Popular Culture: Perspectives for Readers and Writers

Popular Culture: Perspectives for Readers and Writers Review

Providing a variety of readings on topical themes, Popular Culture helps students develop their own perspective on current, everyday issues.

Immigration and American Popular Culture: An Introduction (Nation of Newcomers: Immigrant History as American History)

Immigration and American Popular Culture: An Introduction (Nation of Newcomers: Immigrant History as American History) Review

How does a 'national' popular culture form and grow over time in a nation comprised of immigrants? How have immigrants used popular culture in America, and how has it used them?

Immigration and American Popular Culture looks at the relationship between American immigrants and the popular culture industry in the twentieth century. Through a series of case studies, Rachel Rubin and Jeffrey Melnick uncover how specific trends in popular culture—such as portrayals of European immigrants as gangsters in 1930s cinema, the zoot suits of the 1940s, the influence of Jamaican Americans on rap in the 1970s, and cyberpunk and Asian American zines in the1990s—have their roots in the complex socio-political nature of immigration in America.

Supplemented by a timeline of key events and extensive suggestions for further reading, Immigration and American Popular Culture offers at once a unique history of twentieth century U.S. immigration and an essential introduction to the major approaches to the study of popular culture. Melnick and Rubin go further to demonstrate how completely and complexly the processes of immigration and cultural production have been intertwined, and how we cannot understand one without the other.

Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: A Reader (4th Edition)

Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: A Reader (4th Edition) Review

The reader provides a theoretical, analytical and historical introduction to the study of popular culture and provides key primary coverage of fundamental issues in cultural studies.

• The text includes four new readings:

1). Stuart Hall, What Is This ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture
2). Amir Saeed, Musical Jihad
3). Neil Perryman,  Dr Who and the Convergence of Media
4). Jim Collins, Genericity in the Nineties

• Fully revised general and section introductions from the editor, contextualise and link the readings with key issues from the textbook
• A fully updated bibliography is provided

The 1980s (American Popular Culture Through History)

The 1980s (American Popular Culture Through History) Review

The eighties are seen by many as a time of excess and extremes. From Boy George to Madonna, metal heads to valley girls, and workout clothes to shoulder pads, many pushed the boundaries of what was was conventional. After a decade of war, disillusionment of the government, advances in civil rights, and disco, Americans became status seekers and shopaholics and the Me generation was born. Twelve narrative chapters describe the decade of decedence and its impact on popular culture including: the AIDS epidemic, preppies, Miami Vice, the Rubik's Cube, E.T., hair bands, the advent of the personal computer, malls, Ronald Reagan, Pac-Man, Cheers, Stephen King, Michael Jackson, the shuttle Challenger explosion, Bonfire of the Vanities, music videos, Roseanne, the power suit, Less Than Zero, rap music, and The Cosby Show, among many others.

Chapters on Everyday America and the World of Youth describe the important changes in American society, from Ronald Reagan's War on Drugs, to latch-key kids, to Black Monday. The following ten chapters explore the many aspects of popular culture-everything from advertising to fashion, literature to music, travel to the visual arts-that influenced Americans in the eighties. Supplemental resources include a timeline of important events, an extensive bibliography for further reading and a subject index.

The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson

The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson Review

Henry Willson started off as a talent scout under powerhouse mogul David O. Selznick, for whom Willson procured women. The starmaker-to-be was therefore on the lookout for promising newcomers—as actors, lovers and sometimes both—when he received an unsolicited photograph from a movie star hopeful named Roy Scherer. Unbeknownst to Willson, the photograph of the handsome young man with bad teeth would have not only a career-defining impact for himself but, more importantly, redefine Hollywood’s concept of the male heartthrob. Roy Scherer became Rock Hudson and for the next twenty-five years Henry Wilson became the man behind movie “beefcake.”

The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson delves into Willson’s life in explicit, unsparing detail. Variety reporter Robert Hofler deftly chronicles Willson’s maneuvers to sidestep the FBI's investigation into Hudson's sex life; the starmaker's use of off-duty L.A.P.D. cops and Mob ties to scare off Hudson's blackmailers; Hudson's "arranged" marriage to Willson's secretary, Phyllis Gates; as well as Hudson’s affair with a Universal Pictures vice-president to help secure starring roles in Magnificent Obsession and Giant. Additionally, the book digs into Willson’s other star clients, including Robert Wagner, Troy Donahue, Tab Hunter, and John Derek.

Complete Book of Home Repair and Improvements [Complete Encyclopedia for Home, Workshop and Garden].

Complete Book of Home Repair and Improvements [Complete Encyclopedia for Home, Workshop and Garden]. Review

Complete Encyclopedia for Home, Workshop and Garden

Probiotic Rescue: How You can use Probiotics to Fight Cholesterol, Cancer, Superbugs, Digestive Complaints and More

Probiotic Rescue: How You can use Probiotics to Fight Cholesterol, Cancer, Superbugs, Digestive Complaints and More Review

"Probiotic Rescue is your road map to the safe and effective use of probiotic supplements for health and disease prevention."
—Donald J. Brown, N.D.

Probiotics will improve your health!

It has long been understood that probiotics can help calm and heal nearly any digestive complaint, including bloating and indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease and more. But did you know that the most cutting-edge research shows probiotics can help to prevent or treat cancer, improve your skin, and avoid osteoporosis and heart disease? With health benefits for people of every age, probiotics are the most important nutritional breakthrough of the century. In this outstanding, comprehensive resource, you will find:

• chapter-by-chapter, scientifically supported disease treatments and credible information you can trust;
• specific strains of probiotics recommended for treatment of your individual health concerns;
• a complete resource of probiotic foods and supplements (including the newest information about products soon to be released in North America); and
• a totally unbiased buying guide for food and supplements to help you add probiotics to your day-to-day life!

How to Deal With Your Lawyer: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions (Oceana's Legal Almanacs: Law for the Layperson)

How to Deal With Your Lawyer: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions (Oceana's Legal Almanacs: Law for the Layperson) Review

Each year more and more Americans find themselves in some sort of legal bind and in need of obtaining counsel. The first steps may seem daunting, but authors, Lawrence J. Fox and Susan R. Martyn in How to Deal with Your Lawyer: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions offer an accessible resource to guide you through the entire process. They present you with the information you need to know about the ethical obligations of your lawyer in a straight-forward and easy to read format, answering questions such as;

Where do I go to find a lawyer, the yellow pages, the television ads, the courthouse?
How do I know the right questions to ask about their qualifications, fees, or what to expect?
Is everything I say confidential?
What if something goes wrong?

In later chapters, the authors also address key questions you should ask your lawyer throughout your legal process. Discover your lawyer's role and position within the legal system and how they work within the laws to be your best advocate (Chapter 9). Learn how to deal with other people's lawyers, including those on the opposing side (Chapter 10). Determine how best to evaluate your legal representation, even if you lose the case (Chapter 11).L
This book prepares you for the legal battle ahead, informing you of the many difficult bumps you may encounter. After reading this book, you'll not only approach your case with a new knowledge, but with confidence that your lawyer is fighting for you because you asked all the right questions and knew the answers.

Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (5th Edition)

Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (5th Edition) Review

Story's 5th edition of this market leading textbook provides an engaging, clear and coherent introduction to cultural theory through popular culture.

• Extensively revised, rewritten and updated to offer better value and a wider knowledge base for the student
• Improved and expanded content throughout including:
  New chapter on ‘Race’, racism and representation
  New sections on The Panoptic Machine and Convergence Culture
• Continued explicit links to the new edition companion reader Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: a reader
• More illustrative diagrams and images to ensure that theory is brought to life, allowing students to draw comparisons between theory and practice
• Fully revised, improved and updated companion website providing practice and extension promote further understanding of the study of cultural theory and popular culture

Russian Popular Culture: Entertainment and Society since 1900 (Cambridge Russian Paperbacks)

Russian Popular Culture: Entertainment and Society since 1900 (Cambridge Russian Paperbacks) Review

This book presents a side of Russian life that is largely unknown to the West--the world of popular culture. By surveying detective and science fiction, popular songs, jokes, box office movie hits, the stage, radio and television, Richard Stites introduces the people and cultural products that are household words to the Soviet people. He demonstrates how popular culture has over the past century had more impact on the lives of Russian people and reveals more about their lives than the works of giants of high culture. Richard Stites, Professor of History at Georgetown University, is the author of several books, including Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental Life in the Russian Revolution.

Mad: How to Deal with Your Anger and Get Respect

Mad: How to Deal with Your Anger and Get Respect Review

Everyone gets angry sometimes. Feeling mad is a normal human emotion. But some teens go too far and get into trouble with their parents, their school, or the law. Their anger controls them and affects their lives in negative, sometimes long-lasting ways. This practical, supportive book helps teens understand and handle their anger. They learn whether they have an anger problem, why we get angry, and how anger affects our bodies and relationships. Practical tools and strategies help them control their anger and avoid poor decisions and actions; insights from real teens let them know they’re not alone. The final chapters explore mental health problems that can complicate anger management and the role of counseling and psychotherapy. Includes resources.

Peddling Panaceas: Popular Economists in the New Deal Era

Peddling Panaceas: Popular Economists in the New Deal Era Review

As the Great Depression dragged on without a recovery, Americans were avid for anything that would help them to understand its causes and possible solutions. During this period, orthodox economists were largely discredited, both in the White House and among the public. Three of the most popular and influential figures of the period--Edward A. Rumely, Stuart Chase, and David Cushman Coyle--were not trained in economics. In Peddling Panaceas, Gary Dean Best analyes their remedies for the Depression, their proposals for permanent economic reform, and their influence.

Each of these men represented a principal economic faction within the New Deal. The inflationists within the New Deal found support from the Committee for the Nation, which was largely the creation of Edward Rumely. Rumely's committee was influential in the early New Deal, but largely passed into eclipse by early 1934. The planners within the New Deal were represented in popular magaines and books by Stuart Chase, who was an engineer and accountant before he began to expound on economics. An early advocate of collectivism, Chase's influence waned after the Supreme Court invalidated two early successes, the NRA and the AAA. David Cushman Coyle, a structural engineer who, like many engineers during the Depression, fancied himself an economist, may be taken as the voice of the followers of Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis within the New Deal. Always influential, they became more prominent after the invalidation of the NRA in 1935.  

These three popular economists not only influenced policy but also educated the American public about the Depression. Scarcely a month went by without an essay by Chase or Coyle in the popular magaines of the decade, and both were also prolific authors of books and pamphlets. Their views and influence help us understand the economic and political climate of the 1930s. Peddling Panaceas will be of interest to economists, cultural historians, political scientists, and sociologists.