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Book SynopsisFrom the fiery intellectual provocateur - and one of our most fearless advocates of gender equality - a brilliant, urgent essay collection that both celebrates modern feminism and affirms the power of men and women and what we can accomplish together.Trade ReviewFiercely erudite, freewheeling and sex-drenched . . . The Helen Vendler-meets-Patti Smith grad seminar you wanted but never quite got [. . . Paglia is] a fearless public intellectual and more necessary than ever * * New York Times * *Paglia's vision is always fresh . . . A fascinating and challenging reading companion * * The Times * *Dazzling . . . Compulsively readable * * Salon * *Polemical, thought-provoking, enraging, funny, and brave * * VICE * *She flies as high as you can go * * New York Times * *Remarkable . . . at once outrageous and compelling, fanatical and brilliant * * Washington Post * *A compilation of Paglia's best, and most incendiary, previously published essays . . . At times infuriating, at times glittering, Paglia's prose is always biting and relentless * * Huffington Post * *An essential work by an essential public intellectual * * VICE * *Feminist and culture critic Paglia is at her feisty, full-throated best in this series of short manifestos that spans her career * * Publishers Weekly * *Paglia is a brilliant thinker on culture and human nature . . . Inspirational in its tone and its message that freedom belongs to both sexes -- Helen Smith * * The New Criterion * *

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Book SynopsisAn incredible sticker set in a deluxe metal tin.

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Book SynopsisA Beginner’s Guide to the Deep Culture Experience proposes a deep culture journey, encouraging travelers to pursue a meaningful cross-cultural experience.Trade ReviewThis is a beautiful book-thoughtful, insightful, personal, practical. A perfect companion for the serious traveler, student abroad or expatriate traveling on the deepest cultural journey. -- John Condon, Regents' Professor of Communication, University of New Mexico; author of With Respect to the JapaneseBeyond shedding fresh light on intercultural perspectives, A Beginner's Guide to the Deep Culture Experience is a profound search for what makes us human. A highly recommended read for anyone wanting to learn more about the patterns of meaning that move us on cultural and individual levels. -- Stefan Meister, CEO, InterculturesIndispensable to those seeking to dig beneath the surface to find out why people in other countries behave as they do. Nobody does this sort of thing as well as Joseph Shaules. -- Robert Whiting, author of Tokyo Underworld

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Book SynopsisQuentin Tarantino is one of the leading filmmakers of the 90s, known for his unique scenes, exquisite soundtracks, violence and coarse language. Tarantino pays tributes in each of his films and creates unique situations in which the grotesque becomes amusing. This book is a tribute to Quentin Tarantino and the whole universe he has created. Here, you will see different fan art works by 31 international artists, authentic masterpieces, accompanied by phrases and anecdotes from the world of this fantastic filmmaker.

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Book SynopsisOwn it, snowflakes: you've lost everything you claim to hold dear.White is Bret Easton Ellis's first work of nonfiction. Already the bad boy of American literature, from Less Than Zero to American Psycho, Ellis has also earned the wrath of right-thinking people everywhere with his provocations on social media, and here he escalates his admonishment of received truths as expressed by today's version of the left. Eschewing convention, he embraces views that will make many in literary and media communities cringe, as he takes aim at the relentless anti-Trump fixation, coastal elites, corporate censorship, Hollywood, identity politics, Generation Wuss, woke cultural watchdogs, the obfuscation of ideals once both cherished and clear, and the fugue state of American democracy. In a young century marked by hysterical correctness and obsessive fervency on both sides of an aisle that's taken o

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Book Synopsisomplete pocketsized guide to all aspects of hydroponics. Covers plant science, environment, choosing and purchasing gardens and creating gardens from scratch.

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Book SynopsisDo you have a name such as Willow, River, Oak, or Sunshine? Have you ever lived in a commune, or done yoga naked with your family? If yes, then you are an Adult Child of Hippies (ACOH). Adult Children of Hippies grew up in extreme conditions: eating sprouts, and lugging herbal tea in their Thermoses to school (if they were fortunate enough to make it to school). ACOHs were born and brought up mostly in the 70s and 80s. As their parents revelled in the counterculture, ACOHs struggled with basic hygiene, not to mention broader social acceptance. Until now, this group has not been represented in the media. Content with leaving the past in the past, ACOHs have successfully blended into the mainstream; but the memories and photographs persist. Finally, Willow Yamauchi has brought her generational subculture into the light. We no longer need to feel alone or ashamed of our bizarre heritage. Take the test, see the pictures, and stand up tall! Say it: I am an Adult Child of Hippies . . . and I am proud.

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to be young and Muslim today? There is a segment of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims that is more influential than any other, and will shape not just the future of Muslims, but also the world around them: meet 'Generation M'.From fashion magazines to social networking, the 'Mipsterz' to the 'Haloodies', halal internet dating to Muslim boy bands, Generation M are making their mark. Shelina Janmohamed, award-winning author and leading voice on Muslim youth, investigates this growing cultural phenomenon at a time when understanding the mindset of young Muslims is critical. With their belief in an identity encompassing both faith and modernity, Generation M are not only adapting to Western consumerism, but reclaiming it as their own.Trade Review'A crucial book at a critical time... A must-read' - Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent, 'A compelling account of today's young Muslim consumers' - Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, 'A fresh and insightful perspective' - Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and CEO of WPP, 'Unparalleled... For those within and concerned with modern Muslim communities'- Professor Reina Lewis, author of Muslim Fashion: Contemporary Style Cultures, 'A vivid account' - Farah Pandith, former Special Representative to Muslim CommunitiesTable of ContentsSalam, Generation M! Introduction: the rise of Generation M 5 Their influence as the ‘third billion’ and why we need to pay attention 5 Chapter 2: Global trends shaping the emergence of Generation M 12 Creativity born of constraints 12 Chapter 3: Meet Generation M! 24 Getting to know Generation M, what shapes them and the qualities that make them different 24 The rise of the global Muslim lifestyle Chapter 4: You had me at halal 38 Why 21st century halal is important for everyone 38 Chapter 5: the four F’s of Generation M’s ‘Muslim lifestyle’ 53 Food, finance, pharma and fun 53 Chapter 6: The digital ummah 68 How Dar al-Internet, real world and virtual technologies are enhancing community and religiosity 68 Culture: the new Muslim cool Chapter 7: God gave (halal) rock and roll to you 79 The soundtrack of Generation M 79 Chapter 8: Haloodies and hijabiliciousness 89 The language of Generation M 89 Chapter 9: What does a Muslim look like? And what catches their eye? 102 The visual identity, expression and semiotics for Generation M 102 Chapter 10: Superheroes, video games and branding 116 The tsunami of cultural expression hits our shores 116 The 21st century ummah Chapter 11: Celebrate good times (and remember the sad ones) 130 The big events of Muslim life 130 Chapter 12: Better together 148 From individual to ummah: sex, love, marriage, family and community 148 Chapter 13: Revolution unveiled 158 Generation M women at the forefront of faith and modernity 158 Chapter 14: Small but significant 176 The patriotic, proud and pioneering minorities of Generation M 176 The future: creating a dialogue Chapter 15: The ties that bind Generation M to the wider world 192 Culture, commerce and charity 192 Chapter 16: On the cutting edge 203 Generation M are the pioneers of global consumer trends 203 Chapter 17: Talk to us, we are alive! 217 Starting the conversation with Generation M 217

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Book SynopsisEver since horror leapt from popular fiction to the silver screen in the late 1890s, viewers have experienced fear and pleasure in exquisite combination. Wheeler Winston Dixon's fully revised and updated A History of Horror is still the only book to offer a comprehensive survey of this ever-popular film genre.Arranged by decades, with outliers and franchise films overlapping some years, this one-stop sourcebook unearths the historical origins of characters such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman and their various incarnations in film from the silent era to comedic sequels. In covering the last decade, this new edition includes coverage of the resurgence of the genre, covering the swath of new groundbreaking horror films directed by women, Black and queer horror films, and a new international wave in body horror films.A History of Horror explores how the horror film fits into the Hollywood studio system, how the distribution and exhibition of horror films have changed in a post-COVID world, and how its enormous success in American and European culture expanded globally over time.Dixon examines key periods in the horror film-in which the basic precepts of the genre were established, then banished into conveniently reliable and malleable forms, and then, after collapsing into parody, rose again and again to create new levels of intensity and menace. A History of Horror, supported by rare stills from classic films, brings over sixty timeless horror films into frightfully clear focus, zooms in on today's top horror Web sites, and champions the stars, directors, and subgenres that make the horror film so exciting and popular with contemporary audiences. Trade Review"Dixon is recognized as an eminent film scholar and the current title is an impressive addition to his oeuvre. This book certainly has solid scholarship, but it is also a book that once picked up is hard to put down. Essential." * Choice *"Dixon is a deft and knowledgeable guide, leading us from silent ghouls to Universal's monsters. Interspersed throughout this catalogue are nuggets of surprising information." * Times Literary Supplement *"This is an excellent survey of horror movies. The author, a veteran film historian, takes the reader back to the beginning, when, in the first three decades of the twentieth century, such directors as Georges Melies, F. W. Murnau, and Paul Wegener were defining not only the look of a genre but also cinema itself. The period between 1930 and the late 1940s saw the rise of the classic Universal Studios characters—Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy—and the actors who played them: Karloff, Lugosi, Chaney Jr. By the end of the 1940s, horror was dying, 'killed by a plethora of poorly made sequels.' But never fear: the period between the late 1940s and 1970 saw a massive resurgence, due in part to gimmicks (such as 3-D); low-budget quickies from the likes of Roger Corman, the wizard of the B movie; and the stylish resurrection of the classic Universal monsters by Britain's Hammer Film Productions. This survey, which takes the reader right up to the present, is full of fascinating information and is delivered in an accessible manner. Required reading for horror fans." -- David Pitt * Booklist *"Dixon surveys the development of the horror genre from the earliest Frankenstein and Dracula films through the decades of classics by Hammer studios, William Castle, Roger Corman, and Val Lewton. Dixon covers movies seldom found in other histories and more modern, international titles such as Wolf Creek, Black Water, and Grudge. The endurance of horror, trends like remakes and sequels, and such popular franchises as Child's Play and Halloween are also discussed. In the final chapter, Dixon analyzes the decline of modern horror owing to desensitized audiences, graphic gore, violence, and lack of solid plot lines or character development. Lists of the best horror websites as well as the 50 movies covered round out this volume. This concise overview is an informative and entertaining read. Recommended." * Library Journal *"In less than 250 pages, Wheeler Winston Dixon manages to cover the trends and sub-genres of film horror from 1896 to 2009. Bonuses include a list of top horror sites, a list of fifty classic films, and a pretty wonderful bibliography. Well written and well researched and offering an enjoyable overview of more than one hundred years of cinema, A History of Horror is a quick, delightful read." * Seattle Post-Intelligencer *"No mere catalogue of titles, Dixon's account explores all aspects of the genre: literary underpinnings, themes, and transformations, including much on actors and directors. Dixon's mind-priming volume will enhance spine-tingling late-night viewings." * ForeWord Reviews *"A breathtaking panorama, written with wit and candor, showing how the horror film has shaped cinema from the origins of the genre until now." -- Tom Conley, Harvard University"Rich with excellent illustrations and clever anecdotes, this book will appeal to fans of horror as well as film students and scholars interested in a readable overview of the history of the genre." -- Rebecca Bell-Metereau, author of Hollywood Androgyny "There’s No Dark Universe Anymore, Just One Monster After Another," by Robert Ito https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/movies/the-invisible-man-universal.html * New York Times *"New from Rutgers U. Press: A History of Horror" by Dan Aubrey https://www.communitynews.org/princetoninfo/artsandentertainment/new-from-rutgers-u-press-a-history-of-horror/article_3fae29f2-a6fb-11ed-9ef2-ff473369899e.html * U.S. 1, Princeton *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 1 Origins: 1896-1929 2 Classics: 1930-1948 3 Rebirth: 1949-1970 4 New Blood: 1970-1990 5 The Next Wave: 1990-2010 6 The Future: 2010-Present Top Horror Websites 50 Classic Horror Films Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"I am so glad someone finally wrote this book; I am only sorry it wasn’t me! In it, Kim Hong Nguyen takes white feminists to task on our performativity, practices and power structures that only serve to perpetuate white supremacy. Being mean isn’t it, white feminists, and it’s time we take a critical look at how we overcome it in service to liberation for all." --Ms. Magazine“This is an important book that is beautifully and powerfully written and deeply original while offering productive interventions into the study of mean girl culture and its larger impact on conversations on feminism. Nguyen does an excellent job showing the systemic and historical ways white supremacy and patriarchy enact themselves on white women’s feminist practices and creation of mean girl feminism. A vital contribution.”--Kishonna L. Gray, author of Intersectional Tech: Black Users in Digital GamingTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction: Feminist Civility and the Right to Be Mean Bitch Feminism: Blackfaced Girl Boss in Feminist Performative/Performativity Politics Mean Girl Feminism: Gatekeeping Postfeminist Beauty as Illegible Rage Power Couple Feminism: Gaslighting and Re-Empowering Heteronormative Aggression Global Mother Feminism: Gatekeeping Biopower and Sovereignty Conclusion: Abolishing Mean Girl Feminism Notes Index

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Book SynopsisWhat role can the humanities play in shaping our common future? What are the values that guide us in the 21st century? How can we unleash the potential the humanities offer in a time of multiple crises? This volume tackles some of these fundamental questions, acknowledging and developing the changing role of academic discourse in a turbulent world. This timely book argues that the humanities engender conceptual tools that are capable of reconciling theory and practice. In a bold move, we call for the humanities to reach beyond the confines of universities and engage in the most urgent debates facing humanity today in a multidisciplinary, transformative, and constructive way. This is a blueprint for how societal change can be inclusive and equitable for the good of humans and non-humans alike.

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Book SynopsisKeanu Reeves: Most Triumphant is a tribute to and exploration of the magic behind one of Hollywood’s most legendary and unknowable stars and the profound lessons we can learn from his success. There can be no doubt: Keanu Reeves is a phenomenon. He’s at once a badass action star, a hunky dreamboat who People magazine has called “the Internet’s boyfriend,” a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, a niche art book publisher, a living meme, and a legend. He seems to upend every rule governing celebrity in the 21st century. But how? Cultural critic Alex Pappademas attempts to address Keanu’s unmatched eternality and the other big questions raised by his career arc. Sharp, funny, deeply researched, and fully celebratory of the enigmatic actor, this is the first book to take Keanu’s whole deal as seriously as it deserves. Yes, even Johnny Mnemonic, where Keanu mind melds with a dolphin. Along the wayTrade Review“Highlighting the cultural moments surrounding Reeves, as well as some of the acting choices that have made him such an intriguing performer over the years, this is a solid addition to any library’s pop culture collection.” * Library Journal *

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis“A deep dive into the world of Flat Earth conspiracy theorists . . . that brilliantly reveals how people fall into illogical beliefs, reject reason, destroy relationships, and connect with a broad range of conspiracy theories in the social media age. Beautiful, probing, and often empathetic . . . An insightful, human look at what fuels conspiracy theories.” —Science Since 2015, there has been a spectacular boom in a centuries-old delusion: that the earth is flat. More and more people believe that we all live on a pancake-shaped planet, capped by a solid dome and ringed by an impossible wall of ice. How? Why? In Off the Edge, journalist Kelly Weill draws a direct line from today’s conspiratorial moment, brimming not just with Flat Earthers but also anti-vaxxers and QAnon followers, back to the early days of Flat Earth theory in the 1830s. We learn the natural impulses behind these beliefs: when faced with a complicated world out of our control, humans have always sought patterns to explain the inexplicable. This psychology doesn’t change. But with the dawn of the twenty-first century, something else has shifted. Powered by Facebook and YouTube algorithms, the Flat Earth movement is growing. At once a definitive history of the movement and an essential look at its unbelievable present, Off the Edge introduces us to a cast of larger-than-life characters. We meet historical figures like the nineteenth-century grifter who first popularized the theory, as well as the many modern-day Flat Earthers Weill herself gets to know, from moms on vacation to determined creationists to neo-Nazi rappers. We discover what, and who, converts people to Flat Earth belief, and what happens inside the rabbit hole. And we even meet a man determined to fly into space in a homemade rocket-powered balloon—whose tragic death is as senseless and absurd as the theory he sets out to prove. In this incisive and powerful story about belief, Kelly Weill explores how we arrived at this moment of polarized realities and explains what needs to happen so that we might all return to the same spinning globe.Trade Review“A deep dive into the world of flat Earth conspiracy theorists . . . that brilliantly reveals how people fall into illogical beliefs, reject reason, destroy relationships, and connect with a broad range of conspiracy theories in the social media age. Beautiful, probing, and often empathetic . . . An insightful, human look at what fuels conspiracy theories.” —Science "This provocative book is sure to inspire debate about conspiracy theories as well as how citizens of a fractured world can learn to overcome their fear of radical planetary change. A timely and disturbing study of flawed, dangerous thinking." —Kirkus Reviews "Insightful and surprisingly empathetic . . . an illuminating take on a much scrutinized subject." —Publishers Weekly “An illuminating study that locates the common human psychological impulses behind conspiracy culture.” —Library Journal “In lively prose, Weill untangles the most complicated webs, revealing the real people who believe the unbelievable.” —Booklist "An inquisitive, empathetic, deeply reported, and disturbingly funny tour through the furthest reaches of the most fringe possible conspiracy community. While Weill's subjects frequently risk falling off the edge of their own self-created map of the known universe, she follows them deftly to the brink, showing what their delusional explorations can teach us about belief, community, and the long history of pseudoscience around (sorry!) the world." —Anna Merlan, author of Republic of Lies "In this delightful deep dive into flat earth culture past and present, taking in YouTube recommendation algorithms, amateur rocketry, and a rat’s nest of conspiracy theories, Kelly Weill explains why, after several millennia of setbacks, the idea that the earth is flat is burgeoning once again."—Michael Strevens, author of The Knowledge Machine "Weill's elegant writing, informed by both historical research and deep-delving reporting, offers a complex and vivid portrait of a conspiracy community that serves as a metonym for this moment—when so many of us are in dispute about the very nature of reality. An essential and enjoyable read." —Talia Lavin, author of Culture Warlords “Kelly Weill is one of the best observers of the fringes of modern American life, making her the perfect chronicler of the Flat Earth movement. Her deep reporting and gift for storytelling make Off The Edge a gripping read— but what sets Weill apart is her ability to cover her subjects with great empathy, all without losing sight of the enormous damage and personal consequences of their actions.”—Charlie Warzel, co-authorof Out of Office“A deep dive into the world of flat Earth conspiracy theorists . . . that brilliantly reveals how people fall into illogical beliefs, reject reason, destroy relationships, and connect with a broad range of conspiracy theories in the social media age. Beautiful, probing, and often empathetic . . . An insightful, human look at what fuels conspiracy theories.” —Science "This provocative book is sure to inspire debate about conspiracy theories as well as how citizens of a fractured world can learn to overcome their fear of radical planetary change. A timely and disturbing study of flawed, dangerous thinking." —Kirkus Reviews "Insightful and surprisingly empathetic . . . an illuminating take on a much scrutinized subject." —Publishers Weekly “An illuminating study that locates the common human psychological impulses behind conspiracy culture.” —Library Journal “In lively prose, Weill untangles the most complicated webs, revealing the real people who believe the unbelievable.” —Booklist “Even-handed… perfectly encapsulates disturbing implications of conspiracy theorists and their beliefs.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune "An inquisitive, empathetic, deeply reported, and disturbingly funny tour through the furthest reaches of the most fringe possible conspiracy community. While Weill's subjects frequently risk falling off the edge of their own self-created map of the known universe, she follows them deftly to the brink, showing what their delusional explorations can teach us about belief, community, and the long history of pseudoscience around (sorry!) the world." —Anna Merlan, author of Republic of Lies "In this delightful deep dive into flat earth culture past and present, taking in YouTube recommendation algorithms, amateur rocketry, and a rat’s nest of conspiracy theories, Kelly Weill explains why, after several millennia of setbacks, the idea that the earth is flat is burgeoning once again."—Michael Strevens, author of The Knowledge Machine "Weill's elegant writing, informed by both historical research and deep-delving reporting, offers a complex and vivid portrait of a conspiracy community that serves as a metonym for this moment—when so many of us are in dispute about the very nature of reality. An essential and enjoyable read." —Talia Lavin, author of Culture Warlords “Kelly Weill is one of the best observers of the fringes of modern American life, making her the perfect chronicler of the Flat Earth movement. Her deep reporting and gift for storytelling make Off The Edge a gripping read— but what sets Weill apart is her ability to cover her subjects with great empathy, all without losing sight of the enormous damage and personal consequences of their actions.”—Charlie Warzel, co-authorof Out of Office“A deep dive into the world of flat Earth conspiracy theorists . . . that brilliantly reveals how people fall into illogical beliefs, reject reason, destroy relationships, and connect with a broad range of conspiracy theories in the social media age. Beautiful, probing, and often empathetic . . . An insightful, human look at what fuels conspiracy theories.” —Science "This provocative book is sure to inspire debate about conspiracy theories as well as how citizens of a fractured world can learn to overcome their fear of radical planetary change. A timely and disturbing study of flawed, dangerous thinking." —Kirkus Reviews "Insightful and surprisingly empathetic . . . an illuminating take on a much scrutinized subject." —Publishers Weekly “An illuminating study that locates the common human psychological impulses behind conspiracy culture.” —Library Journal “In lively prose, Weill untangles the most complicated webs, revealing the real people who believe the unbelievable.” —Booklist “Even-handed… perfectly encapsulates disturbing implications of conspiracy theorists and their beliefs.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune "The book is well-researched and makes for quick and entertaining, if disturbing, reading.”—Ars Technica "An inquisitive, empathetic, deeply reported, and disturbingly funny tour through the furthest reaches of the most fringe possible conspiracy community. While Weill's subjects frequently risk falling off the edge of their own self-created map of the known universe, she follows them deftly to the brink, showing what their delusional explorations can teach us about belief, community, and the long history of pseudoscience around (sorry!) the world." —Anna Merlan, author of Republic of Lies "In this delightful deep dive into flat earth culture past and present, taking in YouTube recommendation algorithms, amateur rocketry, and a rat’s nest of conspiracy theories, Kelly Weill explains why, after several millennia of setbacks, the idea that the earth is flat is burgeoning once again."—Michael Strevens, author of The Knowledge Machine "Weill's elegant writing, informed by both historical research and deep-delving reporting, offers a complex and vivid portrait of a conspiracy community that serves as a metonym for this moment—when so many of us are in dispute about the very nature of reality. An essential and enjoyable read." —Talia Lavin, author of Culture Warlords “Kelly Weill is one of the best observers of the fringes of modern American life, making her the perfect chronicler of the Flat Earth movement. Her deep reporting and gift for storytelling make Off The Edge a gripping read— but what sets Weill apart is her ability to cover her subjects with great empathy, all without losing sight of the enormous damage and personal consequences of their actions.”—Charlie Warzel, co-author of Out of Office

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, apocalypse fiction has explored social injustice through fantasy, sci-fi and religious imagery, but what can we learn from it? Why do we escape very real disaster via dystopia? Why do we fantasise about the end of the world?The word apocalypse has roots in ancient Greek, with apo (off) and kalýptein (cover) combining to form apokálypsis, meaning to uncover or reveal. In considering apocalypse fiction across culture and its role in how we manage, manifest and imagine social, economic and political crises, Goh navigates what this genre reveals about our contemporary anxieties, and why we turn to disaster time and again. From blockbusters like War of the Worlds to The Handmaid's Tale and far beyond, we venture through global pandemics to the climate crisis, seeking real answers in the midst of our fictional destruction. Let's journey to the end.

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Book SynopsisPleasure refers to the freedom to pursue a desire, deliberately sought in order to satisfy the self. Putting pleasure first is liberating. During their extraordinary lives, Lena Horne, Moms Mabley, Yolande DuBois, and Memphis Minnie enjoyed pleasure as they gave pleasure to both those in their lives and to the public at large. They were Black women who, despite their public profiles, whether through Black society or through the world of entertainment, discovered ways to enjoy pleasure.They left home, undertook careers they loved, and did what they wanted, despite perhaps not meeting the standards for respectability in the interwar era. See Me Naked looks at these women as representative of other Black women of the time, who were watched, criticized, and judged by their families, peers, and, in some cases, the government, yet still managed to enjoy themselves. Among the voyeurs of Black women was Langston Hughes, whose novel Not Without Laughter was clearly a work of fiction inspired by women he observed in public and knew personally, including Black clubwomen, blues performers, and his mother. How did these complicated women wrest loose from the voyeurs to define their own sense of themselves? At very young ages, they found and celebrated aspects of themselves. Using examples from these women’s lives, Green explores their challenges and achievements.Trade Review"Whatever you think you know about the project of 'respectability politics' in Black life, letters and history will be upended in See Me Naked. A bold feminist examination of pleasure in the Interwar Period through some of our most enduring feminist legends – Ma Rainey and Moms Mabley among others – Green’s astute and captivating assessment here will open doors for new imaginings of blackness." -- Sharon P. Holland * author of The Erotic Life of Racism *"In her careful engagement with Nina Yolande Du Bois Williams, Lena Horne, Moms Mabley and Memphis Minnie, Tara T. Green’s See Me Naked offers a groundbreaking exploration of black women’s pursuit of pleasure during the interwar years. Her careful exploration of pleasure’s fundamental relationship to black women’s self-making offers a necessary intervention into the fields of black studies, feminist studies, and sexuality studies." -- Jennifer C. Nash * author of Birthing Black Mothers *Tara T. Green in The Black Writer's Studio * The Black Writer's Studio *"Whatever you think you know about the project of 'respectability politics' in Black life, letters and history will be upended in See Me Naked. A bold feminist examination of pleasure in the Interwar Period through some of our most enduring feminist legends – Ma Rainey and Moms Mabley among others – Green’s astute and captivating assessment here will open doors for new imaginings of blackness." -- Sharon P. Holland * author of The Erotic Life of Racism *"In her careful engagement with Nina Yolande Du Bois Williams, Lena Horne, Moms Mabley and Memphis Minnie, Tara T. Green’s See Me Naked offers a groundbreaking exploration of black women’s pursuit of pleasure during the interwar years. Her careful exploration of pleasure’s fundamental relationship to black women’s self-making offers a necessary intervention into the fields of black studies, feminist studies, and sexuality studies." -- Jennifer C. Nash * author of Birthing Black Mothers *Tara T. Green in The Black Writer's Studio * The Black Writer's Studio *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Pleasure Is All Mine 1. Finding Yolande Du Bois’s Pleasure 2. Lena Horne and Respectable Pleasure 3. Moms Mabley and the Art of Pleasure 4. Memphis Minnie and Songs of Pleasure 5. Pleasurable Resistance in Langston Hughes’s Not Without Laughter Conclusion: Black Feminist Musings from Nature, The Context of Pleasure in 2020 Acknowledgements Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisPerfect for readers interested in film, American history, and Black entertainment history, Soundies and the Changing Image of Black Americans on Screen and its companion video website (susandelson.com) bring the important contributions of these Black artists into the spotlight once again.Trade ReviewEssential. In this comprehensive work, Delson locates soundies within cinema history. The book provides a fascinating exploration of performers, musicians, and filmmakers who contributed to these productions. Most revealing is Delson's assessment that soundies created images "that boldly contradicted Hollywood's usual depictions of Black people, in images of success, competence, and style" (p. 5)—a direct contrast to studio productions. According to Delson, soundies were historically significant because they impacted the social and cultural fabric of a racially divided America; they played a role in advancing the country's racial politics even when the country seemed reluctant to do so. This definitive study includes rarely seen photos and lists of performers, filmmakers, and titles. A fascinating resource for those interested in film, jazz, performance, WW II, race, Black film history, and socio-cultural history broadly. -- C. B. Regester, Univ. of North Carolina—Chapel Hill * Choice *Table of ContentsPart 1: Follow the MoneyIntroduction: Turning on a Dime1. Circa 1940: Race and the Pop-Culture Landscape2. Risky Business3. Starting in Hollywood, Heading to HarlemPart 2: Follow the Music4. Going to War 5. Encounter and Improvisation: Reimagining the City6. Rural Reverb7. Romance, Relationships, Legs8. One Performer, Ten Soundies: Another Look at Dorothy Dandridge9. Visual Music: Big Bands, Combos, Solo Musicians10. Backing into Integration11. Unplugged, with an AfterlifeAcknowledgmentsPart 3: Following UpAppendix 1: Directory of Black-Cast SoundiesAppendix 2: Performers and Their FilmsAppendix 3: Makers and Their FilmsBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisMaking the most of the longest days of the year.Summer is a season of sun, heat and daylight that brings activity to all corners of life, from plants bearing fruit to animals and birds feeding their young. It also brings people together in the open air, whether on holiday, a day trip to the beach, celebrating the longest day of the year or just making the most of the weather. Through inspirational quotes, interesting facts, fascinating trivia The Little Book of Summer explores what makes three months of every year summer as well as our relationship with the great outdoors and with each other during the warmest season of the year.'Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language' Henry JamesIf you can hear crickets chirping on a balmy summer evening, you can use their chirps to determine the temperature. Crickets are cold-blooded creatures and chirp at a frequency consistent with the air temperature. For a Celsius reading, count the number of chirps over 25 seconds, then divide that number by 3 and add 4. For Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 14 seconds, then add 40. Table of ContentsLazy Summer Days • Balmy Summer Nights • Summer Romance… or Summertime Blues • The Summer Solstice and Midsummer • Other Summertime Customs • International Festivals.

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Book SynopsisCharts Robert Crumb's intellectual trajectory and explores the recurring philosophical themes that permeate his depictions of literary and biographical works and the ways he responds to them through innovative, dazzling compositional techniques.

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Book SynopsisIn modern societies the functional differentiation of medicine and religion is the predominant paradigm. Contemporary therapeutic practices and concepts in healing systems, such as Transpersonal Psychology, Ayurveda, as well as Buddhist and Anthroposophic medicine, however, are shaped by medical as well as religious or spiritual elements. This book investigates configurations of the entanglement between medicine, religion, and spirituality in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa. How do political and legal conditions affect these healing systems? How do they relate to religious and scientific discourses? How do therapeutic practitioners position themselves between medicine and religion, and what is their appeal for patients?Trade Review"The perspectives and insights presented in this anthology can [...] make a valuable contribution to preventing stigmatising polarisation, pejorative hierarchisation or undifferentiated generalisation." Anna Janhsen, Zeitschrift für medizinische Ethik, 68/1 (2022), translated from German

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Book SynopsisFrom The Hobbit to Harry Potter, how fantasy harnesses the cultural power of magic, medievalism, and childhood to re-enchant the modern world Why are so many people drawn to fantasy set in medieval, British-looking lands? This question has immediate significance for millions around the world: from fans of Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones to those who avoid fantasy because of the racist, sexist, and escapist tendencies they have found there. Drawing on the history and power of children’s fantasy literature, Re-Enchanted argues that magic, medievalism, and childhood hold the paradoxical ability to re-enchant modern life.Focusing on works by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Susan Cooper, Philip Pullman, J. K. Rowling, and Nnedi Okorafor, Re-Enchanted uncovers a new genealogy for medievalist fantasy—one that reveals the genre to be as important to the history of English studies and literary modernism as it is to shaping beliefs across geographies and generations. Maria Sachiko Cecire follows children’s fantasy as it transforms over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries—including the rise of diverse counternarratives and fantasy’s move into “high-brow” literary fiction. Grounded in a combination of archival scholarship and literary and cultural analysis, Re-Enchanted argues that medievalist fantasy has become a psychologized landscape for contemporary explorations of what it means to grow up, live well, and belong. The influential “Oxford School” of children’s fantasy connects to key issues throughout this book, from the legacies of empire and racial exclusion in children’s literature to what Christmas magic tells us about the roles of childhood and enchantment in Anglo-American culture.Re-Enchanted engages with critical debates around what constitutes high and low culture during moments of crisis in the humanities, political and affective uses of childhood and the mythological past, the anxieties of modernity, and the social impact of racially charged origin stories.Trade Review"Re-Enchanted is essential for the study of the fantastic. While other recent critical studies have focused on fantasy’s origins before 1900 or the genre’s place in the contemporary literary landscape, Maria Sachiko Cecire focuses the reader on the influence of the Oxford School fantasists, also known as the ‘Inklings,’ who mapped the world of story through perspectives influenced by their times. Thus, fantasy was left behind while the rest of the world changed. Re-Enchanted reminds us of the ways that English-language fantasy is, was, and can continue to be an instrument of empire. Engaging, thorough, and absolutely necessary."—Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, author of The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games"Full of revelatory scholarship on J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Phillip Pullman, and their heirs, Re-Enchanted makes the case for scholarship itself at the heart of fantasy. No one will read The Lord of the Rings or His Dark Materials again without realizing just how much Oxford itself—its libraries and its landscape—scripted their imaginations and how its syllabi inspire, to this day, Harry Potter, The Magicians, and beyond."—Seth Lerer, author of Children's Literature: A Reader's History, from Aesop to Harry Potter"In the twenty-first century, fantasy has become a way of speaking, in fiction (adults or children's) and outside it. Here Maria Sachiko Cecire interrogates the Oxford roots of something that has become, like wallpaper, part of our world, and helps us to see the landscape of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, of Diana Wynne Jones and Philip Pullman, and understand how that landscape became universal, the ways it buoys us up and the ways that it fails us."—Neil Gaiman "Cecire calls upon readers to acknowledge the dangers of the Oxford School’s project while recognizing the cultural power its members harnessed. She encourages us to embrace and explore new ways of expanding the scope of the tropes of children’s fantasy to become more inclusive in the ways it reaches into the past to find magic in a difficult contemporary world."—Medievally Speaking"Effectively, Cecire proves that in terms of modern children’s fantasy literature, all roads lead to the Oxford School."—CHOICE"Cecire illustrates brilliantly how Tolkien and Lewis took the building blocks of medieval literature and historical linguistics and created alternative worlds."—Times Literary Supplement"An important and endlessly engaging book that will provoke much further thought and discussion."—Mythlore"A compelling case both for training our critical attention on medieval and medievalist literature and for expanding the texts we read, teach, study, and share."—The Medieval Review"Re-Enchanted reveals how magic mystifies ideologies, embedding antimodernist, nationalist, colonialist ideas in children’s fantasy, concealing them in an invisibility cloak of (white) childhood innocence. It’s an essential book for anyone who wants to unlearn the hidden assumptions of our own childhood reading and find better stories for the next generation. "—ALH Online Review

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Book SynopsisExplore the evocative Star Wars concept art of legendary artist Ralph McQuarrie in this miniature art book.Hold a galaxy of legendary designs in the palm of your hand with Star Wars: The Concept Art of Ralph McQuarrie Mini Book.  Featuring over 100 stunning concept images from the original Star Wars trilogy as well as the many books and publications inspired by the Star Wars galaxy, this mini book is bound together at a readable pocket-book size and is the perfect collectible item for Star Wars fans of all ages.

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Book SynopsisFarzaneh Hemmasi draws on ethnographic fieldwork in Los Angeles and musical and textual analysis to examine how the pop music, music videos, and television made by Iranian expatriates express modes of Iranianness not possible in Iran.Trade Review“In this important book Farzaneh Hemmasi offers a novel reading of Iranian exilic pop music, raising insightful conceptual questions about the notion and significance of pop culture and diasporic imagination. By taking pop music seriously, she opens up a space for conversations about transnational networks of artistic production, the construction of nationhood and nationalism, and the politics of identity.” -- Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, author of * Foucault in Iran: Islamic Revolution after the Enlightenment *“Tehrangeles Dreaming deftly analyzes what circulates and translates around and across this most complex and refractive of diasporic spaces. It is a subtle book, a model of how to weave popular music and dance into a field still largely dominated by film and literature. And a real pleasure to read. That shesh-o-hasht groove can be felt on every page.” -- Martin Stokes, author of * The Republic of Love: Cultural Intimacy in Turkish Popular Music *“Farzaneh Hemmasi’s book is a deft and insightful analysis of Tehrangeles, viewed as a geography, a music scene, a pop industry, a transnational cultural production field, and a post-revolutionary diasporic cultural formation…. Conceptually rich, theoretically nuanced, with its lucid demonstrations of the mobilization of affect, Hemmasi’s Tehrangeles Dreaming makes a valuable contribution to a wide range of scholarship.” -- Mehdi Semati * Cultural Studies *“Tehrangeles Dreaming offers a compellingly argued and accessibly written ethnography of exile, cultural production, and the politics of identity in the Iranian context. It no doubt will be useful for those in ethnomusicology, anthropology, cultural studies, and Middle East Studies...” -- Amy Malek * International Journal of Middle East Studies *“[Tehrangeles Dreaming] is an invaluable contribution to the study of Iranian popular culture.... Hemmasi is a truly powerful narrator in her ethnographic work and she provides a profoundly deep and pointed analysis....” -- Siavash Rokni * Lateral *“[Tehrangeles Dreaming] is particularly interesting when it discusses the impact of Tehrangeles pop on Iranians within, in political, social and moral terms.... The writing is engaging, filled with stories about fieldwork and encounters.” -- Laetitia Nanquette * Abstracta Iranica *“Tehrangeles Dreaming makes significant contributions to the scholarship on both American musical multiculturalism and the music of the Islamic world. . . . Farzaneh Hemmesi is to be commended for her clear and captivating first book.” -- Anna K. Rasmussen * Journal of Anthropological Research *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1. The Capital of 6/8 38 2. Iranian Popular Music and History: Views from Tehrangeles 67 3. Expatriate Erotics, Homeland Moralities 98 4. Iran as a Singing Woman 122 5. A Nation in Recovery 153 Conclusion: Forty Years 186 Notes 201 References 223 Index 235

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Book SynopsisHow sampling remade hip-hop over forty years, from pioneering superstar Grandmaster Flash through crate-digging preservationist and innovator Madlib Sampling—incorporating found sound and manipulating it into another form entirely—has done more than any musical movement in the twentieth century to maintain a continuum of popular music as a living document and, in the process, has become one of the most successful (and commercial) strains of postmodern art. Bring That Beat Back traces the development of this transformative pop-cultural practice from its origins in the turntable-manning, record-spinning hip-hop DJs of 1970s New York through forty years of musical innovation and reinvention.Nate Patrin tells the story of how sampling built hip-hop through the lens of four pivotal artists: Grandmaster Flash as the popular face of the music’s DJ-born beginnings; Prince Paul as an early champion of sampling’s potential to elaborate on and rewrite music history; Dr. Dre as the superstar who personified the rise of a stylistically distinct regional sound while blurring the lines between sampling and composition; and Madlib as the underground experimentalist and record-collector antiquarian who constantly broke the rules of what the mainstream expected from hip-hop. From these four artists’ histories, and the stories of the people who collaborated, competed, and evolved with them, Patrin crafts a deeply informed, eminently readable account of a facet of pop music as complex as it is commonly underestimated: the aesthetic and reconstructive power of one of the most revelatory forms of popular culture to emerge from postwar twentieth-century America. And you can nod your head to it.Trade Review"The rise of digital sampling is one of the most important musical development of the late twentieth century. Nate Patrin’s Bring That Beat Back is a rollicking, wide-ranging, and immensely readable history of sample-based music-making: its origins, its golden ages, and its enormous role in shaping modern popular music. This book is a must-read for hip-hop obsessives and casual listeners alike."—Jack Hamilton, author of Just around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination"Much like the art of sampling itself, Nate Patrin deftly weaves pieces of history and criticism together to create a compelling new message. Bring That Beat Back is a masterful, scholarly analysis that illustrates just how essential sampling has been to the development of hip-hop and lifts up the oft-overlooked DJs and producers who paved the way for our genrefluid future."—Andrea Swensson, author of Got to Be Something Here: The Rise of the Minneapolis Sound"The painstaking attention to detail and droves of obscure yet essential information will make this book hard for the beat obsessive and music history buff to put down. The wealth of information won't deter the casual music fan, though—Bring That Beat Back is a fascinating read for anyone with a remote interest in hip-hop, breakbeat culture, the tug-of-war between instrumentalists and technology, or how the politics of the music business affects all three. A true breakbeat bonanza extravaganza!"—J-Zone, drummer, funk enthusiast, producer, author"If sampling is the most successful form of alchemy ever realized, Nate Patrin's meticulous prose and crate-digging research mirror the dazzling ingenuity of hip-hop's best producers. Breaks and loops are artfully recontextualized into a head-nodding slipstream of history, chronicled in a way to make classic rhythms seem fresh again. A necessary read for anyone who seeks to better understand the last half-century of future sound."—Jeff Weiss, founder and editor of POW (Passion of the Weiss)"Patrin conveys the drama of successive generations of musicians all questing for new ways to tap into the thing that makes hip-hop’s language unique—moments sourced from music’s past that somehow point the way forward, expressing both nostalgia and renewal in equal measure."—Library Journal"Could there a better argument for the artistry of sampling, its potential for beauty?"—The Arts Fuse"A must-read for any hip hop fan—Patrin clearly understands the artform of sampling and hip hop production, and he does a great job of not just discussing these different artists and eras in the four sections, but also showing how the sections overlap and inform each other and push the culture forward."—Scratched Vinyl"Patrin's book is packed with leaps, connections, and knowledge transfusions almost as dense as a Madvillain beat... though it proceeds in a somewhat more orderly manner. It functions on multiple levels: it's a history of hip-hop, it's an argument for that genre as a wholly distinctive art form with sampling technology at its root, and it's a map from hip-hop out to a wildly diverse set of artists connected to the genre by way of samples."—The Current"Patrin has an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject, packing each chapter with manic attention to detail."—4Columns"A truly postmodern endeavor that creates conversations between music originating in many eras and genres."—Shepherd Express"This musicological study is never dry, always enthusiastic and appreciative, and groundbreaking in its analysis of the art of sampling as just that: art. Featuring plenty of entertaining cultural history, this is a significant contribution to hip-hop studies."—Rolling Stone "Patrin’s work is thoroughly engaging from first needle drop to last. "—Kirkus ReviewsTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction: The Art of the LoopPart I. The Grandmaster1. Wheels of Steel: How Djs Became Artists2. Change the Beat: Hip-Hop’s First Crossover3. Funky Drummer: Sampling Reaches the PeoplePart II. The Prince4. Synthetic Substitution: A New Medium Finds Its Canon5. Talkin’ All That Jazz: The Legitimization of an Art Form6. Constant Elevation: Hip-Hop’s Rising UndergroundPart III. The Doctor7. Funky Enough: How the West was Made8. G Thang: The Producer as Superstar9. Aftermath: Auteurism in a Post-Gangsta WorldPart IV. The Beat Konducta10. The Loop Digga: Sampling Preserves History (and Itself)11. The Illest Villains: High Concepts and New Voices12. Survival Test: Hip-Hop as a CommunityEpilogue: Breaks and EchoesAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographySelected DiscographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Amazon's Best Books of 2020 in Business and Leadership""Honorable Mention for the Distinguished Scholarly Publication Award, Consumers and Consumption Section of the American Sociological Association""Fascinating."---Helen Rosner, New Yorker"The most colourful investigation into nightlife and gender politics since Gloria Steinem went incognito as a Playboy Bunny in 1963."---Mark Smith, The Times"Riveting. . . . The results of her investigation are astonishing. Mears has amassed pages of enthralling, richly human testimony. . . . The anecdotes are hugely entertaining, in a throw-up-in-your-mouth way. . . . Mears’s thesis—that nightclubs aren’t exceptions to ‘real life,’ but a distilled, brutal caricature of it—gathers strength as the details accumulate. . . . Elegantly written and genuinely page-turning, with revelations about life that go far beyond nightclubs."---Iona McLaren, Daily Telegraph"Mears is a very good reporter. . . . A fascinating read."---Lynn Barber, The Spectator"Riveting. . . . Mears is an excellent storyteller, resulting in a book that’s well-informed and critical but also animated and engaging." * Tatler *"Very Important People was written before the coronavirus pandemic, but Covid-19 makes it more relevant. Lockdown has widened inequality as poorer households lose jobs and rely on their savings. Meanwhile, the rich are getting richer, leading to pent up demand for parties, girls and bottle trains among those who have already missed a season of it."---Ollie Williams, Forbes"Very Important People depicts a complex world of exchange and exploitation, and warrants praise for doing so without passing predictable moral judgement. More than offering a mere window into the exotic lives of others, Ashley Mears emphasizes themes that should resonate with us all: the labour of marginalized others that lurks behind so much status-seeking consumption, the risks of conflating work with fun and friendship, and the sad fact that 'girl power' remains as oxymoronic as ever."---Alice Bloch, Times Literary Supplement"Enlightening. . . . A fascinating glimpse into life behind the velvet rope."---Matthew Partridge, Money Week"Compelling, vivid and curiously poignant. . . . Very Important People succeeds in exposing the intriguing and often distressing realities of a culture whose values seem both alien and unpleasantly persistent."---Lisa Hilton, The Critic"Mears takes her readers inside the exclusive global nightclub and party circuit, from New York City to Miami and Saint-Tropez, in order to reveal a world constituted by spectacular displays of wealth."---Laurie Taylor, BBC Radio 4, Thinking Allowed"Throughout the seven chapters of the book, Mears dissects the economy of “ models and bottles ” (p. 17), or the formula by which we designate those parties in which the super rich display their power by attending models and making flaunting their wealth by wasting money and buying many bottles at exorbitant prices.”"---Giulia Mensitieri, La Vie Des Idees

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Book SynopsisAll twelve volumes in a beautifully produced box set, perfect for Wizarding World fans everywhere.Harry Potter: Film Vault compiles the filmmaking secrets and visionary artistry behind the Harry Potter films into twelve deluxe collectible volumes. Intricately designed and packed with concept art and unit photography from the Warner Bros. archive, each volume in the series gives fans striking insights about bringing the Wizarding World to the big screen. 

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Book SynopsisAn anthology of brand-new poems inspired by Taylor Swift songs, from a powerhouse group of contemporary poets, including Kate Baer, Maggie Smith, and Joy Harjo.Let the decoding begin! With a record-breaking four Grammy awards for Album of the Year, Taylor Swift stands alone in the world of pop music. One of the most talented lyricists of all time, her music captivates millions of fans throughout the globe with the narrative depth and emotional resonance of her songwriting.In Invisible Strings, poet, professor, and dedicated Swiftie Kristie Frederick Daugherty has brought together 113 contemporary poets, each contributing an original poem that responds to a specific Taylor Swift song.In a spirit of celebration and collaboration, poets have taken a cue from Swift?s love of dropping clues and puzzles for her fandom to decode, as each poem alludes to a song without using direct lyrics. Swifties will enjoy closely reading each of the poems to discover which song eachpoet responded to; each poem responds to only one song.The collection showcases a diverse and accomplished array of writers including the 23rd US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, Pulitzer Prize winners Diane Seuss, Yusef Komunyakaa, Carl Phillips, Rae Armantrout, Paul Muldoon, and Gregory Pardlo, National Book Critics Circle Award winners Mary Jo Bang and Laura Kasischke, and bestselling poets Maggie Smith, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Kate Baer, amanda lovelace, Tyler Knott Gregson, and Jane Hirshfield.Swifties will experience the profundity and nuance of Swift?s lyrics through these poems, while having fun matching the poems to songs from all of her eras?vault tracks included! For poetry lovers, this one-of-a-kind anthology is an unparalleled collection of new work from today?s most lauded and revered poets.

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestseller and inspiration for the Oscar-winning movie, The Social NetworkEduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg - an awkward maths prodigy and a painfully shy computer genius - were never going to fit in at elite, polished Harvard. Yet that all changed when master-hacker Mark crashed the university''s entire computer system by creating a rateable database of female students. Narrowly escaping expulsion, the two misfits refocused the site into something less controversial - ''The Facebook'' - and watched as it spread like wildfire across campuses around the country, and their popularity exploded in the process.Yet amidst the dizzying levels of cash and glamour, as Silicon Valley, venture capitalists and reams of girls beckoned, the first cracks in their friendship started to appear. And what began as a simple argument spiralled into an out-and-out war. As Facebook rose to stratospheric heights by bringing people together - its verTrade ReviewPURE SUMMER FUN... JUICY, FAST-PACED, UNPUTDOWNABLE... Ben has a gift for finding high-energy, strange-but-true tales and [SOCIAL NETWORK] is no exception... a captivating story of betrayal, vast amounts of cash, and two friends who revolutionized the way humans connect to one another. * KEVIN SPACEY *You'll be utterly enthralled * News of the World *Even if you've never logged on to Facebook, the premise behind this true story is irresistible... A 21st century fable, it unfolds with all the narrative verve of a novel * Daily Mail *As addictive as Facebook... has the perfect dramatic narrative for a Hollywood thriller. * Time Out **** *Bringing Down the House showed geeks outsmarting the casinos. Mezrich's latest focuses on two Harvard students who tried to build an online database of girls...and created Facebook * GQ *

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Book SynopsisWhat makes a hit a hit? In Hit Makers, Atlantic Senior Editor Derek Thompson puts pop culture under the lens of science to answer the question that every business, every producer, every person looking to promote themselves and their work has asked. Drawing on ancient history and modern headlines - from vampire lore and Brahms''s Lullaby to Instagram - Thompson explores the economics and psychology of why certain things become extraordinarily popular. With incisive analysis and captivating storytelling, he reveals that, though blockbuster films, Internet memes and number-one songs seem to have come out of nowhere, hits actually have a story and operate by certain rules. People gravitate towards familiar surprises: products that are bold and innovative, yet instantly comprehensible. Whether he is uncovering the secrets of JFK and Barack Obama''s speechwriters or analysing the unexpected reasons for the success of Fifty Shades of Gr

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