus is the social dimension of creativity: how creative work builds on the past and how society encourages or inhibits that building with laws and technologies. In his two previous books, Code and The Future of Ideas, Lessig concentrated on the destruction of much of the original promise of the Internet. Now, in Free Culture, he widens his focus to consider the diminishment of the larger public domain of ideas. In this powerful wake-up call he shows how short-sighted interests blind to the long-term damage they're inflicting are poisoning the ecosystem that fosters innovation.
All creative works-books, movies, records, software, and so on-are a compromise between what can be imagined and what is possible-technologically and legally. For more than two hundred years, laws in America have sought a balance between rewarding creativity and allowing the borrowing from which new creativity springs. The original term of copyright set by the Constitution in 1787 was seventeen years. Now it is closer to two hundred. Thomas Jefferson considered protecting the public against overly long monopolies on creative works an essential government role. What did he know that we've forgotten?
Lawrence Lessig shows us that while new technologies always lead to new laws, never before have the big cultural monopolists used the fear created by new technologies, specifically the Internet, to shrink the public domain of ideas, even as the same corporations use the same technologies to control more and more what we can and can't do with culture. As more and more culture becomes digitized, more and more becomes controllable, even as laws are being toughened at the behest of the big media groups. What's at stake is our freedom-freedom to create, freedom to build, and ultimately, freedom to imagine.
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"From ""the most important thinker on intellectual property in the Internet era"" (The New Yorker), a landmark manifesto about the genuine closing of the American mind. Lawrence Lessig could be called a cultural environmentalist. One of America's most original and influential public intellectuals, his focus is the social dimension of creativity: how creative work builds on the past and how society encourages or inhibits that building with laws and technologies. In his two previous books, Code and The Future of Ideas, Lessig concentrated on the destruction of much of the original promise of the Internet. Now, in Free Culture, he widens his focus to consider the diminishment of the larger public domain of ideas. In this powerful wake-up call he shows how short-sighted interests blind to the long-term damage they're inflicting are poisoning the ecosystem that fosters innovation. All creative works-books, movies, records, software, and so on-are a compromise between what can be imagined and what is possible-technologically and legally. For more than two hundred years, laws in America have sought a balance between rewarding creativity and allowing the borrowing from which new creativity springs. The original term of copyright set b
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