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Book SynopsisTranslated for the first time into English, The Myth of the Superhero looks beyond the cape, the mask, and the superpowers, presenting a serious study of the genre and its place in a broader cultural context.Trade ReviewBest suited for students of literary studies looking for cultural and ideological analysis; the general reader will glean useful insight into Superman's psyche. Library Journal Even though this is a rather thin volume, it refers to a multitude of aspects that place the superhero in the role of a fighter for tolerance, diversity and justice; the blueprints of their actions, however, were designed hundreds of years ago. -- Dr. A. Ebert PopCultureShelf.com The Myth of the Superhero is a work that should stand as a touchstone within institutional comics studies, while at the same time being an accessible and highly relevant text for casual and fanboy/girl readers. -- Derek Royal Comics Alternative Arnaudo's book is an interesting analysis of some of the commonly overlooked significances of one of the most important media in modern pop culture. The criticism of the superhero comic book in regard to its dialogues with mythology is particularly perceptive, and sets up Arnaudo's discussion of the ways in which it can be used to portray and challenge ethical and cultural ideas. -- Jason Archbold Media International AustraliaTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Myth and Religion2. Ethics and Society3. Epic and NeobaroqueConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisFrom Madman to Crime Fighter is the most comprehensive study of the image of the scientist in Western literature and film.Trade ReviewHer approach is to correlate developments in science and technology over the following seven centuries with descriptions of how scientists have been portrayed in contemporaneous literature, and more recently in fascinating read.—Times Higher EducationThis is a wonderful book, both in the sense of being a pleasure to read and being full of wonders.—SAGE BlogIn this update, Haynes has extended her purview to accommodate the growth in scholarship on science and popular culture, especially in the area of film, which has occurred in the twenty years since the publication of the first edition... Anyone wishing to design a course on science or the scientist (however he or she may define these terms) in literature, cinema or popular culture, set either in a single era or over a span of time, could easily get away with using this new volume as a one-stop shopping catalogue for primary sources.—Neeraja Sankaran, Independent Scholar, British Society for Literature and ScienceTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Evil Alchemists and Doctor Faustus2. Bacon’s New Scientists3. Foolish Virtuosi4. Newton5. Arrogant and Godless6. Inhuman Scientists7. Frankenstein and the Creature8. Victorian Scientists9. The Scientist as Adventurer10. Efficiency and Power11. The Scientist as Hero12. Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know13. The Impersonal Scientist14. Scientia Gratia Scientiae15. Robots, Androids, Cyborgs, and Clones16. Pandora’s Box17. The Scientist as Woman18. Idealism and ConscienceConclusionAppendixNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisExplores how games actively influence the ways people interpret and relate to American life. In 1975, design engineer Dave Nutting completed work on a new arcade machine. A version of Taito's Western Gun, a recent Japanese arcade machine, Nutting's Gun Fight depicted a classic showdown between gunfighters. Rich in Western folklore, the game seemed perfect for the American market; players easily adapted to the new technology, becoming pistol-wielding pixel cowboys. One of the first successful early arcade titles, Gun Fight helped introduce an entire nation to video-gaming and sold more than 8,000 units. In Gamer Nation, John Wills examines how video games co-opt national landscapes, livelihoods, and legends. Arguing that video games toy with Americans' mass cultural and historical understanding, Wills show how games reprogram the American experience as a simulated reality. Blockbuster games such as Civilization, Call of Duty, and Red Dead Redemption repackage the past, refashioning Trade ReviewThis book could prove useful for those interested in the impact of video games in the contemporary perception of America such as scholars and professionals in the fields of communication, political activism, and other social sciences.—Communication Booknotes QuarterlyTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. A New Realm of PlayChapter One. Games and New Frontiers Chapter Two. Playing Cowboys and Indians in the Digital Wild West Chapter Three. Cold War Gaming Chapter Four. 9/11 Code Chapter Five. Fighting the Virtual War on TerrorChapter Six. Grand Theft Los Angeles Chapter Seven. Second Life, Second America Conclusion. Converging Worlds NotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewRiveting . . . Readers who love a good debunking will find Deer's narrative logical, exciting, and enraging.—Publishers WeeklySeldom has any new book been more timely than The Doctor Who Fooled the World At times the book reads more like a thriller than a journalistic investigation—The Sunday TimesAt a time when the World Health Organization lists 'vaccine hesitancy' as one of the top ten threats to global health, this stunning work sounds an urgent message and demonstrates the essential role of investigative journalism in uncovering the truth.—Foreword ReviewsExposing researchers who lie, cheat and fake their data often requires the work of courageous whistleblowers or tenacious investigative journalists. Enter Brian Deer, an award-winning reporter for the Sunday Times of London—The Wall Street JournalAlthough many people think they know this now-infamous story, it is likely they are unaware of all its dramatic details. Curious lay readers and vaccine experts alike are sure to learn something worthwhile from Deer's well-chronicled account.—Paul A. Offit, ScienceMind-boggling . . . Every chapter drops your jaw.—BigThinkRiveting . . . a compelling portrait of hubris and the terrible dark shadow it can cast.—Saad B. Omer, NatureEvocative . . . an incredible story.—Chemistry WorldThe author not only exposes major flaws in the study itself, he also describes high-pressure tactics used to recruit the young patients and the harmful, invasive procedures used to gather samples.—Eric Hoffer Award CommitteeTable of ContentsPrologue: ResurrectionPart 1. Big Ideas1. The Guinness Moment2. It Must Be Measles3. Quests Collide4. The Pilot Study5. Child Four6. A Moral IssuePart 2. Secret Schemes7. Everybody Knows8. First Contact9. The Deal10. Trouble in the Labs11. Spartanburg Science12. Asked and Answered13. Turn of the Century14. On Capitol Hill15. Letting Go 16. The Bridge17. UnblindedPart 3. Exposed18. Assignment19. Cracking the Coombe20. The Spoiler21. Texas22. Nothing As It Seems23. Sesame Street24. Enterocolitis25. We Can Reveal26. Cry Smear27. An Elaborate FraudPart 4. Avenged28. Rock Bottom29. Payback Time30. Vaxxed31. Wakefield's World32. Cause and AffectEpilogue: A Wonderful DoctorTimelineNote to ReadersAcknowledgmentsIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA compelling exploration of the psychological factors behind misinformation and belief.—Library JournalDannagal Goldthwaite Young's insightful book Wrong investigates the political and philosophical reasons why people rely on information that they know is false.—Foreword ReviewsAn intriguing deep dive into the current American information environment.—Publishers WeeklyMisinformation has been a topic of increasing concern in recent years, and in Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation, Dannagal Goldthwaite Young examines the unique cultural structures in the United States that make its citizens particularly susceptible.[Wrong] offers valuable insight and works to strengthen democracy and the social connectedness still possible in the United States.—Shelf AwarenessRecognizing how deep this crisis goes leaves us in a difficult place. Getting people to reject demonstrable lies isn't simply a matter of bludgeoning them with facts. As the communications scholar Dannagal Goldthwaite Young writes in 'Wrong: How Media, Politics and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation' (2023), the impulse to berate and mock people who believe conspiratorial falsehoods will typically backfire....Building trust requires cultivating...social connection instead of torching it. But extending compassionate overtures to people who believe things that are odious and harmful is risky too.—Jennifer Szalai, New York Times Book ReviewTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPART I1. "People Like Us Believe These Things."2. How do we Know What we Know?3. America's Asymmetrical Identity Alignment4. I'm One of Them: Social Identity5. The Epistemic Divide: "People Like Us Understand the World This Way."PART II6. How Political News Rewards Identity Performances and Activates Identity Threat7. Separate Me: Identity Distillation through Partisan Media8. Curate Me: Identity Distillation Through Social Media9. Solutions to Identity-Driven Wrongness

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Book SynopsisA legacy of magical treasures! Since 1997 with the publication of the first book, Harry Potter has cast a spell over millions of Muggles around the world--not the least of all bewitched collectors. Harry Potter: The Unofficial Guide to the Collectibles of Our Favorite Wizard conjures rare, extraordinary and magical treasures sprung from the Potter books and movies, and even the imaginations of fans. In its enchantingly visual pages, you'll discover delightful riches including author J.K. Rowling's writing chair that sold at auction for almost $400,000, first-edition books, original art, movie posters, film props, exclusives, limited-edition items, fun fandom pieces, and other wonders to behold. So with a whisper of 'accio' and a flick of your wand, summon forth the fascinating, the fantastical and the fabulous found in Harry Potter: The Unofficial Guide to the Collectibles of Our Favorite Wizard.

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Book SynopsisA hilarious illustrated journal from New York Times bestselling author and iconic New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast.

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Book SynopsisPlayfully irreverent photos reveal the strangest laws from each of the 50 states.Trade Review"Did you know that in Alabama, it’s illegal to carry an ice-cream cone in your back pocket? Or that in Hawaii, you can be arrested for putting a coin in your ear? And that in Kentucky, it’s illegal to lick a toad? Olivia Locher explores where these strange laws come from in her tongue-in-cheek book I Fought The Law. It’s illustrated with gorgeous photos — breaking the law has never looked so good." Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisIn the tradition of Darth Vader and Son comes a humorous look at the wacky and all-too human world of the LEGO minifigure.

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Book SynopsisThe journey through the creation of the groundbreaking video games continues with this breathtaking volume, featuring hundreds of pieces of concept art, design notes, and creator retrospectives from the original team behind the making of Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy XIV.Art, commentary, and lore from a transformative era in the indispensable role-playing franchise, collected in a beautifully printed 300-plus-page hardcover. Foray into one of gaming's most iconic properties, exploring beautiful art and incisive commentary behind five of the most memorable entries in the Final Fantasy saga.Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 3 authentically translates original Japanese source material to present unparalleled access for a Western audience. This incredible tome is a must-have addition to any Final Fantasy enthusiast's collection.

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Book SynopsisFor holding high at your next protest march, gifting to a feminist friend, or hanging on your classroom or dorm room wall, these progressive posters based on the New York Times bestseller include 20 portraits--each with a powerful female on the front and her inspiring quote on the back. Rad Women Worldwide shared fresh, engaging, and amazing tales of perseverance and radical success through riveting biographies and cut-paper portraits. Now here is the art ready for hanging or framing. Measuring 7x11 inches--perfect for an 8x10-inch frame--these colorful portraits feature widely acclaimed (and also less known) heroines alike. The Rad Women include:-Hatshepsut (The great female king who ruled Egypt peacefully for two decades) -Malala Yousafzi (The youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize) -Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft (Polar explorers and the first women to cross Antarctica)-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Novelist and writer)-Venus and Serena Williams (Tennis players and Olympic medalists) -Faith Bandler (Activist and Advocate for Indigenous Australians)-Kalpana Chawla (First Indian woman in space)-Policarpa "La Pola" Salavarrieta (Revolutionary hero of Colombian independence)-Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (A group of mothers and grandmothers who march weekly in honor of -their missing sons and daughters)-Nanny of the Maroons (National hero of Jamaica)-Frida Kahlo (Painter)-Queen Liliuokalani (First and final Queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii)-Junko Tabei (First woman to climb Mt. Everest)-Miriam Makeba (South African singer also known as "Mama Africa")-Wangari Maathai (Nobel Prize winning environmental activist)

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Book SynopsisThe year 1968 retains its mythic hold on the imagination in America and around the world. Like the revolutionary years 1789, 1848, 1871, 1917, and 1989, it is recalled most of all as a year when revolution beckoned or threatened. On the 50th anniversary of that tumultuous year, cultural historians Robert Cottrell and Blaine T. Browne provide a well-informed, up-to-date synthesis of the events that rocked the world, emphasizing the revolutionary possibilities more fully than previous books. For a time, it seemed as if anything were possible, that utopian visions could be borne out in the political, cultural, racial, or gender spheres. It was the year of the Tet Offensive, the Resistance, the Ultra-Resistance, the New Politics, Chavez and RFK breaking bread, LBJ’s withdrawal, student revolt, barricades in Paris, the Prague Spring, SDS’ sharp turn leftward, communes, the American Indian Movement, the Beatles’ “Revolution,” the Stones’ “Street Fighting Man,” The Population Bomb, protest at the Miss America pageant, and Black Power at the Mexico City Olympics. 1968 was also the year of My Lai, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, Warsaw Pact tanks in Czechoslovakia, the police riot in Chicago, the Tlatelolco massacre, Reagan’s belated bid, Wallace’s American Independent Party campaign, “Love It or Leave It,” and the backlash that set the stage, at year’s end, for Richard Milhous Nixon’s ascendancy to the White House. For those readers reliving 1968 or exploring it for the first time, Cottrell and Browne serve as insightful guides, weaving the events together into a powerful narrative of an America and a world on the brink.Trade ReviewRobert C. Cottrell and Blaine T. Browne’s book is a reminder that the year 1968 saw the United States on the brink of a revolution, one that was virtually apocalyptic in scope. Race riots led to torched American cities, and outrage and rebellion against the Vietnam War prompted student revolts on campuses across the land. Conspiracy trials were held in an attempt to halt the radical challenge to authority. Major political figures and other leaders were gunned down, with the images broadcast to a horrified population. It was a time of extremes. Cottrell and Browne show how the events that shattered the belief in “US invincibility” unfolded against the backdrop of a great generational divide and global unrest, contrasted with the pull to nonviolence and peace, free love, and the rise of communal and back-to-the-land living, all topped off with a good dose of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. * Foreword Reviews *“Robert Cottrell and Blaine Browne's 1968: The Rise and Fall of the New American Revolution, published on the 50th anniversary of the astonishing and often world-changing events it describes, is old-fashioned narrative history at its best: thoroughly researched, lucid, penetrating, filled with vividly drawn characters and dramatic scenes, but avoiding sentimentalism and romanticism. It's the perfect book for baby boomer parents and grandparents to give their millennial offspring to make help them sense of the events that shaped a generation.” -- Maurice Isserman, co-author of "America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s"“The year 1968 has been written about many times before, but no one has covered it as comprehensively and as thoroughly as Robert C. Cottrell and Blaine T. Browne. Their narrative offers almost all of the key players, including Dr. Spock, Dr. King, Malcolm X and George Wallace, as well as the young activists and protesters who belonged to SDS, the IRA, the Yippies, and the Black Panthers. The feminist movement is here and gay liberation, too, along with the key places, nationally and internationally, where revolution broke out: Prague, Berlin, Chicago and San Francisco. 1968: The Rise and Fall of the New American Revolution looks back at the 1950s and ahead to the present day. It arrives in the nick of time for the 50th anniversary of the year that rocked the world.” -- Jonah Raskin, author of For the Hell of It: The Life and Times of Abbie Hoffman“In this crisply written jaunt through 1968, Robert Cottrell and Blaine Browne chronicle one of the most tumultuous years in American history. They offer thorough coverage of a run of dramatic events, from the TET offensive in Vietnam to the Columbia University student uprising and the surprising presidential campaign of George Wallace. Along the way, they give readers splendid mini-biographies of famous and, better yet, not-so-famous figures like the members of the Berrigan brothers’ ‘Ultra-resistance,’ Andy Warhol’s nemesis Valerie Solanis, and environmentalist Edward Abbey. By showing how the cataclysms built and how they shaped contemporary America, Cottrell and Browne manage to set that single, momentous year in the ‘long Sixties.’” -- David Steigerwald, The Ohio State University“Cottrell and Browne have penned an exhilarating romp through one of the most electrifying years on American history—1968—and the result is a provocative read.” -- Terry H. Anderson, Texas A&M University, and author of "The Movement and the Sixties" and "The Sixties," 5th editionTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface Chapter 1: “Yippie!” Chapter 2: “Hell No! They Shouldn’t Go!” Chapter 3: “We Had to Destroy the Town in Order to Save It” Chapter 4: “The Impossible Dream”: The New Politics Chapter 5: “We Shall Overcome”: The Dreamer Chapter 6: “We All Want to Change the World”: Springtime of the Young Rebels Chapter 7: “Burn, Baby, Burn”: Bearing Witness and the Boston Five Chapter 8: “You Saw You Want a Revolution” Chapter 9: “There’s a Man with a Gun Over There”: The Politics of Assassination Chapter 10: “The Whole World is Watching: Czechago Chapter 11: “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”: People Power Chapter 12: “The Personal Is Political” Chapter 13: “Goin’ Up the Country”: The New Environmentalism Chapter 14: “Your Day, Of Course, Is Going to Be Over Soon”: The Backlash Chapter 15: “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”: Legacies and Conclusion Appendix A: List of Abbreviations Bibliography Index About the Authors

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Book SynopsisHIP-HOP (AND OTHER THINGS)is about, as it were, rap, but also some other things. It''s a smart, fun, funny, insightful book that spends the entirety of its time celebrating what has become the most dominant form of music these past two and a half decades. Tupac is in there. Jay Z is in there. Missy Elliott is in there. Drake is in there. Pretty much all of the big names are in there, as are a bunch of the smaller names, too.There''s art from acclaimed illustrator Arturo Torres, there are infographics and footnotes; there''s all kinds of stuff in there. Some of the chapters are serious, and some of the chapters are silly, and some of the chapters are a combination of both things. All of them, though, are treated with the care and respect that they deserve.HIP-HOP (AND OTHER THINGS)is the third book in the (And Other Things) series. The first two?Basketball (And Other Things)andMovies (And Other Things)?were both #1New York Timesbestsellers.

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Book SynopsisWritten by one of Canada's leading cultural commentators, this collection explores a wonderful gamut of topics, including the arts, sports, politics, and pop culture of the 1980s. Both hilarious and brilliant, the essays range from exposés on cocaine dealers and the murder of heiress Nancy Eaton, to articles on the politics of Jean Chrétien, the music of Miles Davis, and the literature of Joyce Carol Oates, Saul Bellow, and Morley Callaghan.Trade ReviewThese selections are thoughtfully and insightfully written, and delve deeply into the subjects they pursue. Who else other than Norman Snider could have captured an essential decade of our history so convincingly?!" —Michael Keefer

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Book SynopsisAddiction, argues Albert LaChance in this insightful book, affects more than the individual who suffers from it. Cultural Addiction shows how contemporary lifestyles have become addictive, consuming the planet''s resources—soil, air, water—in a destructive way that comprises earth''s life systems and endangers the survival of both humankind and other species. This book presents a 12-step program for recovery from these dangerous lifestyles. Identifying such traits as egocentricity, materialism, overeating and drinking, and apathy as products of addiction, the author draws on the world''s spiritual traditions—Hinduism, Buddhism, shamanism, Christianity, and others—to show individuals and communities how to work together to overcome these problems. The 12-step Greenspirit program empowers people to change the way they live in their environment. This “cultural therapy” in turn creates a renewed culture dedicated to protecting—and respecting—the planet.

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Book SynopsisWas Superman''s arch nemesis Lex Luthor based on Aleister Crowley? Can Captain Marvel be linked to the Sun gods on antiquity? In Our Gods Wear Spandex, Christopher Knowles answers these questions and brings to light many other intriguing links between superheroes and the enchanted world of estoerica. Occult students and comic-book fans alike will discover countless fascinating connections, from little known facts such as that DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz started his career as H.P. Lovecraft''s agent, to the tantalizingly extensive influence of Madame Blavatsky''s Theosophy on the birth of comics, to the mystic roots of Superman. The book also traces the rise of the comic superheroes and how they relate to several cultural trends in the late 19th century, specifically the occult explosion in Western Europe and America. Knowles reveals the four basic superhero archetypes--the Messiah, the Golem, the Amazon, and the Brotherhood--and shows how the occult Bohemian underground of the early 20th century provided the inspiration for the modern comic book hero. With the popularity of occult comics writers like Invisibles creator Grant Morrison and V for Vendetta creator Alan Moore, the vast ComiCon audience is poised for someone to seriously introduce them to the esoteric mysteries. Chris Knowles is doing just that in this epic book. Chapters include: Ancient of Days, Ascended Masters, God and Gangsters, Mad Scientists and Modern Sorcerers, and many more. From the ghettos of Prague to the halls of Valhalla to the Fortress of Solitude and the aisles of BEA and ComiCon, this is the first book to show the inextricable link between superheroes and the enchanted world of esoterica. * Chris Knowles is associate editor and columnist for the five-time Eisner Award-winning Comic Book Artist magazine, as well as a pop culture writer for UK magazine Classic Rock. * Knowles worked with Robert Smigel on The X Presidents graphic novel, based on the popular Saturday Night Live cartoon, and has created designs and artwork for many of the world''s top superheroes and fantasy characters. * Features the art of Joe Linsner, creator of the legendary Dawn series, and more recently a collaborator with comics maestro Stan Lee.

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Book SynopsisA ground-breaking exploration of the ways Americans are reinventing success and redefining "better off," through lives that reject traditional status symbols in lieu of fulfillment and value relationships over money

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Book SynopsisBy the author of Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls and a heroine of the body positivity movement, an intimate, gutsy memoir about being a fat womanJes Baker burst onto the body positivity scene when she created her own ads mocking Abercrombie & Fitch for discriminating against all body types--a move that landed her on the Today Show and garnered a loyal following for her raw, honest, and attitude-filled blog missives. Building on the manifesta power of Things, this memoir goes deeply into Jes's inner life, from growing up a fat girl to dating while fat. With material that will have readers laughing and crying along with Jes's experience, this new book is a natural fit with her irreverent, open-book style. A deeply personal take, Landwhale is a glimpse at life as a fat woman today, but it's also a reflection of the unforgiving ways our culture still treats fatness, all with Jes's biting voice as the guide.

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Book SynopsisAin't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment celebrates the seventy-five year history of the Apollo Theater, Harlem's landmark performing arts space and the iconic showplace for the best in jazz, blues, dance, comedy, gospel, R & B, hip-hop, and more since it opened its doors in 1934. This beautifully illustrated book is the companion volume to an exhibition of the same name, organized by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in collaboration with the Apollo Theater Foundation. It offers a sweeping panorama of American cultural achievement from the Harlem Renaissance to the present through the compelling story of a single institution.Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing brings together a diverse group of twenty-four writers to discuss the theater's history and its intersection with larger social and political issues within Harlem and the nation. Featuring more than 300 photographs, this volume brings to life the groundbreaking entertainers in music, dance, and comedy—Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, James Brown, Moms Mabley, Redd Foxx, Honi Coles, and Savion Glover, to name a few—who made the Apollo the icon that it is today. The Apollo Theater has been the setting for soaring achievement and creativity in the face of enormous challenges. In telling this truly American story, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing is a celebration of the lasting contributions of African Americans to the nation's cultural life.

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Book SynopsisAmerica's leading authority on Halloween presents interviews with spooky rock groups, amateur vampires, haunted house creators, champion pumpkin carvers, and more, all in the quest of explaining the nation's unique love affair with this holiday. The collection of essays and interviews explores the pop culture phenomenon that is Halloween, and why we celebrate it the way we do today.

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Book SynopsisA spirited look at the history of alcohol, from the dawn of civilization to the modern day Alcohol is a fundamental part of Western culture. We have been drinking as long as we have been human, and for better or worse, alcohol has shaped our civilization. Drink investigates the history of this Jekyll and Hyde of fluids, tracing mankind's love/hate relationship with alcohol from ancient Egypt to the present day. Drink further documents the contribution of alcohol to the birth and growth of the United States, taking in the War of Independence, the Pennsylvania Whiskey revolt, the slave trade, and the failed experiment of national Prohibition. Finally, it provides a history of the world's most famous drinks-and the world's most famous drinkers. Packed with trivia and colorful characters, Drink amounts to an intoxicating history of the world.

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Book SynopsisThe business marketing genius at the forefront of today’s entertainment marketing revolution helps corporate America get hip to today’s new consumer—the tan generation.When Fortune 500 companies need to reenergize or reinvent a lagging brand, they call Steve Stoute. In addition to marrying cultural icons with blue-chip marketers, Stoute has helped identify and activate a new generation of consumers. He traces how the “tanning” phenomenon raised a generation of black, Hispanic, white, and Asian consumers who have the same “mental complexion” based on shared experiences and values, rather than the increasingly irrelevant demographic boxes that have been used to a fault by corporate America. Stoute believes there is a language gap that must be bridged in order to engage the most powerful market force in the history of commerce.The Tanning of America provides that very translation guide. Drawing from his company’s case studies, as well as from extensive interviews with leading figures in multiple fields, Stoute presents an insider’s view of how the transcendent power of popular culture is helping reinvigorate and revitalize the American dream.

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Book SynopsisThe stat sheet on hemp sounds almost too good to be true: its fibers are among the planet’s strongest, its seed oil the most nutritious, and its potential as an energy source vast and untapped. Its one downside? For nearly a century, it’s been illegal to grow industrial cannabis in the United States–even though Betsy Ross wove the nation’s first flag out of hemp fabric, Thomas Jefferson composed the Declaration of Independence on it, and colonists could pay their taxes with it. But as the prohibition on hemp’s psychoactive cousin winds down, one of humanity’s longest-utilized plants is about to be reincorporated into the American economy. Get ready for the newest billion-dollar industry. In Hemp Bound: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Next Agricultural Revolution, bestselling author Doug Fine embarks on a humorous yet rigorous journey to meet the men and women who are testing, researching, and pioneering hemp’s applications for the twenty-first century. From Denver, where Fine hitches a ride in a hemp-powered limo; to Asheville, North Carolina, where carbon-negative hempcrete-insulated houses are sparking a mini housing boom; to Manitoba where he raps his knuckles on the hood of a hemp tractor; and finally to the fields of east Colorado, where practical farmers are looking toward hemp to restore their agricultural economy—Fine learns how eminently possible it is for this misunderstood plant to help us end dependence on fossil fuels, heal farm soils damaged after a century of growing monocultures, and bring even more taxable revenue into the economy than its smokable relative. Fine’s journey will not only leave you wondering why we ever stopped cultivating this miracle crop, it will fire you up to sow a field of it for yourself, for the nation’s economy, and for the planet.Trade ReviewAcres U.S.A.- “Fine covers a remarkable amount of ground in his book, so much so that it’s hard to believe that he does it in fewer than 200 pages. He talks to a dizzying variety of people who have special knowledge and experience, whacks his hand on a tractor hood made from hemp, and drops in plenty of historical facts for context. (Humanity has an 8,000-year history with this plant.) If you need a crash course in a commodity that could well turn American agriculture on its head over the next few years, look no further.” Booklist- "Little noticed on the sidelines during the recent media controversy over Colorado’s decision to legalize marijuana was a groundbreaking movement in Congress to lift a decades-long ban on the popular intoxicant’s psychoactively inert cousin, hemp. As elucidated in this witty and informative overview of hemp’s enormous agricultural potential, New Mexico-based author and radio reporter Fine argues that not much has ever made sense about the stigma U.S. lawmakers have heaped upon this incredibly versatile plant since it was made illegal back in 1937. Although it bears a strong resemblance to the smokable form of cannabis, hemp is almost completely lacking in THC, the ingredient that bestows marijuana’s much sought-after ‘high.' Hemp’s incredibly strong internal fibers have been used in making everything from rope and paper to durable clothing and eco-friendly housing. In 11 engaging, myth-busting chapters bearing titles such as 'Grow Your Next Home' and 'Patriots Ponder Planting,' Fine makes clear that hemp legalization, assuming it happens, could both boost the American economy and spawn a mini hemp based industrial revolution.”“Hemp Bound is informative, entertaining, and chock full of stories about hemp farmers, wannabe hemp farmers, passionate activists, and savvy business people. It is a fun book to read and hopefully, alongside aggressive legalization at the state level, it will help break down the roadblocks to production that the cotton, vegetable oil, plastics, lumber, and paper corporations constructed and maintained since shortly after the Second World War. Doug Fine is right: this incredible plant could be a boon to large and small farmers and rural communities—one that we have been prohibited from growing in this country for more than fifty years. Hemp’s time has come again.”--Will Allen, organic farmer; author, The War on Bugs“In Hemp Bound, Doug Fine convincingly describes the proven value and amazing potential of the nonpsychoactive variety of the cannabis plant. You can eat it, drink it, read it, tie it, wear it, drive it, live in it, and make money growing it, all while saving the soil and protecting the climate. This is an important story, engagingly told.”--William Martin, senior fellow, drug policy, Rice University’s Baker Institute“If ever anyone needed proof that government meddling in markets is injurious to innovation, Hemp Bound dispels all doubt. With science and humor, Fine paints an alternative and optimistic future—one that makes growing hemp seem as exhilarating and necessary as clean air. Fine’s style and storytelling ability make this one of the most fun books you’ll ever read about the future of farming.”--Joel Salatin, author of Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal“Doug Fine’s engrossing and eye-opening book reveals hemp’s role as a new source of food, energy, and raw materials. This absurd war on one of the world’s most useful plants is about to end, and everyone can declare victory.”--Mark Frauenfelder, founder, Boing Boing“Hemp is our ancestral ally, one that long provided us with food, shelter, clothing, and medicine. Hemp Bound reveals that now is the time to remember this alliance with hemp after years of prohibition, and that although it won’t save us, it can help us. That’s what earth medicine does.”--John Trudell, poet, recording artist, actor, activist, and cofounder of Hempstead Project HEARTKirkus Reviews- "What might come back along with legalized pot? Only one of the strongest, most versatile plants in the world: hemp. In his latest, self-described “comedic investigative journalist” Fine (Too High to Fail: Cannabis and the New Green Economic Revolution, 2012, etc.) focuses on the enormous potential applications for industrialized hemp. As the author ably explains, the plant is the government-designated name for all strains of cannabis that have negligible amounts of THC, meaning it can’t get you high. However, it can be used as a wildly strong fiber; when the U.S. government passed the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, suddenly the U.S. Army found itself lacking in decent ropes. It can also create incongruous benefits, like creating nutritious products based on its oil, and can even be used as a potential energy source. To prove his point, Fine chronicles his trips across North America, visiting and profiling entrepreneurs, advocates, farmers and innovators. In Denver, he took a test drive in a hemp oil–powered Mercedes-Benz; in Winnipeg, Canada, he visited a factory where enthusiasts are crafting composite materials from hemp that could potentially be used in automobiles, airplanes or industrial tools like tractors. The author also makes the point that the United States is the largest market for Canada’s thriving hemp industry, which is regulated smoothly and profitably by its government. Fine is, of course, an accidental activist, too, but it’s hard not to admire his enthusiasm. A short, sweet, logical and funny argument for the potential of one of the world’s most dynamic cash crops.”“The issue is simple: farmers need hemp, the soil needs hemp, forests need hemp, and humanity needs the plant that the good Lord gave us for our own survival—hemp. The benefits are too many to name, but if hemp was a crop that could be monopolized by industrial Ag corporations it would already be legal. Hemp Bound tells us with detail and humor how to get to the environmental Promised Land. Doug has created a blueprint for the America of the future.”--Willie Nelson“I never dreamed industrial hemp had so much promise until I read Doug Fine's Hemp Bound. The book is not only fun to read, but it passes along fascinating insights about a farm crop that produces many food and fiber products and is adapted to areas where corn and soybeans are rarely profitable. As the author points out with gracious good humor, industrial hemp is not medical marijuana, and it should become a major farm crop in America as it has elsewhere.”--Gene Logsdon, author of Gene Everlasting and Holy Shit: Managing Manure to Save Mankind

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Book Synopsis A field guide to scenesters, trend-hoppers, and other cutting-edge species you’ve like, probably never heard of. They’re pretty obscure.    An illustrated pocket guide to the hip characters populating “cool neighborhoods” across America, Hipster Animals helps readers identify these urban wildlife in their natural habitats. Including details on the creatures’ identifying characteristics, diets, mating behavior, and calls, this parody reference guide provides a snarky glimpse into the foreign—yet all too familiar—world of the trendsetters among us.

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Book SynopsisJunk has become ubiquitous in America today. Who doesn’t have a basement, attic, closet, or storage unit filled with stuff too good to throw away? Or, more accurately, stuff you think is too good to throw away.When journalist and author Alison Stewart was confronted with emptying her late parents’ overloaded basement, a job that dragged on for months, it got her thinking: How did it come to this? Why do smart, successful people hold on to old Christmas bows, chipped knick-knacks, VHS tapes, and books they would likely never reread? She discovered she was not alone.Junk details Stewart’s three-year investigation into America’s stuff, lots and lots and lots of stuff. Stewart rides along with junk removal teams from around the country such as Trash Daddy, Annie Haul, and Junk Vets. She goes backstage to a taping of Antiques Roadshow, and learns what makes for compelling junk-based television with the executive producer of Pawn Stars. And she even investigates the growing problem of space junk—23,000 pieces of manmade debris orbiting the planet at 17,500 mph, threatening both satellites and human space exploration.But it’s not all dire. There are creative solutions to America’s overburdened consumer culture. Stewart visits with Deron Beal, founder of FreeCycle, an online community of people who would rather give away than throw away their no-longer-needed possessions. She spends a day at a Repair CafÉ, where volunteer tinkerers bring new life to broken appliances, toys, and just about anything. Stewart also explores communities of “tiny houses” without attics and basements in which to stash the owners’ trash. Junk is a delightful journey through 250-mile-long yard sales, and packrat dens, both human and rodent, that for most readers will look surprisingly familiar.Trade Review"Finally, a book that explains my lava lamp, boxes of cassette tapes, and three pairs of clogs. Thank you, Alison Stewart! This book is overdue, and I promise not to put it on one of my piles." Hoda Kotb , cohost of the Today Show"To my dear beloved survivors: when you one day clean out my basement, you'll find a copy of Alison Stewart's Junk . Sit down on the pile of New Yorkers , turn on that halogen floor lamp I used in college, crack open a can of Jolt Cola (you'll find about three cases), and read about why all the stuff around you isn't necessarily junkexcept for that stack of VHS tapes. That's just crap." Mo Rocca , correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and host of My Grandmother's Ravioli"Somebody's going to say it, so let me be the first: Junk is a treasure. It's an enlightening look into our modern world featuring space garbage, spam, and chicken-shaped table lamps. Buy it, read it, and store it in the attic." A. J. Jacobs , author of The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically"If you suspect that you are holding onto things that hold you back in your life, you want to read Junk by Alison Stewart. Whether they are the physical items stuck in a drawer or ideas stuck in your head, Junk will make you think about what you keep and why." Cheryl Hunter , Life Coach and author of Lose It: Turn Setbacks into Success"absorbing and enjoyably compelling research on the packrat conundrum in our society." Kirkus Reviews"[A]n engaging narrative." Booklist"Stewart's compelling and readable book is for those who are fascinated by stuff and are in search of something other than decluttering or organization manuals." Library Journal"Lively, well-researched, and wincingly relatable, Junk is a jaunty ride through our national trash habit." Chronogram Magazine

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Book SynopsisHot Sauce Nation is a journey of discovery, delving into history, culture, immigration patterns, and the science of spice and pain. Through the stories of hot sauce makers and lovers, it explores the unique hold the dark prince of condiments has over the American heart. Trade Review"If you've ever wondered how such massive flavors and such paralyzing pain gets decanted into those little bottles, this is the book you've been waiting for. Denver Nicks weaves history, science, culture, and little bit of a lot else into a tidy, fun-to-read bundle. Enjoy this book by the drop or the spoonful." Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in 10 Cocktails"With verve, wit, and plenty of spice, Denver Nicks has captured the true flavor of the American experience. Hot Sauce Nation reads like gumbo on a page." Dane Huckelbridge, author of Bourbon and The United State of Beer"As wonderful a condimental accompaniment to American cuisine as hot sauce itself. It is substantive, detailed, and, best of all, fun to read." Tom Acitelli, author of The Audacity of Hops and American Wine"Nicks has managed to sneak a road novel into a hot sauce history class." The Currency of Cool"A very highly recommended celebration of the most popular condiment on earth and a tribute to the people who make it and the people who love it." She Treads Softly"Calvin Trillin meets Hunter S. Thompson, with some John McPhee thrown in for good measure." Palm Beach Illustrated

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Book SynopsisPinball’s history is America’s history, from gambling and war-themed machines to the arcade revolution and, ultimately, the decline of the need to leave your house. The strangest thing about pinball is that it persists, and not just as nostalgia. Pinball didn’t just stick around—it grew and continues to evolve with the times. Somehow, in today’s iPhone world, a three-hundred-pound monstrosity of wood and cables has survived to enjoy yet another renaissance. Pinball is more to humor writer Adam Ruben than a fascinating book topic—it’s a lifelong obsession. Ruben played competitive pinball for years, rising as high as the 80th-ranked player in the world. Then he had children. Now, mired in 9,938th place—darn kids—Ruben tries to stage a comeback, visiting pinball museums, gaming conventions, pinball machine designers, and even pinball factories in his attempt to discover what makes the world’s best players, the real wizards, so good. Along the way, Ruben examines the bigger story of pinball's invention, ascent, near defeat, resurgence, near defeat again, and struggle to find its niche in modern society.

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Book SynopsisEveryone always seems to be talking about the end of the world—Y2K, the Mayan apocalypse, blood moon prophecies, nuclear war, killer robots, you name it. In Apocalypse Any Day Now, journalist Tea Krulos travels the country to try to puzzle out America’s obsession with the end of days. Along the way he meets doomsday preppers—people who stockpile supplies and learn survival skills—as well as religious prognosticators and climate scientists. He camps out with the Zombie Squad (who use a zombie apocalypse as a survival metaphor); tours the Survival Condos, a luxurious bunker built in an old Atlas missile silo; and attends Wasteland Weekend, where people party like the world has already ended. Frightening and funny, the ideas Krulos explores range from ridiculously outlandish to alarmingly near and present dangers. Trade Review"A wild journey that makes prepping for doomsday seem like a hell of a good time. Read this book if it's the last thing you do!" -- Joey Green, author of Last-Minute Survival Secrets"This exceptional collection gives you access to an exclusive group of individuals that are normally hidden in plain sight or sealed behind two eight-ton armored steel doors. Apocalypse Any Day Now questions your own survival readiness when the lights go out. Will you be an overly prepared prepper or a short-lived scavenger?" -- John Austin, author of So Now You're a Zombie"This chatty, fast-paced volume will entertain those who enjoy reading about unusual subcultures."-- Publishers Weekly"'Apocalypse Any Day Now' is a fun and funny, but never mocking, dive into the bizarre world of doomsday preppers." -- Pop Mythology

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Book SynopsisIn 2005, the video game World of Warcraft struck the cultural landscape with tidal force. One hundred million people have played WoW in the twelve years since.But those people did more than play. They worked, they fought, they triumphed, they held entire game servers hostage, they even married each other in real life. They developed new identities, swapping their workaday selves for warriors, mages, assassins, and healers. They built communities and rose to lead them. WoW was the world’s first mass virtualization: before Facebook or Twitter, millions of people established online identities and had to reckon with the consequences in their real lives.Blood Plagues and Endless Raids explores this wild, incredibly complex culture partly through the author’s engaging personal story, from absolute neophyte to leader of North America’s top Spanish-speaking guild, but also through the stories of other players and the game’s developers. It is the definitive account of one of the world’s biggest pop culture phenomena.World of Warcraft is more than ones and zeroes, more than lines of code, and so its history must be more than pushing buttons or slaying dragons. It’s the tale of a huge and passionate community of people: the connections they made, the experiences they shared, and the love they held for one another.Trade Review"From the Mulgore plain to Draenor, Tony Palumbi and his avatar, a tauren shaman named Ghando, journey for years through the heroscape of World of Warcraft . Into these depths we plunge, too: Horde and Alliance, raiding and grinding, PvP battles and chat channels, guilds and ganking, leveling up, clearing dungeons, and making friends and enemies along the way. Writing a potent blend of cultural criticism and memoir, Palumbiour Virgil-like guide through a Dantesque digital underworlddescribes these travails with verve, wit, and wisdom. WoW the game may not be 'real,' but what happens there is. Blood Plagues and Endless Raids shows us why we should care." -- Ethan Gilsdorf, author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks"[a] fascinating peek inside one of the Internet's most popular online communities." -- Booklist

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Book SynopsisFor more than 75 years, Catwoman has forged her own path in a clear-cut world of stalwart heroes, diabolical villains and damsels in distress. Sometimes a thief, sometimes a vigilante, sometimes neither and sometimes both, the mercurial Catwoman gleefully defies classification. Her relentless independence across comic books, television and film appearances set her apart from the rest of the superhero world. When female characters were limited to little more than romantic roles, Catwoman used her feminine wiles to manipulate Batman and escape justice at every turn. When male villains dominated Gotham on the small screen, Catwoman entered the mix and outshone them all. When female-led comics were few and far between, Catwoman headlined her own series for over 20 years. True to her nature, Catwoman stole the show everywhere she appeared, regardless of the medium. But her unique path had its downsides as well. Her existence on the periphery of the superhero world made her expendable, and she was prone to lengthy absences. Her villainous origins also made her susceptible to sexualized and degrading depictions from her primarily male creators in ways that most conventional heroines didn't face. Exploring the many incarnations of this cultural icon offers a new perspective on the superhero genre and showcases the fierce resiliency that has made Catwoman a fan favorite for decades.Trade Review"Catwoman is the best known and longest running femme fatale in the comics world, with a history behind her creation as sensationally sordid as the feline temptress herself. Tim Hanley, with his uncanny mind for digging out hidden trivia of popular comic characters brings out a side of Catwomen few know, with frank honesty of all her virtues and flaws. This book perfectly distills the complicated 70+ year history of DC's bad girl with a heart of gold. An engaging, entertaining and vastly enjoyable history!" Hope Nicholson, author, The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen"Feed your kitty now, because once you start reading, you won't be able to stop. Tim's words are as mesmerizing as Catwoman herself." Adrienne Barbeau, actress and voice of Catwoman in Batman: The Animated Series, and author of There Are Worse Things I Could Do"Tim Hanley has done it again! His comprehensive history of Catwoman is as engaging and enlightening as his masterworks on Wonder Woman and Lois Lane. As in his previous books, Hanley walks us from Catwoman's on-paper origin through her myriad film and TV incarnations to her modern place in comic books, pulling on cultural and political threads to reveal what makes the world's most famous femme fatale a truly unique feminist hero. Catwoman has outlasted the male artists and writers who have perpetually denied her agency and projected their sexual fantasies onto her. In Hanley, she finds a writer who finally succeeds in honoring her voice." Heather Hogan, senior editor, Autostraddle"Source notes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this scrutiny worthy of a literary scholar - or a devoted comic book connoisseur! The Many Lives of Catwoman is a "must-read" for Catwoman fans, highly recommended." Midwest Book Review"Comic book fan or not, The Many Lives of Catwoman offers an interesting look at society's perception of women over the decades through a fictional avatar used by writers and artists to work through their own issues, misogynistic or otherwise." PopMatters"Featuring trademark obstacles, unappreciated talent, and a bittersweet ending for Finger, Hanley's meticulously researched work sinks its teeth into meaty, historically significant subjects, including female gender stereotypes and homoeroticism." Booklist Online"Hanley's writing is comprehensive and straightforward, and fans and newbies alike will take great pleasure in reading about Catwoman's journey." Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisThe Watchman didn’t arrive in a Batmobile but drove a tan, four-door Pontiac. He was in costume, of course—a trench coat, motorcycle gloves, army boots, a domino mask, and a red hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a W logo. Journalist Tea Krulos had spoken to him over the phone but never face-to-mask. By the end of the interview, he wasn’t sure if the Watchman was delightfully eccentric or completely crazy. But he was going to find out.Heroes in the Night traces Krulos’s journey into the strange subculture of Real Life Superheroes, random citizens who have adopted comic book–style personas and hit the streets to fight injustice. Some concentrate on humanitarian or activist missions—helping the homeless, gathering donations for food banks, or delivering toys to children—while others actively patrol their neighborhoods looking for crime to fight. By day, these modern Clark Kents work as dishwashers, pencil pushers, and executives in Fortune 500 companies. But by night, only the Shadow knows.Well, the Shadow and Tea Krulos. Through historical research, extensive interviews, and many long hours walking patrol in Brooklyn, Seattle, San Diego, Minneapolis, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Krulos discovered what being a RLSH is all about. He shares not only their shining, triumphant moments but some of their ill-advised, terrifying disasters as well. It’s all part of the life of a superhero. As the Watchman explains, “If everyone made little changes in what they did, gave a little more to charity, watched out for their neighbors, we wouldn’t have the problems that we have.”Trade ReviewA "colorful new page-turner." -- Milwaukee AV Club"It probably would have been easy for Krulos to make fun of these people, but, for the most part, he treats RLSH with respect because, if you factor out the comicbookish elements, these are men and women who are risking their own safety to make others feel a bit safer. And it's hard to make fun of that." --Booklist

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