Popular culture Books

Book SynopsisAn examination of the ways in which the fluid concept of "chivalry" has been used and appropriated after the Middle Ages. One of the most difficult and complex ethical and cultural codes to define, chivalry has proved a flexible, ever-changing phenomenon, constantly adapted in the hands of medieval knights, Renaissance princes, early modern antiquarians, Enlightenment scholars, modern civic authorities, authors, historians and re-enactors. This book explores the rich variations in how the Middle Ages were conceptualised and historicised to illuminate the plurality of uses of the past. Using chivalry as a lens through which to examine concepts and uses of the medieval, it provides a critical assessment of the ways in which medieval chivalry became a shorthand to express contemporary ideals, powerfully demonstrating the ways in which history could be appropriated. The chapters combine attention to documentary evidence with what material culture can tell us, in particular using the built environment and the landscape as sources to understand how the medieval past was renegotiated. With contributions spanning diverse geographic regions and periods, it redraws current chronological boundaries by considering medievalism from the late Middle Ages to the present. Katie Stevenson is Senior Lecturer in Late Mediaeval History and Director of the Institute of Scottish Historical Research at the University of St Andrews; Barbara Gribling is a Junior Research Fellow in the Department of History at Durham University. Contributors: David W. Allan, Stefan Goebel, Barbara Gribling, Steven C. Hughes, Peter N. Lindfield, Antti Matikkala, Rosemary Mitchell, Paul Pickering, Katie StevensonTrade ReviewFull of fascinating discussion regarding the long-term cultural impacts of chivalry. * FOLKLORE *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Chivalry and the Medieval Past - Katie Stevenson and 'An Institution Quite Misunderstood': Chivalry and Sentimentalism in the Late Scottish Enlightenment - David W. Allan Creating a 'Medieval Past' for the Swedish Orders of Knighthood - Antti Matikkala 'Hung Round with the Helmets, Breast-Plates, and Swords of our Ancestors': Allusions to Chivalry in Eighteenth-Century Gothicism - Peter N. Lindfield Knights on the Town? Commercial and Civic Chivalry in Victorian Manchester - Rosemary A. Mitchell 'The Dark Side of Chivalry': Victory, Violence and the Victorians - Barbara Gribling Daze and Knights: Anachronism, Duelling and the Chivalric Ethic in Nineteenth-Century Italy - Steven C. Hughes The German Crusade: The Battles of Tannenberg, 1410 and 1914 - Stefan Goebel 'Hark ye back to the age of valour': Re-enacting Chivalry from the Eglinton Tournament to Kill Streak - Paul Pickering

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Contemporary craft, art and design are inseparable from the flows of production and consumption under global capitalism. The New Politics of the Handmade features twenty-three voices who critically rethink the handmade in this dramatically shifting economy. The authors examine craft within the conditions of extreme material and economic disparity; a renewed focus on labour and materiality in contemporary art and museums; the political dimensions of craftivism, neoliberalism, and state power; efforts toward urban renewal and sustainability; the use of digital technologies; and craft’s connections to race, cultural identity and sovereignty in texts that criss-cross five continents. They claim contemporary craft as a dynamic critical position for understanding the most immediate political and aesthetic issues of our time.

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Book SynopsisA dazzlingly original analysis of how emotions shape the times we are living in by one of Britain’s most exciting thinkers‘A masterpiece’ New York Times‘Insightful and well-written’ Yuval Noah Harari, author of SapiensHow have feelings come to shape the world around us? Why has politics become so fractious and warlike? What might the future hold?In this bold and compelling exploration of our new political reality, William Davies reveals how feelings have come to reshape our world. Drawing on history, philosophy, psychology and economics, Nervous States is an essential guide to the turbulent times we are living through.Trade Review[An] interdisciplinary masterpiece. -- Mark Green * New York Times *If you read one book about contemporary politics this year, make it this one. William Davies is as acute and accurate on the shifts we are enduring as on the deep roots behind contemporary thinking (or not thinking, I should add). -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *The roots of our current anxieties are traced in [Nervous States,] an absorbing book fizzing with ideas… Davies is a wonderfully alert and nimble guide and his absorbing and edgy book will help us feel our way to a better future. -- Suzanne Moore * Observer *Wide-ranging yet brilliantly astute… Davies is a wild and surprising thinker who also happens to be an elegant writer — a wonderful and eminently readable combination. Nervous States covers 400 years of intellectual history, technological innovation and economic development, seamlessly weaving in such disparate intellects as Carl von Clausewitz, Friedrich von Hayek and Hannah Arendt. -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *We should all read William Davies’s Nervous States, a concise, penetrating exploration of the role played by negative emotions in our recent politics and culture -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * Evening Standard, **Books of the Year** *

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Book SynopsisRead the definitive biography of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, whose music and career illuminate the legacy of 1960s counterculture.Between 1969 and 1974, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were the most successful, influential and politically potent rock band in America. More than any of their peers, they channelled and broadcast all the radical anger, romantic idealism and generational angst of their era. The vast emotional range of their music, from delicate acoustic confessionals to raucous counter-culture anthems, was mirrored in the turbulence of their personal lives.Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is the first major biography of a band whose first two albums are undisputed rock classics, and which continues to attract a large and loyal following to their sporadic reunions. At the same time, Peter Doggett illuminates the pivotal years of 1960s counterculture through the story of four of its key protagonists, whose music, beliefs and relationships with each other chronicle both its trajectory and its legacy.'A fascinating, rip-roaring and timely re-telling of a corner of music history' Frank TurnerTrade ReviewPeter Dogett's book is a fascinating, rip-roaring and timely re-telling of a corner of music history that was hugely important but is all too often forgotten. The rehabilitation of Crosby, Stills and Nash's reputation (and of Young's contributions here) is long overdue -- Frank TurnerEngaging… [Doggett] use[s] the saga of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as a metaphor for the Woodstock generation and their doomed mission to return to the garden -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times, *Book of the Week* *[A] meticulous chronicle of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young… Doggett carefully charts the stalled sessions and schemes caused by this alpha-male jostling… For fans who want detailed chronology, it will be a joy, but Doggett’s book is also a deft portrait of a golden age tarnishing even as the band sang -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times *Especially good on the musicians early lives and early Seventies peak * Choice *Doggett… presents a solid, steady, evenhanded portrait. He loves the music without being slavish, and pays each of the musicians their due -- Anthony Quinn * Mail on Sunday *Exhaustively researched… If you think you know the history of CSN&Y then read this and, like me, you will be surprised at what you learn -- Tom Povey * RNR *Doggett…treasure[s] the band’s early oeuvre and writes with empathy about the group -- Holly George-Warren * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis*The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller*Well hark at you, stumbling upon my autobiography. Bet you wouldn't have put money on that three years ago, eh?! Please don't stress yourself out too much, though, it's actually socially acceptable nowadays that you're interested. Firstly I'd like to emphasise that I have WRITTEN THIS BOOK MYSELF, so be assured you're getting the TOOTH, the WHOLE TOOTH and NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH! (Which was my original choice of title, but babe, we're so over that.) This book documents my story, year by year, from my humble beginnings growing up in the East End of London, becoming one of the nation's most talked-about people overnight to finally moving up the spectrum from guilty pleasure, and getting nearer to national treasure.It will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly you'll discover who I really am. If it doesn't do any of those things you're not legally entitled to a refund - just clearing that up ;-).I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it. This book has been like therapy, and LORD was I in need. Enjoy!Trade Reviewan enjoyable book… it feels like we’re getting a detailed look at his life * Metro *an honest read, chock-full of his outrageous exploits. * The Sun *My favourite holiday read ... Everything I wanted to know about him & more! * Ruth Langsford *As honest and funny as the man himself * Attitude *

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Book SynopsisNik Cohn began to write this book in the late 1960s with a simple purpose: to catch the feel, the pulse of Rock. Nobody had written a serious book on the subject before, and there were no reference books or research to refer to. The result is an unruly, thrilling and definitive history of an era, from Bill Haley to Jimi Hendrix, full of guts, flash, energy and speed. In vividly describing the music and cutting through the hype, Nik Cohn engendered and perfected a new form: rock criticism.Trade ReviewA thrilling, inspirational read. -- Bob Stanley * Guardian *Set the template for a whole new style of rock journalism, informed, irreverent, passionate and polemical. * Choice Magazine *The best writer about pop music...an inspiration. -- Jarvis Cocker * BBC Radio 6 Music *The book to read if you want to get some idea of the original primal energy of pop music. Loads of unfounded, biased assertions that almost always turn out to be right. Absolutely essential. -- Jarvis Cocker * Guardian *Cohn was the first writer authentically to capture the raucous vitality of pop music * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisHow to live Japanese delivered through 100 familiar modern icons - humble emojis. These Japanese inventions, used around the world by billions, are simple, playful gateways into the essential elements of Japanese living. Cherry blossom, autumn leaves, love hotel, manner mode, kimono, lantern, the star festival, moon viewing, mount fuji, bullet train, the tokyo tower, noh theater, anime, hanafuda, panda, snow monkey, chopsticks, ramen, sushi, bento, sake and green tea - they are all on your phone and explained inside this book...Covers: weather and seasons, getting around, attire, relationships, etiquette, traditions, festivities, national icons, sports, leisure, fauna, eating and drinking.

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Book Synopsis'Dear Mr. Adam, I am writing on behalf of the Central Watch and Social Problems Committee of the Mothers’ Union to ask whether you have a programme in mind on the moral issue of venereal disease.''Sir, Where are the B.B.C’s censors? We do not care for the language that was inflicted on us Tuesday night in “The Battle of Britain”. Don’t retort, ‘You need not listen if you don’t want to’. We did not know it was coming.''Dear Mr. Frost, Let me start by saying how much I enjoy your programme & that I was among those many who felt almost that they had lost a blowsy old friend when dear & vulgar, but nonetheless thought-provoking and funny TW3 went off the air.'For anyone who regularly feels tempted to put pen to paper, I’m Sure I Speak For Many Others is an alternative history of the BBC, from its triumphant broadcast of the coronation in 1953, to that Tynan moment, the controversial That Was The Week That Was, and the groundbreaking Grange Hill.Stretching across over forty years of programming, these never before seen letters represent the joy, the fury and the wit of the nation.

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Book SynopsisFrom Disney darling to daring icon, this book offers an insight into Miley Cyrus''s unforgettable and outrageous life and career.The pop icon Miley Ray Cyrus is a famed singer, songwriter and actor. Having begun her career as the beloved Hannah Montana on Disney Channel, the singer has created an extensive discography, comprised of chart-topping hits such as ?The Climb?, ?Wrecking Ball? and most recently ?Flowers?, to name a few. This pocketbook is a must have for avid fans of the child-star turned global icon, containing facts and stats on her Tennessee roots, her albums, tours and artistic collaborations.

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Book SynopsisChief Executive Officers (CEOs) have become the cultural icons of the 21st century. Figures like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg are held up as role models who epitomise the modern pursuit of innovation, wealth and success. We now live, Bloom and Rhodes argue, in a ‘CEO society’ – a society where corporate leadership has become the model for transforming not just business, but all spheres of life, where everyone from politicians to jobseekers to even those seeking love are expected to imitate the qualities of the lionized corporate executive. But why, in the wake of the failings exposed by the 2008 financial crisis, does the corporate ideal continue to exert such a grip on popular attitudes? In this insightful new book, Bloom and Rhodes examine the rise of the CEO society, and how it has started to transform governments, culture and the economy. This influence, they argue, holds troubling implications for the future of democracy - as evidenced by the disturbing political rise of Donald Trump in the US - and for our society as a whole.Trade ReviewWhy do we pray at the altar of the celebrity CEOs? What are consequences of such disturbing worship? Bloom and Rhodes answer these questions, showing us the ugly side of our contemporary obsession and the price we collectively pay in the CEO society. * Alessia Contu, University of Massachusetts *When the answer to any problem is sending a CEO to the rescue, we are in deep trouble. This smart and insightful book takes a look at the increasing veneration of CEOs, and the damage it is doing to our society. * André Spicer, author of Business Bullshit *In spite of the thorough and still growing critique of the leadership cult, CEOs proliferate in both private and public sectors. Let us hope that Bloom and Rhodes' book will serve as an antidote. * Barbara Czarniawska, author of Cyberfactories: How News Agencies Produce News *Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the contemporary fetishisation of corporate leadership. Rhodes and Bloom trace the rise of the cult of the CEO, mounting a strong defence of democracy in the face of this celebratory authoritarianism. * Chris Land, Anglia Ruskin University *This unique book sheds light on one of the most tragic paradoxes of contemporary life: Why do we celebrate neoliberalism, through today’s “cult of the CEO”? Bloom and Rhodes explain our deep-seated attachments to ideologies that are not only flawed but also dangerous. * Kate Kenny, Queens University Belfast *Many of today's CEOs purport to serve the public good. They are wealth takers re-branded as wealth creators. This book illuminates the dangers of CEO worship in an age of entrenched austerity. * Linsey McGoey, author of The Unknowers: How Strategic Ignorance Rules the World *In a CEO society, only winners are allowed. In this timely and passionate book, Bloom and Rhodes identify what is at stake as corporate leadership replaces all other models for success. It delivers solace and motivation for anyone who believes that equity and justice should matter in governance. * Melissa Gregg, Research Director at Intel, and author of Work's Intimacy *A fascinating look at how the near deification of corporate executives has corroded culture across the globe, with dire implications for democracy. This is a wake-up call to rethink our values before it is too late to save hard-won and irreplaceable public institutions. * Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America *Bloom and Rhodes skilfully follow the ideology of the CEO into every corner of our society, revealing its sources, its impacts, and the resistance it is generating. Highly recommended for anyone concerned with contemporary capitalism. * Nick Srnicek, co-author of Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Threat and Promise of CEO Salvation 1. Welcome to the CEO Society 2. The Idolisation of the CEO 3. Competing in the Executive Economy 4. The CEO Politician 5. The CEO as a Model for Living 6. The Generous CEO? 7. The Bad Faith of CEO Salvation Afterword: The High Cost of the CEO Society

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Book Synopsis‘Where can the human animal seek its energy in this era of lockdowns and social distancing? Dodge may help us to find out’ Guardian‘If you’re a fan of Maggie Nelson’s work, you’ll like this book. It’s truly beautiful’ DazedIs love a force akin to gravity? A kind of invisible fabric which enables communications through space and time? Artist Harry Dodge finds himself contemplating such questions as his father declines from dementia and he rekindles a bewildering but powerful relationship with his birth mother. A meteorite Dodge orders on eBay becomes a mysterious catalyst for a reckoning with the vital forces of matter, the nature of consciousness, and the bafflements of belonging. Structured around a series of formative, formidable coincidences in Dodge’s life, My Meteorite journeys with stylistic bravura from Barthes to Blade Runner, from punk to Pale Fire. It is a wild, incandescent book that creates a literary universe of its own. Blending the personal and the philosophical, the raw and the surreal, the transgressive and the heartbreaking, Harry Dodge revitalizes our world, illuminating the magic just under the surface of daily life.'Holds you in its thrall like a brilliant friend. Dodge is a masterful writer' Miranda JulyTrade ReviewDodge has offered a new, luminous angle on autobiography that not only traces where the body has been—but also what it loves, how it thinks and feels within the potent intellectual and physical detritus of its lived world. Reading this book is like being bathed in the bright, gritty sear of a comet's tail. But the mark it leaves is stunningly terrestrial: a thumbprint of a mind on paper—singular in erudition, hurtfully wonder-struck, and true. * Ocean Vuong *Harry Dodge’s voice and vision are singular, but his genius is for revealing how each of us is plural. This is a beautiful record of his loves and deaths and ways of making, but even its most intimate moments open out, become portals to other possible worlds. No genre can hold this book. It is a work of tender force, prying open every category. My Meteorite is breathtaking—or breathgiving, because the whole thing oxygenates discourse, makes me feel alive. * Ben Lerner *My Meteorite holds you in its thrall like a brilliant friend—so vulnerable, hot, funny, and casually weird that you don't notice the profundity until you're already walloped by it. Dodge juxtaposes the tenderest of human details with hungry, brain-splitting inquiries into the very premise of life, and these shifts in scale are incredibly moving and provocative. Don't forget to notice that Dodge is a captivating and masterful writer; that's how he pulls this whole thing off. * Miranda July *Reading My Meteorite, I feel re-enchanted, all over again, with how miraculous an enterprise writing can be, when it is engaged with the degree of passion, inquisitiveness, and arrowy verbal virtuosity that Dodge brings to the game. Feel your whole body tingle as you read this blazing ode to randomness, to a cosmos where every particle and wave has a say in the matter. * Wayne Koestenbaum *A sense of simultaneity and infinitude shapes My Meteorite, which is at once memoir, studio diary and futuristic consideration of artificial intelligence and algorithms… Within the book, as in the soup of consciousness, everything is happening all at once; there are no fixed states… The recursive nature of the text captures the workings of memory and evinces a high-pressure, poetic approach to narrative and language that is also evident in much of Dodge’s raucous and extremely funny video work. -- Kate Wolf * Frieze *

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Book SynopsisAN FT BUSINESS BOOK OF THE MONTH 'An essential read' Diane Coyle, University of Cambridge 'We are currently living in a moment of extreme pessimism about data. This book will change your mind.' It's impossible to escape digital technology. And with that comes fear. But whatever the news has told you about data and technology, think again. Data expert and tech insider turned Cambridge researcher Sam Gilbert shows that, actually, this data revolution could be the best thing that ever happened to us.Good Data examines the incredible new ways this information explosion is already helping us – whether that's combating inequality, creating jobs, advancing the frontiers of knowledge or protecting us from coronavirus. We are standing on the edge of greatness, we just need to know how to get there.'A great read and really thought-provoking ... Challenges the surveillance capitalism narrative' Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC 'Good Data weaves some thorny issues into a story that is positive, interesting, easy to read and provides valuable insight' Peter Turner, Chief Commercial Officer, Avast Trade Review'Good Data brings a breath of fresh air, an invigorating blast of common sense, to the debate about our digital world. In place of scare stories about surveillance and exploitation, the book provides new insights from an expert, and pragmatic suggestions about how we can make data work for us as a shared resource. This is an essential read for anybody interested in shaping a positive digital future' -- Diane Coyle, University of Cambridge'Good Data weaves some thorny issues into a story that is positive, interesting, easy to read and provides valuable insight' -- Peter Turner, Chief Commercial Officer, Avast'There is increasing concern about how the big tech companies use – and abuse – our data. In this highly readable book, Sam Gilbert sets out how this data can be used for good, and describes how to think about controlling big tech while still achieving the positive benefits from it' -- Julian Huppert, The Intellectual Forum'A great read and really thought-provoking – challenges the surveillance capitalism narrative and suggests that an excessive focus on data privacy may harm us while reinforcing the power of the tech giants' -- Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC

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Book SynopsisWe all live online now, but what does that mean in IRL? How do strange subcultures on reddit affect our local shopping centres, what do night gyms owe to Twitter, and where can we really go to get some decent sleep? Our every move online is watched, but can we see ourselves? In these wide-ranging, witty essays, Roisin Kiberd offers immersive insight into the strange worlds, habits and people who have grown up with the internet, and shows the way our world is changing to fit the online fever-dream. Unsettling, clear-sighted and perversely fun, she traces the lines between Netflix and nap hotels, vaporwave music and camgirls, self-optimisation and insomnia, dating apps and a grand unified theory of Monster Energy Drinks. As well as holding up the zeitgeist for scrutiny, she turns an equally frank eye on her own life online, and asks what we have gained, what we have lost, and what we have given willingly away in exchange for this connected world.Trade ReviewExtraordinary -- Mark O'ConnellWildly impressive, interesting and entertaining * The Irish Times *A blistering collection ... marvellous ... profoundly, touchingly human. * Irish Daily Mail *Blazingly smart * Business Post *Gripping and fascinating -- Andrew Marr, Start the Week, BBC Radio 4Lion-hearted in its honesty, and insightful to the point of brilliance. -- Lisa McInerneyRoisin Kiberd is a Dante of the internet, leading us through the infernal circles of our online damnation. The Disconnect is a brilliant debut collection - unsettling, illuminating, and perversely fun - by a writer of extraordinary style and intellectual range. -- Mark O'Connell, author * To Be A Machine *Excellent: full of sharp analysis of life online, insomnia, dating apps and with a grand unified theory of Monster Energy drinks ... I felt both seen and like I could see more after reading this collection. -- Amy Liptrot, author * The Outrun *Roisin Kiberd has found the words to capture what it feels like to live, as they say online, 'in the bad timeline.' ... The joy lies in Kiberd's lucid prose, in the possibilities she presents, in her clarity of thought. -- Nicole Flattery, author of 'Show Them a Good Time'Both a warning about our lives in the worst of all possible worlds and the silent scream of every child birthed in the Internet's fractured womb. A long overdue message delivered by a writer with a first-rate intellect and curiosity who's unafraid to turn heat-vision on the self and, thus, all selves. -- Jarrett Kobek, author of 'I Hate the Internet'Spectacular. A book that takes on, makes sense of, and triumphs over that shapeless techno-dread with which we're now so sickeningly familiar. It's lion-hearted in its honesty, and insightful to the point of brilliance. All I'd hoped for and exactly what I needed. -- Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious HeresiesAs deep as it is wide-ranging, The Disconnect is a smart, timely, and beautifully intimate investigation into how the internet is turning us all inside-out. -- Ian Maleney, author * Minor Monuments *One of our brightest young writers. -- Martin Doyle * Irish Times *It's sharp, sad and funny ... If you, like me, have ever had to cut yourself off from an endless scroll and then felt the existential weight of being at once plugged into and removed from the rest of the world, then this book is for you. -- Vicky Spratt * Refinery 29 *I can't wait for Roisin Kiberd's The Disconnect - the sharpest writer with the most glorious and zippy mind. -- John Patrick McHugh, author of Pure GoldA rare and wonderful attempt to acknowledge that, for many of us now, the distinction between "real-life" and the more nebulous realities that the internet provides us with have, in a very real sense, broken down. * Dublin Review of Books *Setting the rise of technology and the companies that harness it against her own upbringing, personal struggles, the alienation of working freelance in post-austerity Ireland, Kiberd wades through the depths of the internet's effects on her personally, the places it's driven her to, and what she's taken away from it. A wake-up call, cause for self-examination, and a valuable piece of cultural anthropology. -- Mike McGrath-Bryan * Irish Examiner *Superb -- Claire Hennessy * Irish Examiner *Kiberd is an enlightening and laser-sharp conversationalist, always keen to pursue a tangent if she sees one running off into the distance. Her book is equal parts absorbing and disconcerting, while her weaving of opinions, in-depth research and confessional soul-searching is indicative of a writer unafraid to poke her nose into areas usually left covered ... Sharp-witted, self-aware, extremely confessional * Irish Independent *Kiberd has a knack for describing with laser precision the shape and mood of an event, experience or emotion and a real skill for applied analysis. * The Irish Times *Illuminating and insightful ... Fresh and unique * RTE Guide *Kiberd's writing is funny and frank, punchy and poetic, emotional and earnest. She writes with bravery and honesty about her struggles with depression, bulimia and anxiety -- JP O’Malley * Irish Independent *This excavation of internet life was a treat -- Niamh DonnellyMade me cry, laugh and feel less alone. -- Rebecca Liu * White Review *

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the various issues raised by women’s fraught integration into the mainstream in film and television, whether it be off screen as filmmakers and film critics or on screen in film and TV series. Marianne Kac-Vergne and Julie Assouly consider the varied representations of women in films such as Jackie Brown (1997), Marie Antoinette (2006), It’s a Free World… (2007) and Wonder Woman (2017). They particularly look into the overlooked gendered aspects of voice-overs and the adverse tropes used to represent maternity in television series as well as the complex motif of the vagina dentata in contemporary film and television. The chapters analyze independent, art-house, Hollywood and TV productions often in transnational contexts, shedding light on how definitions of femininity are culturally specific yet cross national, class and racial lines. The contributors include renowned scholars such as Yvonne Tasker, Celestino Deleyto, David Roche and Nicole Cloarec, as well as emerging yet well-published film scholars.Trade ReviewAddress[es] enthralling issues, such as the relationship between the male gaze and spectator identification; beauty, desirability and the white and black female body ... and the gendered hierarchy in American TV series’ voice-overs, to name but a few. ... The message of this essay collection is loud and clear * Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television *Table of ContentsList of illustrations Acknowledgements Series Editors’ Foreword Introduction Part I: Women speaking from the margins Interview with Vivienne Dick 1. Lizzie Borden and Vivienne Dick: Fighting for Female Filmmaking - Céline Murillo 2. Daughters behind the camera - Nicole Cloarec 3. Molly Haskell’s take on feminist film theory: the place of feminist film criticism outside academia -Anne Hurault-Paupe Part II: Women in semi-independent cinema 4. Racial bodies in Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days (1995) - Hélène Charlery 5. ‘She’s a Whole Lotta Woman’: Pam Grier’s Star Image in Jackie Brown (1997) - David Roche 6. Women on the Border: A Cosmopolitan Approach to the Representation of Contemporary Femininity in It’s a Free World… (2007) - Celestino Deleyto 7. Marie Antoinette (2006), Fashion Queens and Hollywood Stars - Sara Pesce Part III: Women protagonists in mainstream television and blockbusters 8. Voice-overs: renewing gender representations in American TV series - Anaïs Le Fèvre-Berthelot 9. Moving into the Mainstream: Pregnancy, Motherhood, and Female TV Action Heroes - Anne Sweet 10. In the Mouth of Fearfulness: Women, Power and the Vagina Dentata in Contemporary American Cinema - Charles-Antoine Courcoux 11. Can Women be Superheroes? Reflections on American Cinema and Beyond - Yvonne Tasker (University of Leeds, UK) List of References Index

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Tidings of a shrinking middle class in one part of the world and its expansion in another absorb our attention, but seldom do we question the category itself. We Have Never Been Middle Class proposes that the middle class is an ideology. Tracing this ideology up to the age of financialisation, it exposes the fallacy in the belief that we can all ascend or descend as a result of our aspirational and precautionary investments in property and education. Ethnographic accounts from Germany, Israel, the United States and elsewhere illustrate how this belief orients us, in our private lives as much as in our politics, toward accumulation-enhancing yet self-undermining goals. This meshing of anthropology and critical theory elucidates capitalism by way of its archetypal actors.

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Book SynopsisAn Imaginoscope for Organizers offers practical exercises to use both individual and collective imagination to activate and mobilize creative organizing impulses. It proposes intellectual, symbolic and poetic food for thought and practice. Each chapter is a step on the quest for creative ideas and practices and introduces a language that can be used to invent and communicate your own.

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Book SynopsisIn 2017, twenty-five years after its initial release, a new season of Twin Peaks shook the world of television. This new book is a detailed analysis of the third season of the television series and aims to elucidate some of the meanings of Twin Peaks: The Return and explain these in terms of philosophical, mythological and spiritual approaches. It focuses on the third season of Twin Peaks but also refers to the first two seasons, and to the film, Fire Walk with Me. Divided into three sections, the book first examines the third season as expanded storytelling through the lens of Gene Youngblood's theory of synesthetic cinema, intertextuality, integrationist, and segregationist approaches in the realm of fiction, and focuses on the role of audio and visual superimpositions in The Return. It goes on to question the nature of the reality depicted in the seasons via scientific approaches, such as electromagnetism, time theory, and multiverses. The third and final section aims to transcend this vision by exploring the role of theosophy, the occult, and other spiritual sources. The author’s focus on the role of spirituality and science in Twin Peaks is what distinguishes this book from other works on the famous television series. The work of a scholar who is also a fan, the book should appeal to any hard-core Twin Peaks viewer. Foreword by Matt Zoller Seitz, editor-at-large at RogerEbert.com, and the television critic for New York magazine. This will be essential reading for fans of Twin Peaks and academics writing about it. Also of interest for students with an interest in philosophy, religion, science or spiritualism in visual and popular culture.Trade Review'In The Return of Twin Peaks: Squaring the Circle we find a fascinating and comprehensive (possible) approach to read season three, as experienced by Franck Boulègue. Fans will appreciate it, as he ties up some ends, if they stick to his carefully established road map, that is fueled by a huge pool of experience from film studies, visual arts and popular culture. Naturally, readers should approach the title it with an open mind, as the author includes various sources and voices that may seem out of place; but then, this happens in Twin Peaks all the time' Full review available here -- Dr. A. Ebert, popcultureshelf.comTable of ContentsForeword, by Matt Zoller Seitz Introduction Chapter I - Expanded Storytelling 1. The Web of Expanded Television and Synesthetic Cinema 2. Intertextualities 3. Integrationists and segregationists in the realm of fiction 4. Audio and visual superimpositions Chapter II - What is Reality? 1. Atomic blasts, electromagnetism, and sounds 2. Time and time again 3. Parallel dimensions, multiverse theories, outer space and the Hollow Earth Chapter III - Transcending The Return 1. Numerology, Tarot, Alchemy, Palmistry, ESP, and Astrology 2. Thought-Forms and Theosophy 3. The Book of Revelation, Vedic and Mesopotamian cosmologies Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the psychological aspects of pop culture preferences, personality, and behavior from across sixteen research studies. The authors analyze such phenomena as superhero and antihero fandoms, internet trolls, women in popular culture, generational preferences, and romance and sexuality. Analyzing pop culture in the context of the #MeToo movement, LGBTQIA+ representation, and contemporary politics, Keith Beard, April Fugett, and Britani Black pay close attention to contemporary issues of inclusion and marginalization. Table of ContentsChapter 1: Personality, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and PsychologyChapter 2: From Superheroes to SuperpowersChapter 3: The Addition of the Antihero and the “Darker” Sides of PersonalityChapter 4: The New Definition of Good and Bad Guys in the Context of Psychology, World Beliefs, and PoliticsChapter 5: Love is LoveChapter 6: Internet Trolls and Internet AddictionChapter 7: The Role of Women and the #MeToo MovementChapter 8: All the Nostalgia: Generational Shifts in Personality and in Cartoon Character PreferencesChapter 9: The Fandom of Disney (aka Disney ruins everything)Chapter 10: Conclusions and Future Directions

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Book Synopsis''I laughed a lot and now understand blokes a lot more than I ever wanted to'' - Katherine Ryan''Geoff is one of the funniest intelligent thinkers in comedy and this book reflects that perfectly'' - Romesh Ranganathan''Funny and insightful, it makes serious points without committing the cardinal sin of taking itself too seriously. '' - Adrian Chiles''Highly informative. Geoff will make a proper bloke out of me yet.'' - Hugo Rifkind''A brilliant and hilarious book which defends blokes without denigrating women'' - Konstantin Kisin If you see a man drinking a pint in an airport pub alone, that''s a bloke. If you see a man driving to the tip on a Saturday morning with a smile on his face, that''s a bloke. And if you see a man heading back from the tip and on the way to the pub, that''s a very happy bloke.The British Bloke appears simple and straightforward. He loves football, cricket, bee

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Book SynopsisRory O'Connor has three kids and, in his own words, is just about surviving a life filled with sleep deprivation, stray Lego underfoot, mashed potato on the walls and the unmatched pride that comes with being a dad!Having coped with the labour ward and having been lulled into a false sense of security with one child, he's now knee deep in nappies, tackling tantrums and trying desperately to enjoy the occasional family holiday.The Rory's Stories Guide to Parenting brings Rory's trademark brilliant observations, everyday humour and down-to-earth common sense to the wonderful world of parenting. It's the guide' to parenting we've all been waiting for!

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Book SynopsisRichard Dyer is a foundational figure for the critical study of cinema and popular culture. Across a career spanning five decades, he has made path breaking contributions to our understanding of stardom and celebrity, gay and queer politics and cultural history, film music, race and whiteness and the pleasures of popular entertainment. The Richard Dyer Reader brings together for the first time key writings by this vital and influential figure, many of which are not otherwise available. The anthology guides readers through Dyer’s prolific and rich output through six thematic selections of essays and extracts, each centred on a key theme in Dyer's work: stardom and the image; entertainment and ideology; gay politics and representation; whiteness; the pleasures of popular entertainment, and textual analysis. A seventh section comprises a selection of interviews conducted across the span of his career, as well as a new interview with editors Glyn Davis and Jaap Kooijman. The book will provide an introduction for those new to Dyer’s writings, as well as offering a fresh perspective for readers with a more comprehensive knowledge of his work. The collection includes archival and recent pieces of writing never previously anthologised, newly commissioned essays, a substantial introduction to Dyer’s life and work and framing introduction to each section.Trade ReviewRichard Dyer is one of the most important film scholars in the world – establishing the fields of star and sexuality studies while exercising a huge influence on the analysis of race and gender in popular culture. It is remarkable that his work has not yet been collected in this kind of volume – perhaps because he is rightly careful about how to do it. In Glyn Davis and Jaap Kooijman, he has the perfect anthologists. -- Mandy Merck, Royal Holloway, University of London, UKFor half a century, Dyer has been one of the most important, impassioned and insightful observers in film/media and cultural studies. The Richard Dyer Reader’s selections – on action film, musicals, politics, gay pornography, whiteness, television, disco, stardom and much more – showcase Dyer at his blissfully jargon-free best. -- Chris Holmlund, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, USATable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction - Glyn Davis and Jaap Kooijman I: A STAR IS BORN and other essays on stardom and image 1. A Star is Born and the construction of authenticity (1981) 2. The meaning of Tom Jones (1971) 3. Gene Kelly (1972) 4. Jane Fonda (1979) 5. The way she is (1981) 6. Diana Ross (1982) 7. Never too thin (1993) 8. Charles Hawtrey (1994) 9. Between parturition and manufacture (2018) II: IN DEFENCE OF DISCO and other essays on entertainment and ideology 10. In defence of disco (1979) 11. Views of Nationwide go wide (1980) 12. Coronation Street (1981) 13. Tea and cocoa tele (1982) 14. Bad for a laugh (1982) 15. Taking popular television seriously (1985) 16. The colour of entertainment (1995) 17. Jurassic World and procreation anxiety (2015) III: GETTING OVER THE RAINBOW and other essays on gay liberation 18. Getting over the rainbow: identity and pleasure in gay cultural politics (1981) 19. Notes on gays and class (1976) 20. Pasolini and homosexuality (1977) 21. Taxi zum Klo (1982) 22. Vito Russo, The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies (1983) 23. Rock: the last guy you’d have figured? (1985) 24. Nice young men who sell antiques: gay men in heritage cinema (2001) 25. The idea of a gay icon (2009) IV: WHITE and other essays on representation and visibility 26. White (1988) 27. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the right to love oneself (1968) 28. The role of stereotypes (1979) 29. Of rage and despair (1981) 30. Don’t look now: the instabilities of the male pin-up (1982) 31. Heterosexuality (1997) 32. Is the camera racist? (1997) 33. White enough (2013) 34. The president’s hair (2018) V: COMING TO TERMS and other essays on bodies and affect 35. Male gay porn: coming to terms (1985) 36. Scorpio Rising (1981) 37. Why dance? (1981) 38. Old briefs for new (1989) 39. Dracula and desire (1993) 40. Idol thoughts: orgasm and self-reflexivity in gay pornography (1994) 41. ACTION! (1994) 42. The same over and over (2015) 43. Fond of little tunes: the sissiness of music in Rope and Tea and Sympathy (2023) VI: THE PERSISTENCE OF TEXTUAL ANALYSIS and other essays on form and meaning 44. The persistence of textual analysis (2023) 45. The television situation (1973) 46. The Towering Inferno (1975) 47. Notes on textual analysis (1981) 48. The space of happiness in the musical (1998) 49. Sound in Seven (1999) 50. The talented Mr Rota (2004) 51. Far from Heaven (2007) 52. Going Italian (2011) 53. Eisenstein’s penis (2023) VII: MASCULINITY IS SO BORING and other conversations with Richard Dyer 54. Masculinity is so boring (1985) (with Joe McElhaney) 55. To be reel (1997) (with Matthew Rettenmund) 56. Pleasure | obvious | queer (2016) (with Catherine Grant and Jaap Kooijman) 57. Writing out of love or politics (2023) (with Glyn Davis and Jaap Kooijman) Index

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Book SynopsisThe art and literature of our time is pregnant with catastrophe, with weather and water, wildness and weirdness. The Anthropocene - the term given to this geological epoch in which humans, anthropos, are wreaking havoc on the earth - is to be found bubbling away everywhere in contemporary cultural production. Typically, discussions of how culture registers, figures and mediates climate change focus on 'climate fiction' or 'cli-fi', but The Anthropocene Unconscious is more interested in how the Anthropocene and especially anthropogenic climate destabilisation manifests in texts that are not overtly about climate change - that is, unconsciously. The Anthropocene, Mark Bould argues, constitutes the unconscious of 'the art and literature of our time'.Tracing the outlines of the Anthropocene unconscious in a range of film, television and literature - across a range of genres and with utter disregard for high-low culture distinctions - this playful and riveting book draws out some of the things that are repressed and obscured by the term 'the Anthropocene', including capital, class, imperialism, inequality, alienation, violence, commodification, patriarchy and racial formations. The Anthropocene Unconscious is about a kind of rewriting. It asks: what happens when we stop assuming that the text is not about the anthropogenic biosphere crises engulfing us? What if all the stories we tell are stories about the Anthropocene? About climate change?Trade ReviewA scintillating work of boisterous melancholy. -- China Miéville, author of OctoberMark Bould's provocation kicks off a thrill-ride roller coaster of ideas, speeding us from one savvy insight to another about culture in the era of climate change. An essential read for anyone wanting to better understand what we know and don't know about what comes next. -- Imre Szeman, author of On PetroculturesIf The Anthropocene Unconscious weren't so fun to read, it might be too terrifying to think about. This is a book people will be quoting for the next twenty years. -- Gerry Canavan, co-editor of Green PlanetsBrilliant. A sharp, original, irreverent, and deadly serious exploration of climate's pervasive presence in all modern culture. Bould's critical elicitation of climate change across a wide range of genres, places and texts offers a novel methodology for reading, categorizing, and interpreting Anthropocene culture and the banal monstrosities of its attendant carbon capitalism. The result is a highly prescient critique of its root causes and a better means to fully realize the past, present and future effects of its unfolding catastrophes. -- Graeme Macdonald, University of WarwickBould's work is as impactful in the twenty-first century as Jacques Derrida's landmark thesis of nuclear culture was three decades ago. -- Anindita Banerjee, author of We Modern PeopleA vision from the future, a retrospective analysis of our present situation, a requiem for a world we have already lost. This is a deeply personal missive - and one that carries a powerful message: we conflate the fact and fiction of global destruction at our peril. -- John Gilbey * Times Higher Education *[Bould] is particularly good on film and its qualities ... while [his] critical arguments are carefully made, he is clear that his method includes reading an awareness of the Anthropocene into the cultural gems he examines. -- Jon Turney * The Arts Desk *Worthy and timely ... [The Anthropocene Unconscious] provide[s] us with a cultural critique that has the potential to reshape the way we think about all cultural forms, and the climate - literally - in which they are produced. -- Leila Sackur * It's Freezing in LA *Ebullient ... meshing high-theory with casual lyricism ... Bould's eco-socialist commitments seem increasingly inescapable. -- Lola Seaton * New Statesman *A swift, wide sweep ... the book's central argument is vital: our culture is submerged in climate catastrophe -- Oscar Rickett * i newspaper *Climate change, to Bould, is always on the peripheries of art, even if we can't confront it face-on, even if we would like to forget it, even when we think we were safe -- Lauren Sneade * Economy, Land & Climate Insight *Bould puts forward a compelling argument about what cultural criticism in the Anthropocene should be, and he does so with the hope of curtailing some of the slow violence and injustices of the many widely and unevenly distributed effects of climate change. -- Alison Sperling * Los Angeles Review of Books *A clear call to action, an attempt to awaken us from our slumber. * Science Fiction Studies *

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Book SynopsisA survey of the rituals of the year in Victorian England, showing the influence of the Middle Ages. What does a maypole represent? Why eat hot cross buns? Did Dick Whittington have a cat? All these questions are related to a larger one that nineteenth-century Britons asked themselves: which was more fun: living in their own time, or living in the Middle Ages? While Britain was becoming the most industrially-advanced nation in the world, many vaunted the superiority of the present to the past-yet others felt that if shadows of past ways of life haunted the present, they were friendly ghosts. This book explores such ghosts and how real or imagined remnants of medieval celebration in a variety of forms created a cultural idea of the Middle Ages. As Britons found, or thought that they found, traces of the medieval in traditions tied to times of the year, medievalism became not only the justification but also the inspiration for community festivity, from Christmas and Boxing Day through Maytime rituals to Hallowe'en, as show in the writings of amongst many others Keats, Browning and Dickens.Trade Review[The] book is awash with fascinating and understudied examples of nineteenth-century medievalism, and is thus a valuable work of scholarly recovery and a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting read. -- PARERGON[An] interesting and very relevant contribution to any study of invented medievalisms. -- FOLKLORETable of ContentsIntroduction: Medievalizing Time 1. The Christian and Not-so-Christian Year 2. Medievalist Calendar Experiments 3. Christmas Becomes a Season 4. Winter Love: St. Agnes and St. Valentine 5. Rites of Spring: Imagining Origins 6. Summer Festivals: Religion in Performance 7. Fragmented Autumn: Harvest-Home to Lord Mayor's Show Epilogue: Christmas Ghosts

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Book SynopsisIn our culture of short-term work, mobile communications an rolling media it seems we are always on the move; but are w really getting anywhere? Non-Stop Inertia argues that this appearance of restless activity conceals and indeed maintains a deep paralysis of thought and action, and that rather than being unquestionable or inevitable, the environment of personal flexibility and perpetual crisis which we now inhabit is ideologically constructed. Written from inside this system of precarious employment and debt-driven subjectivity, illustrating its arguments with actual examples and using theory to make connections and unlock meanings, the book shows how in our constant anxious pursuit of work and leisure we are running on the spot against a scrolling CGI backdrop. As performative labourers full-time jobseekers, social networkers and consumer-citizens, we are so preoccupied by the business of 'being ourselves' that our real identities are forgotten and our dreams of resistance buried.Trade ReviewIvor Southwood has incisively tapped into the emotional landscape of the always-available, always-looking-for-work world of precarious labour - and passionately found a way to navigate around and beyond the incessant stupefaction. Writing, from the inside, about the monotonous unpredictability of intermittent work, the privatisation of welfare and its often absurdly punishing routines, an intimately managed emotional labour that is as exhausting as it is pointless, and covering theories of the spread of contingent work in an accessible way, Southwood has accomplished something extraordinary. Non-Stop Intertia registers the tragedy and the farce, elicits anger and laughter and, finally, shows that while it might not always be possible to withdraw one's labour by going on strike, it might be necessary to withhold the emotional connection that is demanded in the exchange. Non-Stop Inertia's witty riposte, in short, is to behave as the robot that we are expected to be, as a way beyond being treated as if one is. A beautiful book. (Angela Mitropoulos, Queen Mary, University of London, author of Precari-Us?)

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Book SynopsisFrom the Ghostbusters HQ in New York to Nemo’s fish tank in Sydney, from the Phantom of the Opera’s Parisian lair to scenes from Grand Theft Auto in LA, this is an amazing atlas of imaginary locations in real-life cities around the world. Locations from film, TV, books, computer games and comics are ingeniously plotted on a series of beautiful vintage-looking maps.Feauturing 14 of the world’s greatest cities, the maps show exactly where your favourite characters lived, loved, worked and played, and where iconic scenes took place. The locations have been painstakingly tracked down, mapped, annotated and wittily divulged by the authors, and an extensive index helps you find them all. Within the pages of this book, you'll discover:• Where in London super-spies James Bond and George Smiley are neighbours.• The route of the exciting San Francisco car chase in Bullitt.• The Tokyo homes of all the magical girls from the classic Sailor Moon anime.And many more fascinating locations drawn from the world’s imagination.Accompanying the maps are illuminating essays that explain how the authors came to their decisions, along with explorations of the key locations and fun timelines of imaginary events. Find out how to get to Sesame Street, where to join Starfleet and thousands of other places besides, in this indispensable guidebook to all those places you always wanted to visit – if only they were real. Trade Review‘Oh what fun! … allows access to a creative world and is overflowing with information and beautifully drawn maps.’ LoveReading‘Brimful of intriguing curiosities … the maps are a thing of beauty’ Perceptive Travel

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Book SynopsisCulture Smart guides help travellers have a more meaningful and successful time abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on values, attitudes, customs, and daily life will help you make the most of your visit, while tips on etiquette and communication will help you navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.Trade ReviewCulture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers...' Sunday Times Travel, ' the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries.' Global Travel, ' full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas.' Observer, ' as useful as they are entertaining.' Easy Jet Magazine, ' offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world.' New York TimesTable of ContentsBrief History Politics - Economic Life Traditions - Friendships & Family Relationships Bureaucracy Religion Humour - Local Holidays Taboos Invitations Gifts Dress - Business etiquette - Punctuality & Appointments - Team working Communication Negotiating - Women in Society Tips - Eating Out - Traditional Food - Dos and Don t - Making Friends

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Book SynopsisCulture Smart guides help travellers have a more meaningful and successful time abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on values, attitudes, customs, and daily life will help you make the most of your visit, while tips on etiquette and communication will help you navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.Trade ReviewCulture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers...' Sunday Times Travel, ' the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries.' Global Travel, ' full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas.' Observer, ' as useful as they are entertaining.' Easy Jet Magazine, ' offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world.' New York TimesTable of ContentsBrief History Politics - Economic Life Traditions - Friendships & Family Relationships Bureaucracy Religion Humour - Local Holidays Taboos Invitations Gifts Dress - Business etiquette - Punctuality & Appointments - Team working Communication Negotiating - Women in Society Tips - Eating Out - Traditional Food - Dos and Don t - Making Friends

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Book SynopsisProviding information not found in standard guides about daily interactions, cultural dos and don'ts, etiquette, and the ways business is conducted Culture Smart! Laos offers in-depth information to visitors seeking a genuine experience, including essential insights and advice on local customs and lifestyle. The information, collected through research and the experience of living and working in this beautiful country, is also of great use to businessmen and prospective investors. Once known as "the Kingdom of a Million Elephants under the White Parasol," Laos is a landlocked country of great contrast and beauty in the heart of the Indochinese peninsula. Visitors quickly relax and enjoy the vibrancy and color of bustling marketplaces with their aromatic spices, tropical fruits, and huge wicker baskets containing many varieties of rice. You may glimpse a group of monks of all ages wandering past in flowing orange robes, and later hear their chanting emanating from within the temple walls. Passing a line of children in school uniform, chattering and laughing noisily, you will always be greeted with a gracious bow and "sabaidee." Whatever the purpose of your visit, in Laos you will always be greeted with warmth, courtesy, and hospitality, and feel completely safe.Trade ReviewCulture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers...' Sunday Times Travel, ' the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries.' Global Travel, ' full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas.' Observer, ' as useful as they are entertaining.' Easy Jet Magazine, ' offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world.' New York TimesTable of ContentsBrief History Politics - Economic Life Traditions - Friendships & Family Relationships Bureaucracy Religion Humour - Local Holidays Taboos Invitations Gifts Dress - Business etiquette - Punctuality & Appointments - Team working Communication Negotiating - Women in Society Tips - Eating Out - Traditional Food - Dos and Don t - Making Friends

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Book SynopsisHorary astrology is a fascinating and exacting technique, and here is the perfect book to hone your skills. Author Petros Eleftheriadis presents over fifty valid charts taken from his client files which demonstrate, in clear steps, how to reach an answer. He stresses the importance of starting with the correct question; for instance, he doesn't accept 'Should I?' questions, saying 'Astrology charts cannot possibly show something that will NEVER materialize, something that will never become reality, so they cannot show how your life would be, had you made another decision.' So rather than asking whether you will win the lottery if you buy a ticket, the correct action would be to buy the ticket and then ask if you will win. Ideal for students and professionals with some knowledge of horary astrology.

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Book Synopsis100 Symbols That Changed The World looks at the genesis and adoption of the world’s most recognizable symbols. Universal symbols have been used as a form of communication from the Bronze Age, when the dynasties of ancient Egypt began the evolution of the thousand characters used in Egyptian hieroglyphics. In pre-Columbian America the Mayan civilization set out on a similar course, using pictures as a narrative text. With the adoption of written languages, symbols have come to represent an illustrated shorthand. The dollar sign in America evolved from colonists’ trade with the Spanish, and the widespread acceptance of Spanish currency in deals. Merchants’ clerks would shorten the repeated entry of “pesos” in their accounts ledgers, which needed to be written with a ‘p’ and an ‘s’. A single letter ‘s’ with the vertical stroke of the ‘p’ was much quicker. Historically correct dollar signs have a single stroke through the ‘S’. Symbols are also used to impart quick, recognizable safety advice. The radio activity symbol was designed in Berkley in 1946 to warn of the dangers of radioactive substances – and following the widespread use of gas masks in WWII, the trefoil symbol echoed the shape of the mask. There are many symbols of affiliation, not only to religious groups, but support of political causes or even brand loyalty. Symbols are used for identification, military markings and recognition of compatibility. They allow users to convey a large amount of information in a short space, such as the iconography of maps or an electrical circuit diagram. Symbols are an essential part of the architecture of mathematics. And in the case of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics – the first Games to be held in an Asian country – symbols allowed the organizers to create event signage that wouldn’t be lost in translation. The set of Olympic sports pictograms for the Games was a novel solution, and one that was added to in Mexico and Munich. Organized chronologically, 100 Symbols That Changed The World looks at the genesis and adoption of the world’s most recognizable symbols.Trade ReviewPraise for Colin Salter’s 100 Posters that Changed the World: 'Showcase[s] an extensive collection of the images and slogans that have shaped society as we know it.’ – Country Life 'This journey through images that can inspire, shock or just leave the viewer laughing is never less than fascinating… A beautifully produced volume that will find a very broad readership.' – All About History 'This engaging book is a vivid tapestry of poster styles with diverse commercial, cultural and political applications supplemented by informative single-page essays that stimulate curiosity page after page.’ – Morning Star

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Book SynopsisWhat I did to them was terrible, but you have to understand the context. This was London, 2016 . . . Bohemia is history. Paul has awoken to the fact that he will always be better known for reviewing haircuts than for his literary journalism. He is about to be kicked out of his cheap flat in east London and his sister has gone missing after an argument about what to do with the house where they grew up. Now that their mother is dead this is the last link they have to the declining town on the north-west coast where they grew up. Enter Emily Nardini, a cult author, who - after granting Paul a rare interview - receives him into her surprisingly grand home. Paul is immediately intrigued: by Emily and her fictions, by her vexingly famous and successful partner Andrew (too old for her by half), and later by Andrew's daughter Sophie, a journalist whose sexed-up vision of the revolution has gone viral. Increasingly obsessed, relationships under strain, Paul travels up and down, north and south, torn between the town he thought he had escaped and the city that threatens to chew him up. With heart, bite and humour, Luke Brown leads the reader beyond easy partisanship and into much trickier terrain. Straddling the fissures within a man and his country, riven by envy, wealth, ownership, entitlement, and loss, Theft is an exhilarating howl of a novel.Trade Review‘Luke Brown’s Theft is acerbic but tender, biting but elegiac, a snapshot of early twenty-first century life in which the unceasing prospect of catastrophe is the new normal.’ Colin Barrett ----‘It's a rare thrill to find a writer with Luke Brown's gift for nimbly navigating the maze of gentrification, Brexit, and the gig economy with dark, effervescent hilarity. Theft is a funhouse mirror held up to the grim absurdity of our political moment, a quick-witted tale of generational crisis, and an incredibly poignant and funny take on what happens after bad turns to worse.’ Alexandra Kleeman----‘A raw, funny, surprisingly tender novel about belonging, class, and what makes a life a success. I loved the central brother/sister relationship and how the book confronted masculinity and the disparity between womanhood and the male experience. I grew so fond of the protagonist, and devoured the book in a day.’ Dolly Alderton----‘I love Luke Brown’s intimate detailing of both the tiny fault lines and vast chasms that divide us. This Britain is both utterly recognisable and freshly revealed and the writing assured, funny and always humane.’ Catherine O'Flynn---- ‘It’s rare to read something as cuttingly funny which is also this wise and humane, even while the plot moves like the twist of a knife. What do we choose? What’s already been chosen for us? In creating a protagonist and a scene so specific and forensically well-observed, Brown delivers a state of the nation / state of masculinity novel with the ebullience and momentum of a writer discovering his true and specific powers.’ Luke Kennard----‘Theft is a witty, tender and insightful portrait of a city, and a life, at a time of crisis. It’s engrossing and charming and made me laugh many, many times.’ Nicole Flattery----‘Astute and funny.’ Lucy Knight, Sunday Times----‘A moral novel about a crisis in masculinity [. . . a] funny, stylishly and unfrivolously written book.’ Jonathan McAloon, Financial Times ----‘A story of radical instability . . . handled with poise, precision, brio and a bracing lack of sentimentality.’ Matthew Adams, Observer----'A black comedy of sexualised class war . . . refreshingly nuanced.' Houman Barekat, Guardian ----'Theft is a clever book about a clever man . . . But moments of sincere tenderness . . . show us the unvarnished, slightly lost, charming man beneath the surface.'Claire Looby, Irish Times----‘While Theft ruminates on cultural fault lines, property and decline, it is never clunky or dour. [Brown’s] prose is brisk, unpretentious and witty . . . There is a lot to enjoy about the interplay of Theft’s mischievous, promiscuous, furious cast members, and how they come to exemplify an age.’ James Riding, Literary Review----‘Theft is brilliant on divisions between people and places, tribalism and the death of debate . . . I raced through it.’ Sara Lawrence, Daily Mail ----'An emotionally complex story of grief, desire, and Brexit . . . With bleak humour and sharp details, Brown memorably connects the personal and the political.' Kirkus Reviews----'An exhilarating novel about love, envy and revenge that, while always being a lot of fun, gives us a new perspective on the state of our divided, riven modern world.' Irish Times----'Theft is a return to the decadent literary London of his hilarious debut My Biggest Lie.' Suzi Feay, Financial Times

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Book Synopsis Praise for the Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die exhibition: "A fascinating look at how punk and new wave music met the eye" New York Times "An absolute joy" Financial Times The largest unique collection of printed memorabilia from the punk and post-punk movements. Andrew Krivine began collecting punk memorabilia in 1977 when punk exploded onto the scene. Since then, Andrew has amassed one of the world s largest collection of punk graphic design and memorabilia. This book features a carefully curated selection of over 650 posters, club flyers, record covers and adverts from the collection. Together they represent the prime years of punk which changed the world of graphic design forever with its do-it-yourself aesthetics. The artworks are put into context by graphic design experts, academics and commentators. Among them former art director of New York Times Steven Heller, reader in graphic design at the London College of Communication Dr Russ Bestley, graphic design writer Rick Poynor, designer Malcolm Garrett and Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Michael Wilde. The book spans the growth and evolution of punk on both sides of the Atlantic including The Clash, The Buzzocks, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Television, The Ramones, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Devo, Blondie, Flying Lizards, Public Image Ltd, The Only Ones, The Slits, New Order, REM and Joy Division. A collectable item itself, the book is beautifully produced with front and back cover artwork by Malcolm Garrett and Peter Saville, the designers behind some of punk s most memorable album covers. Arguably the most essential and final work on the graphic design revolution within the punk and post-punk movements of the UK and America, Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die will appeal to punk fans and graphic designers alike. Part of Andrew s collection is currently touring the world as the Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die exhibition and has been on display at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York among other museums.Trade Review'A heaven-sent gift to all dedicated followers of punk' * Morning Star *'Truly a sight for the eyes' * The Irish Times *'Filled to the brim with iconography that begins with the Velvet Underground in the ‘60s and ends with the Smiths in the ‘80s' * Style Zeitgeist (US) *'If you have even a passing interest in the period, then you should sell your dog (or dog collar) to buy a copy.' * GQ *

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Book Synopsis Delve into the hidden world of creativity and design afforded by the humble caravan. Join Jane Field-Lewis and Chris Haddon as they travel to meet with caravan owners who share happy childhood memories of trips home and abroad, and evenings spent listening to the rain gently patter on the roof. Exploring over forty different caravans of all vintages from across the world, My Cool Caravan celebrates a new wave of interest in modern-retro caravanning. Chapters include:New Retro: Representing the modern version of traditional homeliness: think vintage objects, bunting, retro china, rose prints and caravans from the 1950s.Country Cottage: Recreate an idyll of cosy surroundings with caravans ranging from the 1936 Eccles Aristocrat to Bertram Hutchings’ Winchester Pipet.Old Retro: The 1960s and 70s was a time of affordable caravans and spawned popular brands, a profitable market and models we still see in their hundreds.The Simple Life: Take a step back to a less complicated way of life and consider interior design built around the most basic of requirements.Trailer Park Treasures: Deeply instilled within popular American culture the trailer park legacy has yoyo-ed in popularity from its heyday in the 1950s to a present day resurgence. Celebrate flamboyant graphics, polished aluminium and kitsch interior design.British Classics: From the ‘king of kings’ Carlight to other iconic brands such as the Cheltenham, Winchester and Safari, explore classic exteriors, quality fittings and top of the range kitchen equipment.Organic: Characterised by their soft curves, the caravans in this chapter represent a conscious movement towards modernism.Silver Bullets: Iconic American designs recognisable by their streamlined shape, shiny aluminium exterior and paying homage to other groundbreaking 1930s transportation.Recycled: Discover how others turn old, forgotten caravans into a number of different purposes and how one person’s junk can be another’s treasure.

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Book Synopsis‘Essential reading.’ – ESQUIRE ‘Both absorbing and highly illuminating’ – THE BOOKSELLER ‘No one understands the intricacies of YouTube like Chris Stokel-Walker’ – THE ATLANTIC Two billion people watch YouTube and it reaches deep into everyday lives. Its creators start new trends, popularise new songs and games and make and break new products. Yet while they are famous to billions of mostly young people, they mostly remain a mystery to the general public and mainstream media. What is the secret of their appeal? How do they cope with being in front of the lens – and who is behind their success? More than 100 insiders spoke candidly to teach journalist Chris Stokel-Walker for this first in-depth independent book on YouTube. YouTubers is the only book you need to understand YouTube, its ownership by Google, its deal for stars and its ecosystem of talent managers, advertisers and marketers. It is a richly-layered deep dive into YouTube brimming with lively characters, engaging facts, and influencer case studies. It is an ideal guide for any media studies students, advertisers, brand managers and business people who need to understand YouTube professionally. And for any non-fiction reader interested in a gripping business and technology saga dripping with big money, ruthlessness, determination and ambition. YouTubers starts by charting the platform's launch in a boring 19-second video of the elephant enclosure at San Diego Zoo – which has now had 242 million views. YouTubers then moves onto the first oddball videos before the site found success by showing comedy clips from the TV show Saturday Night Live. YouTubers reveals how YouTube saw off its emerging rivals in the online video battle of the 2000s and was bought by the search engine specialist Google. With Google's billions and boosted by smartphones, YouTube became the dominant video platform. Bloggers started to create engaging, fast-cut videos that capitalised on the intimate relationship between creator and user – a 'parasocial' relationship stronger than the bond between TV presenter and viewer. By ceaselessly urging their followers to tap the like, comment and subscribe buttons, these creators helped YouTube's rise to global domination. YouTubers speaks to YouTube stars KSI, Hank and John Green and delves into the lives of child star MattyB, the training camp for aspiring teenage bloggers, the YouTube stunts that go wrong and the increasing efforts of creators to earn money from Patreon. And it tackles the platform's Muslim extremism, red-pilling, and its content guidelines and censorship. YouTubers asks how YouTube can take on the threat from other big platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. In short, YouTubers tells the riveting story of the exponential growth of YouTube from single home video to global tech phenomenon. It is the best and only book you need to read on YouTube. Extract Introduction One spring afternoon Casey Neistat uploaded a video lasting five minutes and twenty-two seconds to YouTube. In the style of so many YouTubers, he looked straight into the camera and aired his opinion on a matter of importance. As the elder statesman on the platform, Neistat’s words carry weight. He can make or break products and careers — and this video was no different. Seconds after he uploaded his video to YouTube via his superfast broadband at his creative headquarters in New York, it was available worldwide to four billion people: everyone on Earth with an internet connection. Millions of Neistat’s subscribers instantly received a notification telling them that one of YouTube’s most influential stars was again speaking directly to them. Across the world in apartment blocks, restaurants, bedrooms and bathrooms, phones pinged, buzzed and beeped. Hundreds of thousands of people instantly watched what Neistat had to say. Wearing dark glasses, his hair streaked blond, Neistat vented his frustration at the way the media was second-guessing the motivations of YouTubers; and he wanted to single out one journalist in particular. In the comments section underneath his video his fans began discussing the question he posed: did people post videos on YouTube for the fame and fortune — or just to express themselves? YouTube is a kaleidoscope of visual and audio content that mimics the richness, quirkiness, beauty and madness of human life. Every day its users upload videos on everything from pop music to politics, fashion to plumbing, and cars to fishing. The topics are as diverse (and as random) as the world itself. Want to watch racing pigeons, cut a perfect bob, discuss Che Guevara, speak Mandarin, or play guitar? YouTube can offer that, instantly. Want to relax while seeing boiled sweets made the old-fashioned way? Load up Lofty Pursuits. Have a hankering to watch a man meticulously scratch away the foil on 200 lottery playing cards to see if he can win back his outlay? Type ‘moorsey scratchcards’ into your search bar and reap the rewards. Whether giving sex advice, posting football clips or simply splicing together footage to create an action-packed vlog, video makers want to communicate with and be seen by YouTube’s 1.9 billion registered users. Some hope that, like Casey Neistat, they too will one day set off pings across the world. For a few, notifications mean that millions of fans are watching them and their view counters are whirring upwards, along with their bank balances. Elite influencers are creative and dynamic and get to do what they want all day long. Unsurprisingly, becoming a YouTuber is the job children most covet. They understand the platform’s extraordinary growth. YouTube is expanding so fast that outsiders can’t accurately measure its size. An estimated 576,000 hours of video are added daily to YouTube – vastly more than the new releases on Netflix. In October, November and December 2018, Netflix added 781 hours of original content, while 53 million hours of footage likely went onto YouTube. It would take you 35 days to watch the new Netflix content non-stop. You’d still be watching the YouTube uploads in the year 8069. YouTube’s rise has been swift. In little more than a decade, it has moved from an oddity broadcast on bulky grey computer monitors to mass media entertainment viewed on ultra-thin, wall-mounted 55-inch televisions. In the past five years, YouTube viewing has rocketed from 100 million hours a day to one billion hours a day. Buy the book and carry one readingTrade ReviewNo one understands the intricacies of YouTube like Chris Stokel-Walker. - Taylor Lorenz, The AtlanticFor anyone trying to understand the bonkers world of YouTube, this is essential reading. - Sam Parker, EsquireIt is smart, sweeping, and significant. - Simon Clark, YouTuberIt's both absorbing and highly illuminating. – Caroline Sanderson, The BooksellerBrilliant, witty and extraordinary... a must-read book for anyone who wants to truly understand the future of media - Hussein Kesvani, MEL Magazine Table of ContentsPART I. POWER AND BEGINNINGS 1. UPLOADING: CASEY NEISTAT AND THE POWER OF YOUTUBE. Introducing the power and reach of YouTube, now owned by Google, by focussing on the single post uploaded by a YouTube veteran. Mentions YouTube registered users, YouTube extraordinary growth, Netflix, Facebook, television, American cable network HBO 2. JAKE PAUL: CARS, MONEY, AND A BURNING SWIMMING POOL. A character portrait of a leading YouTuber – the brother of Logan Paul and resident of a mansion with a pool in Los Angeles. Mentions Tesla, Lamborghini, merchandise shop, Ohio, Beverly Grove, California, YouTube persona, Audemars Piguet Swiss watches 3. ME AT THE ZOO: JAWED KARIM AND THE WORST VIDEO OF ALL TIME. The launch of YouTube, featuring the video Me At The Zoo shot by co-founder Jawed Karim, who joined forces with Steven Chen and Chad Hurley, backed with investment from Sequoia Capital. Mentions Ask Jeeves, Altavista, Google 4. VIRAL COMEDY: YOUTUBE LAUGHS ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK. YouTube's big breakthrough comes when comedy clips from TV shows such as Saturday Night Live go viral. Mentions Lazy Sunday, NBCUniversal, Jorma Taccone, copyright infringement, Grouper, Viacom, lonelygirl15, Michael Buckley, WhatTheBuck? 5. GRACE HELBIG AND THE FIRST STARS OF VLOGGING. How the first creators exploded in popularity, looking at case studies such as Grace Helbig and Michael Buckley. Mentions multi-channel networks, YouTube salary, VidCon, Vlogbrothers, Philip DeFranco, YouTube managers, MCN, YouTube secrets, YouTubers 6. FROM RUSSIA TO LATIN AMERICA: YOUTUBE GOES GLOBAL. Charting how YouTubers gained fame across the world, featuring the biggest Spanish-language YouTube channel Enchufe.tv, the Brazilian music video star Kondzilla and the Russian game player FROST. Mentions Martin Dominguez, Ecuador, El Rubius, Paladin PART II. ENGINE ROOM: HOW YOUTUBE WORKS 7. THE ALGORITHM: YOUTUBE’S SECRET FORMULA. Explaining the secret computer code that matches YouTubers to viewers and determines who will become a star. Mentions PewDiePie, Google Brain, artificial intelligence, VideoDays, Jim McFadden, YouTube Kids, Little Monster Media Co, Charlieissocoollike 8. POLICING YOUTUBE: EXTREMISM AND THE ADPOCALYPSE. How conspiracy theorists got away with bogus claims in online videos before Google belatedly started cutting ad revenue from extremists and hoaxers. Mentions David Zublick, QAnon, UFO, Flat Earth, red pill, Alex Jones, Islamic extremism, 9/11 theory 9. SPONSORED CONTENT: THE TALE OF DODIE CLARK AND HEINZ BEANS. How the LGBTQ+ Pride star came to be paid by a grocery brand for advertising its product in a YouTube video. Mentions bisexual, mid-roll ads, pre-roll ads, Fabian Göbel, Carat Global, Beckii Flint, Kwebbelkop, adpocalypse, I Hart Food PART III. CHARTING THE STARS 10. KNOW YOUR YOUTUBE: ELITE, MACRO-INFLUENCER AND MICRO-INFLUENCER. Marketing agencies have understood and categorised the differing power of YouTubers. Jake Paul, Casey Neistat, influencers, MediaKix, YouTube video views, subscribers, nano-influencer, creators, brand deals, celebrity, terminology 11. ELITE INFLUENCERS: FIGHTING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP. Introducing a new way for YouTube stars to earn money: pay TV events such as at the boxing match between KSI and Logan Paul. Mentions Copper Box Arena, Upload Events, Olajide William Olatunji, Caspar Lee, Joe Weller, Jake Paul, PewDiePie, Zoella 12. CHILD STARS: MEET MATTYB, WHO GETS TWO MILLION VIEWS A DAY. By the time he was 11 American Matthew David Morris had racked up one billion views, the latest in a line of very young YouTubers. Mentions Justin Bieber, Ben Hampton, Troye Sivan, Dua Lipa, Mister Max, Miss Katy, Jacob Sartorius, funniflix 13. MACRO-INFLUENCERS: BEAUTY, CRIME AND DIY. The British YouTuber Eleanor Neale shows how going through 'beauty hauls' of new purchases attracts viewers and sponsorship. Mentions YouTube fanbase, Social Circle, Lucy Moon, Chez Rossi, Ultimate Handyman, Jawed Karim, Justin Bieber, Granny Potty Mouth 14. MICRO-INFLUENCERS: SPEAKING TO A DEVOTED AUDIENCE. Muslim modesty vlogger Eniyah Rana makes a full-time living by serving up videos to a devoted audience. Mentions Asian housewife, hijab, Snapchat followers, Instagram, Bengali, haram, YouTube entrepreneur, Rincey Abraham, Booktube PART IV. BEHIND THE SCENES: SNAPSHOTS 15. SUMMER IN THE CITY: A GATHERING OF THE INFLUENCERS. With the stars and fans: behind the scenes at the biggest UK event for online video. Mentions London Docklands, Creator Day, YouTubers, content networks, Zoella, Alfie Deyes, VidCon, HelloWorld!, Thomas ‘TomSka’ Ridgewell, Dodie Clark, Taha Khan 16. COLLABORATION: SAPPHIRE BUILDS A CAREER. The 16-year-old YouTube star has already played Wembley twice. She is now looking to collaborate with other creators to increase her appeal further. Mentions VideoDays, Camp Rock, Nick Upshall, uploading videos, Summer in the City, Zoella, famous YouTubers 17. MANAGEMENT: SARAH WEICHEL, STAR AGENT. She represents some of the world’s biggest YouTubers such as Lilly Singh, nickname IISuperwomanII. Mentions PewDiePie, Carson Daly, Zoe Sugg, Alfie Deyes, A to Z Creatives, @Zoella, KSI, Anthony Padilla, Patrick Starrr, VidCon, Hannah Hart, My Drunk Kitchen 18. TRAINING CAMP: WITH THE 11-YEAR-OLD YOUTUBERS. In a villa 20 miles from Madrid, scores of teenage YouTubers are in bikinis and swimming shorts, excitedly chattering over the sound of summer pop hits and Disney songs. Mentions Bastian Manintveld, professional YouTuber, YouTube channels, Maker Studios 19. YOUTUBE SCHOOL: WITH THE ADULT ENTREPRENEURS. How chief executives, advertisers and marketers learn to post videos to attract business. Mentions Brighton, Vlog on the Beach, Caspar Lee, YouTubing basics, Mi Elfverson, Amazon statistics, traditional broadcast media, celebrity vlogger, creator PART V. CAUGHT IN THE MACHINE 20. PRANKS FOR VIEWS: WHY MONALISA PEREZ SHOT HER BOYFRIEND. The dangerous, sometimes fatal risks creators take to get hit videos. Mentions Pedro Ruiz III, LaMonaLisa, Dammit Boy, Halstad, Curtis Combs, Trikkstar, Laci Green, Sam Pepper, Tyler Oakley, Vlogbrothers, DaddyOFive, TGFBro, Crazy Sumit 21. AUTHENTICITY: THE FOURTH WALL FOR YOUTUBERS. How speaking directly to the camera builds intimacy between presenter and viewer. Mentions lonelygirl15, Bree Avery, Creative Artists Agency, Los Angeles Times, Tyler Oakley, Charlie McDonnell, Facebook, KhanStopMe, Lucy Moon, social media, 2btube 22. BURNOUT: SLAVES TO THE ALGORITHM. Showing how posting online videos can become an exhausting round-the-clock job for workaholic creators, at a cost to their mental and physical health. Mentions YouTube homepage, OlgaKay, Olga Karavayeva, lonelygirl15, Lisa Donovan, popular YouTuber, iMovie, view count 23. FANATICAL FANS: OBSESSIVE RELATIONSHIPS. Singer Christine Grime was shot dead by a YouTube follower in Orlando, Florida. Mentions meet-and-greet, favourite YouTuber, Internet fame, James Charles, Logan Paul, Tom Burns, Zoella, Alfie Deyes, parasocial relationship, Tahj Deondre Speight, VidCon PART VI. THE BATTLE FOR CONTROL 24. YOUTUBERS FOUND A UNION. Fed up with low earnings from YouTube's advertising revenues or from Multi Channel Networks (MCNs), YouTube influencers strike back. Mentions Grace Helbig, MyDamnChannel, DailyGrace, amateur vlogging, Rhett and Link, Rhett McLaughlin, Hank Green, Internet Creators Guild 25. PATREON: SEEKING INDEPENDENT SUPPORT. Creators discover they can generate income direct from fans and, more particularly, superfans. Mentions Laura Chernikoff, Internet Creators Guild, YouTube AdSense, Pomplamoose, Sean Palmer, Little Monster Media Co, Matt Gielen, secret algorithm, Phil DeFranco 26. MERCHANDISE: FROM BOOKS TO POP SOCKETS. YouTubers capitalise on another source of income - by storming the bookseller bestseller charts. Mentions Zoella, Penguin Books, Girl Online, New York Times bestseller for young adults, Pointless Books, Keri Smith Wreck This Journal, Cordially Invited PART VII. THE FUTURE: YOUTUBE V TV 27. THE FUTURE: YOUTUBE v TV. YouTube makes it big - big enough to attract Hollywood stars like Will Smith. Mentions James Corden, Jack Whitehall, YouTube Rewind, Kate Stanford, Kevin Hart, Jake Paul, KSI, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Ellen DeGeneres, Carpool Karaoke, Netflix 28. INVASION OF THE HOLLYWOOD STARS. The likes of Will Smith launch their own YouTube channels. Mentions James Corden, Jack Whitehall, Kevin Hart, YouTube Rewind, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, Jake Paul, KSI, Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lawrence, Wiz Khalifa 29. IS YOUTUBE KILLING TRADITIONAL TV? The shift from terrestrial linear television to on-demand online viewing. Mentions Derek Holder, Little Baby Bum, animated educational videos, El Bebe Productions, CBeebies, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Google, L’Oréal, Wheels On The Bus, Justin Bieber,YouTube Kids 30. ONLINE VIDEO WAR: YOUTUBE v FACEBOOK. As it becomes more popular, rival online platforms vie to control internet viewing. Mentions Mark Zuckerberg, Goubran ‘Goubtube’ Bahou, Jahannah James, viral video skits, Major League Baseball, Facebook Watch, BuzzFeed, TikTok, creator cash, Instagram Stories PART VIII. CONCLUSION 31. A FLAWED WINNER. Mentions Summer in the City, VidCon, YouTubers, peer-to-peer TV, adpocalypse, Elsagate, extremism, YouTube brand deal, conspiracy theories, YouTube stunts, Alice Marwick, James Bridle, TikTok, Amazon, Facebook, Spotify, Kevin Allocca, MeTube, UsTube, YouTube personality,YouTube book GLOSSARY. Explains terms used in this YouTube book such as algorithm, authenticity, creator, Facebook, haul, influencer, merch, parasocial relationships, Patreon, stanning, streamer, subscriber, TikTok, unboxing, Vine, vlogger, YouTuber ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Mentions Laura Chernikoff, Anthony D’Angelo, Matt Gielen, Zoë Glatt, Harry Hugo, Internet Creators Guild, Wired UK, New Scientist, Bloomberg, Oli Franklin-Wallis, Tom Rowley, Angelika Strohmayer, Bastian Manintveld NOTES. Full references for the book, such as: 1. Means a Life of Poverty, Casey Neistat, YouTube, accessible at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyVdZrL3Sbo 2. 2. four billion people: everyone on Earth with an internet connection: Internet World Stats, at https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm INDEX. A full index of mentions within the book, listing media sources, YouTube stars, technology companies etc

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Book SynopsisA guide to modern times that explores the challenges living in the 21st century can pose to our mental wellbeing. The modern world has brought us a range of extraordinary benefits and joys, including technology, medicine and transport. But it can also feel as though modern times have plunged us ever deeper into greed, despair and agitation. Seldom has the world felt more privileged and resource-rich yet also worried, blinkered, furious, panicked and self-absorbed. How to Survive the Modern World is the ultimate guide to navigating our unusual times. It identifies a range of themes that present acute challenges to our mental wellbeing. The book tackles our relationship to the news media, our ideas of love and sex, our assumptions about money and our careers, our attitudes to animals and the natural world, our admiration for science and technology, our belief in individualism and secularism – and our suspicion of quiet and solitude. In all cases, the book helps us to understand how we got to where we are, digging deeply and fascinatingly into the history of ideas, while pointing us towards a saner individual and collective future. The emphasis isn’t just on understanding modern times but also on knowing how we can best relate to the difficulties these present. The book helps us to form a calmer, more authentic, more resilient and sometimes more light-hearted relationship to the follies and obsessions of our age. If modern times are (in part) something of a disease, this is both the diagnostic and the soothing, hope-filled cure.

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Book SynopsisFrom Kate Bush to Nicki Minaj, from Janet Jackson to TLC and Taylor Swift, pop's greatest female pioneers are simply strange: smashing notions of taste and decorum, and replacing them with new ideals of pleasure. Instead of rehashing biographies, Lesley Chow dives deep into the music of these groundbreaking performers, identifying the ecstatic moments in their songs and finding out what makes them unique. You’re History is a love letter to pop’s most singular achievements, celebrating the innovations of women who are still critically underrated. It's a ride that includes tributes to Chaka Khan, Rihanna, Neneh Cherry, Sade, Shakespears Sister, Azealia Banks, and many more...Trade Review"Lesley Chow is the best and rarest kind of critic—one who loves to be surprised, and can always surprise you in turn… The emphasis is firmly on aesthetic pleasure, and the book itself is a unique pleasure to read: joyful, witty, knowledgeable, intensely observant, and indifferent to received ideas.""By embracing pop's sonic artifice, its vocal textures and its wordless moments of rapture – toooften ignored by other critics – Lesley Chow constructs a new version of pop history. Her assemblageof pop's 'hybrid girls' and wayward women is a sly, original analysis."“Lesley Chow's sparklingly written book is full of whip-smart wit and electric prose. You're History isn't just a work of great criticism: it will make you rethink your understanding of pop music and the strange, sublime sounds of its creators.”“Lesley Chow explores the alchemy of pop that comes from breath, sound and lyrics. Her deep dive into these extraordinary women made me feel their music all over again.”“A constantly surprising and thought-provoking book tracing... non-verbal bliss, irruptive sensuality, and mouth-music magic — a counter-canon of oozy oohs and sweet nothings that takes in Chaka Khan, Janet Jackson, TLC.”“The slim, sharp book considers a range of female artists from Janet Jackson and Taylor Swift to TLC and Nicki Minaj, a group that the Australian cultural critic Chow views as ‘outliers, marking moments where the culture might have swerved to incorporate their influence, but somehow contrived not to.’”“You’re History is the ideal book for anyone who thinks a great song is like a puzzle, with every individual component its own unique mystery worth investigating.”

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Book SynopsisA few weeks before he died, Hunter S. Thompson left an answerphone message for Jackass' Johnny Knoxville: "I might be coming to Baton Rouge... and if I do I will call you, because I will be looking to have some fun, which as you know usually means violence." Fun does not, of course, mean violence for most people. Those who choose to make a hobby, a career or an art practice out of injury are wired differently — subject to unusual motivations, and quite often powered by an ardent death-drive. In Which as You Know Means Violence, writer and art critic Philippa Snow analyses the subject of pain, injury and sadomasochism in performance, from the more rarefied context of contemporary art to the more lowbrow realm of pranksters, stuntmen and stuntwomen, and uncategorisable, danger-loving YouTube freaks. In a world where violence — of the market, of climate change, of capitalism — is part of our everyday lives, Which as You Know Means Violence focuses on those who enact violence on themselves, for art or entertainment, and analyses the role that violence plays in twenty-first century culture.Trade Review“The best book I’ve read on art and pain since Maggie Nelson’s Art of Cruelty, and a worthy successor to that work.”"Snow writes with such kinetic, sensory power here, alongside her characteristic, roving intelligence, that I felt I’d (somewhat queasily) witnessed, as well as read, this gripping exploration of pain and performance. Which As You Know Means Violence is as smart, fearless and funny as its many sensitively drawn subjects. Brilliant."”With her sharp insight and ferocious sense of fun, Philippa Snow is the rare critic with the daring necessary to juxtapose Jackass and feminist body art, to probe their entangled strains of suffering and liberation. These essays are feats of intellectual agility that feel eye-opening, risky, and all too relevant to our half-mad moment.”“A scintillating look at bodily harm in art and society, from Buster Keaton to Jackass, which puts the late 90s and 2000s in its rightful place as a historically and culturally important moment while showing how capitalist society is forever a sado-masochistic death cult. Snow is witty, funny and sharp as a knife.”"It is a true pleasure to become immersed in writing that is capable of connecting so many dots with such dexterity and grace." "Snow has somehow created an enjoyable—indelible- book-length meditation on pain. Most notable is its critical analysis of hurt in the culture industry at large.""Provocative and intensely readable, humane and beautifully drawn parallels between subjects of violence and their disposition to harm. Absolutely captivating.""A brilliant, bracing and often funny debut, Philippa Snow's Which As You Know Means Violence casts a compassionate but rigorous critical lens on self harm as art and art as accident. The smartest book I've read all year, and one I will return to for years to come."“Philippa’s writing makes me feel like I am rolling around in the mud wearing pearls. You are in the muck of glamour! I can think of few people writing now who give ‘the great feminine’ the kind of gritty and glorious thinking it deserves, which is what Philippa does.”“Which As You Know Means Violence is a surprisingly moving, life-affirming book, in part because it’s about life, art, performance, being pushed to its limits. Here, we discuss the current landscape for criticism, subconscious creativity, and the value of humour.”“No one gets celebrity better than writer, critic and i-D contributor Philippa Snow. Her first book [is] a thrilling work of cultural criticism about the peculiar place aestheticised violence occupies in contemporary art and culture.”“I reread Snow’s essays in an afternoon and wished for more. If we’re lucky, perhaps she’ll pull a Sontag and offer a second set.”“Snow’s ability to move from niche performance art to the messianic iconography of millennial Americana is one of the book’s greatest strengths.”“Svelte and smart analysis… Snow has a witty and sleek style, approaching the subjects of life, art and performance pushed to their extremes with sensitivity and care. This is a book about pain and hurt that, somehow, is both provocative and immensely pleasurable to read.”“A short, sharp stiletto of a book that gets to the point of how our inner pains become public across the highs and lows of (un)popular culture.”"I wish I could write like Philippa Snow. Every essay she writes does exactly what she's trying to get it to do; every text she writes about is transformed, new; and it's funny, it's all so funny and sad and right. For goodness' sake, buy this book."

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Book SynopsisGiorgio Gomelsky was at the centre of the counterculture in 60s' London and 70s' Paris before running a studio for avant-garde musicians in New York. He was the original manager of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds in London, then managed the French supergroup Magma and developed the career of Gong. Dumaurier recounts his friend Gomelsky's love of life, his dynamism, and the creativity that made him "push the envelope". With a keen eye for talent, Gomelsky's ideas helped shape the rock music we know and love today - acting as a catalyst for change and innovation. With recollections from colleagues, friends and musicians: Larry Birnbaum, Madeleine Carr, Raul Gonzalez, Brian Gooding, Bob Gruen, Roman Iwasiwka, Amy Madden, Jesse Malin and Bradley Rim.Trade Review"At last! A biography of the man who did more than most to shape rock music in the 60s and 70s. Francis was a close friend and admirer of his subject in his later years, and his book captures Gomelsky's brilliant butterfly mind; a labour of love." - Ralph Brookfield, musician and writer of books on music ; "If you have an interest in the way the music industry evolved, an interest in the 1960's British blues and 1970's Prog scene, then I'd thoroughly recommend this book. The author does a wonderful job bringing the story to life." - Roger Tichborne, The Barnet Eye; "a great tribute and recollection of Giorgio Gomelsky's life and his influences on culture and music as told by close friends and those that knew and worked with him, such as musicians Jesse Malin, Brad Rim, Amy Madden and Raul Gonzalez. It is a genuine and interesting read to discover more about Giorgio and his life as well as the history of the music era of the 60s and 70s rock. Now, thanks to this English edition, more can read about Giorgio's life and influences that helped shape rock music so he can get the remembrance he deserves." - Carina Lawrence, Mad About Rock ; "In his biography 'Life', Keith Richards says of Gomelsky: 'He pushed us forward, found us concerts, at a time when there was nothing else to hope for.' A creative, inspired poet, passionate impresario, Giorgio Gomelsky lived in New York where the author Francis Dumaurier met him and then rubbed shoulders with him for a long time. From their friendship was born this moving testimony that (finally) does justice to the man." **** --Maryline Stan, Amazon; "If you're a big classic rock nerd who wants to learn about the behind the scenes people, it's a good read with many interesting stories from those who were close to Giorgio throughout his life - an honest look, warts and all... There are lots of cool photos of Giorgio and the bands that he worked with throughout the book. It paints a vibrant picture of what it was like in Swinging London, 60s and 70s Paris, and 80s New York City... Pick up this book and you'll find he was more than just The Yardbirds manager. What a journey!" - Angie Moon, The Diversity of Classic Rock; "Dumaurier, through his friendship with Giorgio and interviews with those who knew him, paints a vivid picture of Gomelsky's life and legacy, exploring his complex relationships with the musicians he worked with, his impact on the music industry, and his lasting influence on the cultural landscape of the 1960s and beyond." - Jason Barnard, The Strange Brew; "A fascinating biography featuring one of the British blues most unsung heroes, via vital associations with the Stones and Yardbirds amongst others." - Craig Campbell, Louder Than War; "Gomelsky’s true talent, in Dumaurier’s reckoning, was always finding his way to where the interesting people were...A loving account of a life lived across music scenes." - Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisNarcissism is the defining pathology of the twenty-first century, but what if it is not self-obsession that defines us but a need for self-transformation? Narcissus in Bloom is a short history of the self-portrait, beginning with Renaissance painters like Albrecht Durer, Rembrandt and Caravaggio, through to photographers and celebrities like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, Lee Friedlander and Herve Guibert. Analysing the ways that so many artists have regarded their own image, how might the age of the selfie be considered as a time of transformation rather than stasis? By returning to the original tale of Narcissus, and the flower from which he takes his name, this book offers an alternative reading of narcissism from within the midst of a moralising subgenre of books that argue our self-obsession will be the death of us. That may be so. But what will we become after we have taken the watery track, and rid ourselves of the cloistered self-image given to us by late capitalism?Trade ReviewNarcissus in Bloom is a real achievement ... it marks a return to a now lost tradition: big-picture cultural theorising that speaks to and illuminates present-day anxieties in unexpected ways, spoken in the vernacular of contemporary popular culture, of the likes of Richard Hoggart, Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall and more. "Relating one's emotional self to those around us is at the very heart of Colquhoun's queer critical and political project. Narcissus in Bloom is ambitious, moving, inspirational and loving... a purposeful and universal work driven by the author's passion for photography.""Rather than see the selfie as a sign of self-absorption, this engrossing volume understands the selfie as expressing a longing for a kind of self-transformation. Elegantly and stylishly written, this book is the best kind of cultural criticism, sweeping away the worn- out cliches of the familiar for the freshness and wonder of the truly new.”"A fascinating alternative genealogy of our modern obsession with the photographic self-image. You'll never look at a selfie the same way again."

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Book SynopsisChosen as one of the Best Architecture and Design books Summer 2022 by the Financial Times. Why British record store carrier bags are graphic design icons: While they’ve never carried the kudos of sleeve designs and music posters, record shop bags offer a fascinating insight into 20th century British music culture, high-streets and more. – Creative Review Jonny Trunk’s extensive collection of record shop bags weaves together a less conventional history of British music, celebrating the shops where musicians and fans bought and sold their first LPs. This book is a love letter to these forgotten spaces, accompanied by a juicy selection of anecdotes and little known facts about the record shops and their bags. Readers, gear up for a “brilliant ride down the old British high streets and low streets too.” – It's Nice That Jonny Trunk and FUEL present A-Z of Record Shop Bags – a publication celebrating the humble record store bag. This exhaustive collection of the record shop bag provides a unique perspective of record shopping in the UK over the last century, bringing together over 500 incredible bags (some possibly the only surviving examples) to document the fascinating story of British high street record shopping. Bags from famous chains such as NEMS, Our Price and Virgin (the amazingly rare Roger Dean bags), sit alongside designs from local shops run by eccentric enthusiasts. Packed with stories such as the first Jewish ska retailer, the record sellers who started the premier league, famous staff (David Bowie, Dusty Springfield, Morrissey, etc.) and equally infamous owners, these anecdotes of mythical vinyl entrepreneurs will entertain and delight. With vinyl record sales at their highest ever for decades (outselling CDs in the US), this publication acts as an amazing insight into the history, culture and visual language of record collecting. Following Own Label, Wrappers Delight and Auto Erotica – A-Z of Record Shop Bags: 1940s to 1990s is the next book in the series by Jonny Trunk and FUEL, examining overlooked aspects of our collective past.

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