Popular culture Books
Chronicle Books LEGO Small Parts
Book SynopsisIn the tradition of Darth Vader and Son comes a humorous look at the wacky and all-too human world of the LEGO minifigure.
£11.99
Grand Central Publishing In Defense of Elitism
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£15.29
Pelican Publishing Company Halloween Nation
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£17.99
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd Big Love
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£999.99
Arcadia Publishing Route 66 in Kansas Images of America
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£21.24
History Press Louisiana Legends and Lore American Legends
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£20.89
History Press Hollywood Tiki
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£20.39
History Press Lost Restaurants of Fairfield California
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£18.69
Orion Publishing Co Come My Fanatics
Book Synopsis''Electric Wizard is heavy, man - we don''t sing about love and flowers.'' Jus ObornIn 1993, in the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, England, the heaviest band in the world was born. Led by guitarist and singer Jus Oborn, Electric Wizard began as an untameable power trio. They inhaled the iniquity of their lives and vomited it out in colossal waves of doom metal, synthesising the forbidding local landscape, biker culture, video-nasties, black magic rituals and titanic doses of psychedelics. In 1997 they released their revolutionary second album, Come My Fanatics... Then, after triumphant and calamitous tours of the USA and following the release of arguably the heaviest rock album ever recorded, 2000''s Dopethrone, Electric Wizard all but imploded, destroyed by the very reality they were fighting against. However, when guitarist Liz Buckingham joined Oborn on guitar for We Live, they drew a magic circle around themselves iTrade ReviewThe mythos, the madness, the mastery: a journey to the blackened vortex of the most eigmatic band in the cosmos. Franklin ventures further into the Wizard's subcultural maelstrom than anyone has ever dared. Absolutely essential' * Harry Sword, author of Monolithic Undertow *'Dan Franklin has somehow written a book that reads exactly how Electric Wizard sound, with everything turned up to eleven and an omnivorous approach to the outlaw occulture that inspired them. A deafening classic' * David Keenan, author of This Is Memorial Device *
£999.99
Hal Leonard Corporation Star Wars Ukulele
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£14.39
Open Road Integrated Media, Inc. I Have America Surrounded
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£999.99
Saint Benedict Press The Sexual State: How Elite Ideologies Are
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£26.96
Dark Horse Comics,U.S. Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 3
Book SynopsisThe journey through the creation of the groundbreaking video games continues with this breathtaking volume, featuring hundreds of pieces of concept art, design notes, and creator retrospectives from the original team behind the making of Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy XIV.Art, commentary, and lore from a transformative era in the indispensable role-playing franchise, collected in a beautifully printed 300-plus-page hardcover. Foray into one of gaming's most iconic properties, exploring beautiful art and incisive commentary behind five of the most memorable entries in the Final Fantasy saga.Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 3 authentically translates original Japanese source material to present unparalleled access for a Western audience. This incredible tome is a must-have addition to any Final Fantasy enthusiast's collection.
£29.60
University of Minnesota Press Brown Threat: Identification in the Security
Book SynopsisWhat is “brown” in—and beyond—the context of American identity politics? How has the concept changed since 9/11? In the most sustained examination of these questions to date, Kumarini Silva argues that “brown” is no longer conceived of solely as a cultural, ethnic, or political identity. Instead, after 9/11, the Patriot Act, and the wars in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, it has also become a concept and, indeed, a strategy of identification—one rooted in xenophobic, imperialistic, and racist ideologies to target those who do not neatly fit or subscribe to ideas of nationhood. Interweaving personal narratives, ethnographic research, analyses of popular events like the Miss America pageant, and films and TV shows such as the Harold and Kumar franchise and Black-ish, Silva maps junctures where the ideological, political, and mediated terrain intersect, resulting in an appetite for all things “brown” (especially South Asian brown) by U.S. consumers, while political and nationalist discourses and legal structures (immigration, emigration, migration, outsourcing, incarceration) conspire to control brown bodies both within and outside the United States. Silva explores this contradictory relationship between representation and reality, arguing that the representation mediates and manages the anxieties that come from contemporary global realities, in which brown spaces, like India, Pakistan, and the Middle East pose key economic, security, and political challenges to the United States. While racism is hardly new, what makes this iteration of brown new is that anyone or any group, at any time, can be branded as deviant, as a threat. Trade Review"An essential text on the contemporary mediations of race in America. Kumarini Silva's analysis fills a critical gap in studies of race, arguing for the work done by the malleability of the racialized category of "South Asian brown" for the U.S. security state."—Inderpal Grewal, Yale UniversityTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction: America’s Move from Identity to Identification1. What Is Brown? Theorizing Race in Everyday Life2. Un-American: Surviving through Patriotic Performances3. Expulsion and What Is Not: Defining Worthiness of American Citizenship4. Blackness in Brown Times: The Medicalization of RacismConclusion: Wielding Identity to Organize WarfareAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex
£999.99
University of Minnesota Press None of This Is Normal: The Fiction of Jeff
Book SynopsisHow the otherworldly worlds created by the author of the Southern Reach Trilogy speak to—and even affect—our own If ever a moment and a writer were made for each other, that time is now and Jeff VanderMeer is that writer. Reaching more and more readers as his fantastic fiction delves deeper and deeper into the true weirdness of our day, VanderMeer presents a unique opportunity to explore the cultural frictions and fault lines in today’s—and tomorrow’s— literary landscape. In the first book-length study of this provocative writer, Benjamin J. Robertson focuses on the three major series that have propelled VanderMeer to prominence (his Vennis fictions, Ambergris novels, and Southern Reach Trilogy) as well as his recent stand-alone novel Borne. Most salient for Robertson is how VanderMeer grapples with the transformation of human meaning and being in the contemporary moment. None of This Is Normal reveals how VanderMeer creates fictions that directly address our Anthropocene epoch, in which humanity must reckon with the unprecedented nature of its impact on the environment and with the consequent obsolescence of its methods of representing itself in this altered world. In Robertson’s reading it becomes startlingly clear that certain fiction, especially when willing to abandon humanist assumptions about history, has the power to not simply show us a world “out there” but to actively participate in that world. As realist fiction and even science fiction conventionally reduce the scale and complexity of the Anthropocene to human-sized dimensions, None of This Is Normal shows how VanderMeer’s work conjures what Robertson calls a “fantastic materiality”: a reality that stands apart from us as a model of thinking, irreducible to our own.Trade Review"None of This Is Normal is the first book-length study of the weird fiction of Jeff VanderMeer. Benjamin J. Robertson not only highlights the beauty and power of VanderMeer's fiction, but also shows how this writing is central to any attempt to think through the plight of humanity in what has come to be called the Anthropocene."—Steven Shaviro, author of The Universe of Things: On Speculative Realism"This spirited book disturbs the new normal of the Anthropocene by way of the ‘New Weird’ in Jeff VanderMeer's fiction. At once a meditation on fantastic materiality and a step toward life after aftermath, this first dedicated study of VanderMeer tells a new story about humans and nonhumans both."—Wai Chee Dimock, Yale University"None of This Is Normal offers readers a rich, extended conversation between VanderMeer and Robertson, pointing out how crucial literary texts are to theorizings of themselves." —American Literary HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction: All of This Is Normal1. Ambergris Rules: Genre and Materiality in the Anthropocene2. Let Me Tell You about the City: The Veniss Milieu and the Problem of Setting3. No One Makes It Out, There May Be a Way: Ambergris as Words and World4. There Is Nothing but Border. There Is No Border.: Area X and the Weird PlanetConclusion: Life after AftermathAfterwordJeff VanderMeerNotes
£999.99
University of Minnesota Press Mechademia 12.1: Second Arc
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£999.99
Random House USA Inc Rad Women Worldwide: 20 Mini-Posters
Book SynopsisFor holding high at your next protest march, gifting to a feminist friend, or hanging on your classroom or dorm room wall, these progressive posters based on the New York Times bestseller include 20 portraits--each with a powerful female on the front and her inspiring quote on the back. Rad Women Worldwide shared fresh, engaging, and amazing tales of perseverance and radical success through riveting biographies and cut-paper portraits. Now here is the art ready for hanging or framing. Measuring 7x11 inches--perfect for an 8x10-inch frame--these colorful portraits feature widely acclaimed (and also less known) heroines alike. The Rad Women include:-Hatshepsut (The great female king who ruled Egypt peacefully for two decades) -Malala Yousafzi (The youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize) -Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft (Polar explorers and the first women to cross Antarctica)-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Novelist and writer)-Venus and Serena Williams (Tennis players and Olympic medalists) -Faith Bandler (Activist and Advocate for Indigenous Australians)-Kalpana Chawla (First Indian woman in space)-Policarpa "La Pola" Salavarrieta (Revolutionary hero of Colombian independence)-Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (A group of mothers and grandmothers who march weekly in honor of -their missing sons and daughters)-Nanny of the Maroons (National hero of Jamaica)-Frida Kahlo (Painter)-Queen Liliuokalani (First and final Queen of the Kingdom of Hawaii)-Junko Tabei (First woman to climb Mt. Everest)-Miriam Makeba (South African singer also known as "Mama Africa")-Wangari Maathai (Nobel Prize winning environmental activist)
£13.57
Rowman & Littlefield 1968: The Rise and Fall of the New American
Book SynopsisThe year 1968 retains its mythic hold on the imagination in America and around the world. Like the revolutionary years 1789, 1848, 1871, 1917, and 1989, it is recalled most of all as a year when revolution beckoned or threatened. On the 50th anniversary of that tumultuous year, cultural historians Robert Cottrell and Blaine T. Browne provide a well-informed, up-to-date synthesis of the events that rocked the world, emphasizing the revolutionary possibilities more fully than previous books. For a time, it seemed as if anything were possible, that utopian visions could be borne out in the political, cultural, racial, or gender spheres. It was the year of the Tet Offensive, the Resistance, the Ultra-Resistance, the New Politics, Chavez and RFK breaking bread, LBJ’s withdrawal, student revolt, barricades in Paris, the Prague Spring, SDS’ sharp turn leftward, communes, the American Indian Movement, the Beatles’ “Revolution,” the Stones’ “Street Fighting Man,” The Population Bomb, protest at the Miss America pageant, and Black Power at the Mexico City Olympics. 1968 was also the year of My Lai, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, Warsaw Pact tanks in Czechoslovakia, the police riot in Chicago, the Tlatelolco massacre, Reagan’s belated bid, Wallace’s American Independent Party campaign, “Love It or Leave It,” and the backlash that set the stage, at year’s end, for Richard Milhous Nixon’s ascendancy to the White House. For those readers reliving 1968 or exploring it for the first time, Cottrell and Browne serve as insightful guides, weaving the events together into a powerful narrative of an America and a world on the brink.Trade ReviewRobert C. Cottrell and Blaine T. Browne’s book is a reminder that the year 1968 saw the United States on the brink of a revolution, one that was virtually apocalyptic in scope. Race riots led to torched American cities, and outrage and rebellion against the Vietnam War prompted student revolts on campuses across the land. Conspiracy trials were held in an attempt to halt the radical challenge to authority. Major political figures and other leaders were gunned down, with the images broadcast to a horrified population. It was a time of extremes. Cottrell and Browne show how the events that shattered the belief in “US invincibility” unfolded against the backdrop of a great generational divide and global unrest, contrasted with the pull to nonviolence and peace, free love, and the rise of communal and back-to-the-land living, all topped off with a good dose of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. * Foreword Reviews *“Robert Cottrell and Blaine Browne's 1968: The Rise and Fall of the New American Revolution, published on the 50th anniversary of the astonishing and often world-changing events it describes, is old-fashioned narrative history at its best: thoroughly researched, lucid, penetrating, filled with vividly drawn characters and dramatic scenes, but avoiding sentimentalism and romanticism. It's the perfect book for baby boomer parents and grandparents to give their millennial offspring to make help them sense of the events that shaped a generation.” -- Maurice Isserman, co-author of "America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s"“The year 1968 has been written about many times before, but no one has covered it as comprehensively and as thoroughly as Robert C. Cottrell and Blaine T. Browne. Their narrative offers almost all of the key players, including Dr. Spock, Dr. King, Malcolm X and George Wallace, as well as the young activists and protesters who belonged to SDS, the IRA, the Yippies, and the Black Panthers. The feminist movement is here and gay liberation, too, along with the key places, nationally and internationally, where revolution broke out: Prague, Berlin, Chicago and San Francisco. 1968: The Rise and Fall of the New American Revolution looks back at the 1950s and ahead to the present day. It arrives in the nick of time for the 50th anniversary of the year that rocked the world.” -- Jonah Raskin, author of For the Hell of It: The Life and Times of Abbie Hoffman“In this crisply written jaunt through 1968, Robert Cottrell and Blaine Browne chronicle one of the most tumultuous years in American history. They offer thorough coverage of a run of dramatic events, from the TET offensive in Vietnam to the Columbia University student uprising and the surprising presidential campaign of George Wallace. Along the way, they give readers splendid mini-biographies of famous and, better yet, not-so-famous figures like the members of the Berrigan brothers’ ‘Ultra-resistance,’ Andy Warhol’s nemesis Valerie Solanis, and environmentalist Edward Abbey. By showing how the cataclysms built and how they shaped contemporary America, Cottrell and Browne manage to set that single, momentous year in the ‘long Sixties.’” -- David Steigerwald, The Ohio State University“Cottrell and Browne have penned an exhilarating romp through one of the most electrifying years on American history—1968—and the result is a provocative read.” -- Terry H. Anderson, Texas A&M University, and author of "The Movement and the Sixties" and "The Sixties," 5th editionTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface Chapter 1: “Yippie!” Chapter 2: “Hell No! They Shouldn’t Go!” Chapter 3: “We Had to Destroy the Town in Order to Save It” Chapter 4: “The Impossible Dream”: The New Politics Chapter 5: “We Shall Overcome”: The Dreamer Chapter 6: “We All Want to Change the World”: Springtime of the Young Rebels Chapter 7: “Burn, Baby, Burn”: Bearing Witness and the Boston Five Chapter 8: “You Saw You Want a Revolution” Chapter 9: “There’s a Man with a Gun Over There”: The Politics of Assassination Chapter 10: “The Whole World is Watching: Czechago Chapter 11: “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”: People Power Chapter 12: “The Personal Is Political” Chapter 13: “Goin’ Up the Country”: The New Environmentalism Chapter 14: “Your Day, Of Course, Is Going to Be Over Soon”: The Backlash Chapter 15: “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”: Legacies and Conclusion Appendix A: List of Abbreviations Bibliography Index About the Authors
£46.33
Twelve Hip-Hop (and Other Things)
Book SynopsisHIP-HOP (AND OTHER THINGS)is about, as it were, rap, but also some other things. It''s a smart, fun, funny, insightful book that spends the entirety of its time celebrating what has become the most dominant form of music these past two and a half decades. Tupac is in there. Jay Z is in there. Missy Elliott is in there. Drake is in there. Pretty much all of the big names are in there, as are a bunch of the smaller names, too.There''s art from acclaimed illustrator Arturo Torres, there are infographics and footnotes; there''s all kinds of stuff in there. Some of the chapters are serious, and some of the chapters are silly, and some of the chapters are a combination of both things. All of them, though, are treated with the care and respect that they deserve.HIP-HOP (AND OTHER THINGS)is the third book in the (And Other Things) series. The first two?Basketball (And Other Things)andMovies (And Other Things)?were both #1New York Timesbestsellers.
£22.95
Vehicule Press Fan Mail
£17.05
Exile Editions The Roaring Eighties and Other Good Times
Book SynopsisWritten by one of Canada's leading cultural commentators, this collection explores a wonderful gamut of topics, including the arts, sports, politics, and pop culture of the 1980s. Both hilarious and brilliant, the essays range from exposés on cocaine dealers and the murder of heiress Nancy Eaton, to articles on the politics of Jean Chrétien, the music of Miles Davis, and the literature of Joyce Carol Oates, Saul Bellow, and Morley Callaghan.Trade ReviewThese selections are thoughtfully and insightfully written, and delve deeply into the subjects they pursue. Who else other than Norman Snider could have captured an essential decade of our history so convincingly?!" —Michael Keefer
£22.91
North Atlantic Books,U.S. Cultural Addiction: The Greenspirit Guide to
Book SynopsisAddiction, argues Albert LaChance in this insightful book, affects more than the individual who suffers from it. Cultural Addiction shows how contemporary lifestyles have become addictive, consuming the planet''s resources—soil, air, water—in a destructive way that comprises earth''s life systems and endangers the survival of both humankind and other species. This book presents a 12-step program for recovery from these dangerous lifestyles. Identifying such traits as egocentricity, materialism, overeating and drinking, and apathy as products of addiction, the author draws on the world''s spiritual traditions—Hinduism, Buddhism, shamanism, Christianity, and others—to show individuals and communities how to work together to overcome these problems. The 12-step Greenspirit program empowers people to change the way they live in their environment. This “cultural therapy” in turn creates a renewed culture dedicated to protecting—and respecting—the planet.
£14.39
Temple University Press,U.S. Andy Warhol'S Blow Job
Book SynopsisIn this ground-breaking and provocative book, Roy Grundmann contends that Andy Warhol's notorious 1964 underground film, Blow Job, serves as rich allegory as well as suggestive metaphor for post-war American society's relation to homosexuality. Arguing that Blow Job epitomizes the highly complex position of gay invisibility and visibility, Grundmann uses the film to explore the mechanisms that constructed pre-Stonewall white gay male identity in popular culture, high art, science, and ethnography.Grundmann draws on discourses of art history, film theory, queer studies, and cultural studies to situate Warhol's work at the nexus of Pop art, portrait painting, avant-garde film, and mainstream cinema. His close textual analysis of the film probes into its ambiguities and the ways in which viewers respond to what is and what is not on screen. Presenting rarely reproduced Warhol art and previously unpublished Ed Wallowitch photographs along with now iconic publicity shots of James Dean, Grundmann establishes Blow Job as a consummate example of Warhol's highly insightful engagement with a broad range of representational codes of gender and sexuality.Trade Review"A whole book on one short film may seem excessive, but when the film is Andy Warhol's Blow Job—a pivotal document of the productive tensions between pop and art, pornography and avant-garde, gay and straight, visible and invisible 'sex'—one book hardly seems enough. Roy Grundmann has produced the definitive analysis from every possible perspective of this most fascinating of self-reflexive films. The amazing thing is how vital and compelling each of these perspectives seems."—Linda Williams, Director of Film Studies, U.C. Berkeley, and author of Playing the Race Card: Melodramas of Black and White from Uncle Tom to O. J. Simpson"Roy Grundmann has extended Andy Warhol's diabolical plot to make respectable 1960s film critics say a naughty expression for an illegal sex act, making an academic book title out of it forty years later! He has also done the near impossible, written a book on a single-take film, more talked about than seen for most of those forty years, that is a masterful synthesis of queer history, cultural theory, and film studies. Grundmann has deftly demonstrated the centrality of the minimalist masterpiece that is Blow Job—and of its sly author—to postwar Western avant-gardes and to the sexual and racial cultures they inhabit."—Thomas Waugh, Professor of Film Studies and Director, Programme in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality, Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, Concordia University"Finally, the longest reaction shot in film history has found its ideal analyst. Roy Grundmann has written a thoughtful, funny, accessible, yet deeply theorized book that situates Warhol's most (in)famous film in all its polymorphous contexts. This book shows just how rich 'close reading' can be, yet it offers a window on the entire underground of a Warholian century."—Caroline A. Jones teaches contemporary art and theory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has written about Warhol in her Machine in the Studio, among other places"Andy Warhol's Blow Job is a tour de force, a virtuosic elaboration of a myriad of resonances, implications, and subtexts to what appears to be one of the simplest films possible. The control of the film scholarship is impeccable and there's hardly a missed beat in the writing. Grundmann's book is a terrific addition to film studies, Warhol studies and queer studies. It wears its learning lightly and with grace."—David James, Critical Studies, School of Cinema, USC"Grundmann’s strength lies in his theoretical improvisation on a theme, his wandering off into Hollywood film, hypochondria, Mailer, Kinsey, and whatever else his keen analytical eye alights on."—Cineaste"...the book wields its greatest strength from its reader-based cultural studies methodology."—Film International"[T]he book is...impressive vital, even moving."—Film and History"Roy Grundmann, a self-conscious enthusiast of the film, has made a sometimes compelling, always scholarly and I think finally unarguable case for Blow Job's importance and interest.... this book is essential reading for anyone interested in Warhol, and especially the Warhol films."—GENRETable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Myths from the Underground 2. Shadows and Myths 3. White Gay Male Identity Between Passing and Posing 4. Gay Masculinity Between (De)Construction and Demontage 5. Andy Warhol, James Dean, and White Gay Men 6. Darkness as Metaphor Notes Index
£999.99
Red Wheel/Weiser Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of
Book SynopsisWas Superman''s arch nemesis Lex Luthor based on Aleister Crowley? Can Captain Marvel be linked to the Sun gods on antiquity? In Our Gods Wear Spandex, Christopher Knowles answers these questions and brings to light many other intriguing links between superheroes and the enchanted world of estoerica. Occult students and comic-book fans alike will discover countless fascinating connections, from little known facts such as that DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz started his career as H.P. Lovecraft''s agent, to the tantalizingly extensive influence of Madame Blavatsky''s Theosophy on the birth of comics, to the mystic roots of Superman. The book also traces the rise of the comic superheroes and how they relate to several cultural trends in the late 19th century, specifically the occult explosion in Western Europe and America. Knowles reveals the four basic superhero archetypes--the Messiah, the Golem, the Amazon, and the Brotherhood--and shows how the occult Bohemian underground of the early 20th century provided the inspiration for the modern comic book hero. With the popularity of occult comics writers like Invisibles creator Grant Morrison and V for Vendetta creator Alan Moore, the vast ComiCon audience is poised for someone to seriously introduce them to the esoteric mysteries. Chris Knowles is doing just that in this epic book. Chapters include: Ancient of Days, Ascended Masters, God and Gangsters, Mad Scientists and Modern Sorcerers, and many more. From the ghettos of Prague to the halls of Valhalla to the Fortress of Solitude and the aisles of BEA and ComiCon, this is the first book to show the inextricable link between superheroes and the enchanted world of esoterica. * Chris Knowles is associate editor and columnist for the five-time Eisner Award-winning Comic Book Artist magazine, as well as a pop culture writer for UK magazine Classic Rock. * Knowles worked with Robert Smigel on The X Presidents graphic novel, based on the popular Saturday Night Live cartoon, and has created designs and artwork for many of the world''s top superheroes and fantasy characters. * Features the art of Joe Linsner, creator of the legendary Dawn series, and more recently a collaborator with comics maestro Stan Lee.
£17.09
Seal Press The New Better Off Reinventing the American Dream
Book SynopsisA ground-breaking exploration of the ways Americans are reinventing success and redefining "better off," through lives that reject traditional status symbols in lieu of fulfillment and value relationships over money
£20.40
Seal Press Landwhale: On Turning Insults Into Nicknames, Why
Book SynopsisBy the author of Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls and a heroine of the body positivity movement, an intimate, gutsy memoir about being a fat womanJes Baker burst onto the body positivity scene when she created her own ads mocking Abercrombie & Fitch for discriminating against all body types--a move that landed her on the Today Show and garnered a loyal following for her raw, honest, and attitude-filled blog missives. Building on the manifesta power of Things, this memoir goes deeply into Jes's inner life, from growing up a fat girl to dating while fat. With material that will have readers laughing and crying along with Jes's experience, this new book is a natural fit with her irreverent, open-book style. A deeply personal take, Landwhale is a glimpse at life as a fat woman today, but it's also a reflection of the unforgiving ways our culture still treats fatness, all with Jes's biting voice as the guide.
£12.34
North Atlantic Books,U.S. Welcome to Mars: Politics, Pop Culture, and Weird
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£12.30
Gingko Press Desperately Seeking Haring
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£18.95
Gingko Press The Art of the B Movie Poster
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£44.96
St Augustine's Press Allergic to Crazy – Quick Thoughts on Politics,
Book SynopsisAllergic to Crazy features a stunningly diverse array of brief reflections by one of America’s leading public intellectuals. Each of these short, pointed, and witty essays applies the wisdom of postmodern conservatism to the issues that rightly occupy so much of life these days. Want to know a bit more about how to watch films, think about TV from American Idol to Mad Men, reflect on the charm of eating at Waffle House, understand why we’re all so obsessed with celebrities, muse for a moment or more on why happiness is such a problem for us, be reminded why in this era of biotechnology we actually believe we can be more than human, and be attentive to the real significance of what we remember on Christmas and 9/11? Then this is the self-help book for you. And of course there is much, much more. These reflections are for you no matter what you believe right now. Many of them were written for a basically unfriendly audience, for left libertarian techno-enthusiasts who are contemptuous of religion, tradition, and all that. They have an evangelical spirit; they we’re written to gently enlarge hearts. Some of these little essays were written, in a way, to preach to the converted, to explain to conservatives why they should lighten up, be less angry, and be more open to the good in the world around them. You can be sure you’ll find much that provokes you, and much to share with your friends. This book is perfect for busy people who love to read and think. It’ll find natural homes on coffee tables, bathrooms, waiting rooms, and on the corners of desks of doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. It’ll enliven your conversations at lunch and at the local bar, and will give you something deep to share with your spouse just before you turn the light out. Allergic to Crazy is equally perfect for professors, scholars, and others with more time to devote to the life of the mind. They’ll appreciate right away the lifetime of learning that brought these reflections into being.
£999.99
Smithsonian Books Ain'T Nothing Like the Real Thing: The Apollo
Book SynopsisAin't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment celebrates the seventy-five year history of the Apollo Theater, Harlem's landmark performing arts space and the iconic showplace for the best in jazz, blues, dance, comedy, gospel, R & B, hip-hop, and more since it opened its doors in 1934. This beautifully illustrated book is the companion volume to an exhibition of the same name, organized by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in collaboration with the Apollo Theater Foundation. It offers a sweeping panorama of American cultural achievement from the Harlem Renaissance to the present through the compelling story of a single institution.Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing brings together a diverse group of twenty-four writers to discuss the theater's history and its intersection with larger social and political issues within Harlem and the nation. Featuring more than 300 photographs, this volume brings to life the groundbreaking entertainers in music, dance, and comedy—Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, James Brown, Moms Mabley, Redd Foxx, Honi Coles, and Savion Glover, to name a few—who made the Apollo the icon that it is today. The Apollo Theater has been the setting for soaring achievement and creativity in the face of enormous challenges. In telling this truly American story, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing is a celebration of the lasting contributions of African Americans to the nation's cultural life.
£27.90
Pelican Publishing Co Halloween Nation: Behind the Scenes of America's
Book SynopsisAmerica's leading authority on Halloween presents interviews with spooky rock groups, amateur vampires, haunted house creators, champion pumpkin carvers, and more, all in the quest of explaining the nation's unique love affair with this holiday. The collection of essays and interviews explores the pop culture phenomenon that is Halloween, and why we celebrate it the way we do today.
£20.69
Temple University Press,U.S. Rave Culture: The Alteration and Decline of a
Book SynopsisExposing the forces behind the decline of the rave scene in Philadelphia and elsewhereTrade Review"Anderson clearly has a passion for the subject matter and a keen focus on the 'decline' of rave culture which is to be commended. There is a need for in-depth considerations of post-rave club cultures as embedded in global, national, local and virtual spaces. The thoroughness of Anderson's empirical work, and her engagement with the data is useful and gives voice to young (and not so young!) people and culture."—Karenza Moore, Lancaster UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. Corporate Raves, Weeklies, Underground Parties, and More: Defining the Rave– Club Culture Continuum 3. Loyalists, Spillovers, and Other Party People: Personal and Collective Identities in the Post-rave Era 4. From 1990s Massives to Raves’ Death?: Forces of Cultural Change 5. “Players and Their Tracks”: Types of Cultural Work in the EDM Scene 6. EDM as a Vibrant Global Scene 7. Twenty- First- Century Scenes, Sounds, and Selves Appendix: Methods Notes References Index
£999.99
Gotham Books Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol
Book SynopsisA spirited look at the history of alcohol, from the dawn of civilization to the modern day Alcohol is a fundamental part of Western culture. We have been drinking as long as we have been human, and for better or worse, alcohol has shaped our civilization. Drink investigates the history of this Jekyll and Hyde of fluids, tracing mankind's love/hate relationship with alcohol from ancient Egypt to the present day. Drink further documents the contribution of alcohol to the birth and growth of the United States, taking in the War of Independence, the Pennsylvania Whiskey revolt, the slave trade, and the failed experiment of national Prohibition. Finally, it provides a history of the world's most famous drinks-and the world's most famous drinkers. Packed with trivia and colorful characters, Drink amounts to an intoxicating history of the world.
£20.90
Gotham Books The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a
Book SynopsisThe business marketing genius at the forefront of today’s entertainment marketing revolution helps corporate America get hip to today’s new consumer—the tan generation.When Fortune 500 companies need to reenergize or reinvent a lagging brand, they call Steve Stoute. In addition to marrying cultural icons with blue-chip marketers, Stoute has helped identify and activate a new generation of consumers. He traces how the “tanning” phenomenon raised a generation of black, Hispanic, white, and Asian consumers who have the same “mental complexion” based on shared experiences and values, rather than the increasingly irrelevant demographic boxes that have been used to a fault by corporate America. Stoute believes there is a language gap that must be bridged in order to engage the most powerful market force in the history of commerce.The Tanning of America provides that very translation guide. Drawing from his company’s case studies, as well as from extensive interviews with leading figures in multiple fields, Stoute presents an insider’s view of how the transcendent power of popular culture is helping reinvigorate and revitalize the American dream.
£14.45
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. Acculturated: 23 Savvy Writers Find Hidden Virtue
Book Synopsis Contemporary popular culture, from books to film to television to music to the deepest corners of the internet, has provoked much criticism, some of it well deserved. Yet, popular culture is culture for many Americans—particularly younger Americans. It is the only kind of cultural experience they seek and the currency in which they trade. In Acculturated, twenty-three thinkers examine the rituals, the myths, the tropes, the peculiar habits, the practices, and the neuroses of our modern era. Every culture finds a way for people to tell stories about themselves. We rely on these stories to teach us why we do the things we do, to test the limits of our experience, to reaffirm deeply felt truths about human nature, and to teach younger generations about vice and virtue, honor and shame, and a great deal more. A phenomenon like the current crop of reality television shows, for example, with their bevy of “real” housewives, super-size families, and toddler beauty-pageant candidates, seems an unlikely place to find truths about human nature or examples of virtue. And yet, on these shows, and in much else of what passes for popular culture these days, a surprising theme emerges: Move beyond the visual excess and hyperbole, and you will find the makings of classic morality tales. As the title suggests, readers will find in these pages “A-Culture Rated.” This lively roundtable of “raters” includes renowned cultural critics like Caitlin Flannigan and Chuck Colson and celebrated culture creators like the producers of the hit ABC comedy Modern Family and the host of TLC’s What Not to Wear. Editors Christine Rosen and Naomi Schaefer Riley have tasked these contributors—both the critics and the insiders—with taking a step or two back from the unceasing din of popular culture so that they might better judge its value and its values and help readers think more deeply about the meaning of the narratives with which they are bombarded every waking minute. In doing so, the editors hope to foster a wide-reaching public conversation to help us think more clearly about our culture. CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE Judy Bachrach, Megan Basham, Mark Bauerlein, Pia Catton, Chuck Colson, Paul Corrigan, Caitlin Flanagan, Meghan Cox Gurdon, Margo Howard, Kay S. Hymowitz, Jonathan V. Last, Herb London, Stacy London, Rob Long, Megan McArdle, Wilfred M. McClay, Caitrin Nicol, Joe Queenan, Emily Esfahani Smith, Brad Walsh, and Tony Woodlief. Trade Review“Acculturated consists of essays in the best sense of the term—always readable and concise, often witty and entertaining, providing unconventional takes on their subjects and illuminating them with flashes of genuine insight. Covering a remarkable range of topics in contemporary pop culture, the essays offer a composite portrait of America today—with all its sublimities and absurdities. The authors may be critical of pop culture, but unlike many academics, they show that they are familiar with and have a feel for the phenomena in which they write.” —Paul A. Cantor, author of Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization “Sizing up and taking down the things we read, watch, and play, this all-star team of analysts provides a series of delights and surprises that will make you ponder the deep structures that inform our lives, even when we think we’re off-duty. As one essay puts it, ‘Style matters.’ Yes, and so does fun. —Kyle Smith, movie critic, New York Post“Acculturated is a collection of brief, sharp-eyed, complex—and in the best sense of that sadly overused and abused term, entertaining—accounts of present-day American sensibilities and daily lives. It could have been titled The Way We Live Now, and no one in the country will not experience the comfort of finding his habits and attitudes reflected in at least some, if not every last, of its pages.” —Midge Decter, author of An Old Wife’s Tale "Any college-level collection strong in the cultural analysis will consider this a lively, insightful survey." —California Bookwatch "Editors and authors Rosen and Riley compile 23 US writers and journalists' essays examining what popular culture teaches people about themselves and how society can reclaim popular culture to discuss concepts like virtue and character. They consider how reality TV, children’s and teen culture, Facebook, YouTube, video games, Lady Gaga, professional sports, blogs, cooking shows, celebrity chefs, and other pop culture forms teach people about how to behave and treat each other in relationships, including online dating and adultery, and how well those lessons are learned; how it reflects children’s experiences; how it has changed the way people spend their leisure time; and effects on self-improvement, such as in forgiveness and death and dying." —Book News, Inc "Editors and authors Rosen and Riley compile essays by 23 US writers and journalists who examine what popular culture has to teach people about themselves and how society can reclaim popular culture to discuss concepts like virtue and character." —SciTech Book NewsTable of Contents Introduction Naomi Schaefer Riley and Christine Rosen / ix Part 1: Love in a Time of Reality TV 1. Sex, Lies, and YouTube Kay S. Hymowitz / 3 2. Monster Mashup: How Our Culture’s Heroes and Villains Have Traded Places Tony Woodlief / 15 3. Chick Lit and the Master/Slave Dialectic Meghan Cox Gurdon / 23 4. Lonely Hearts Online: Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Meet My Husband on Match.com Megan Basham / 35 5. In My Humble Opinion: Why Americans Still Need Advice Columnists Margo Howard / 45 6. All the President’s Friends: The Challenge of Loyalty in Politics Pia Catton / 51 Part 2: Smells Like Teen Spirit 7. An Unnatural Habitat: The Separate Lives of Adolescents Mark Bauerlein / 61 8. The Achievement Trap: How Overparenting Undermines Character Caitlin Flanagan / 69 Part 3: At Your Leisure 9. Games People Play—Together Jonathan V. Last / 79 10. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Why Pro Athletes Aren’t Heroes Joe Queenan / 89 11. Performance Art: The Faux Creativity of Lady Gaga Emily Esfahani Smith / 99 12. Project Runway: The Surprising Virtues of Style Herb London and Stacy London / 107 13. Back to Betty Crocker: Why Everyday Cooking Matters Megan McArdle / 113 14. In Search of the Next Great American Songbook Wilfred M. McClay / 121 Part 4: Building a Better You 15. Controlling Our Bodies, Controlling Ourselves Daniel Akst / 133 16. Public Broadcasting: The Allure of Overexposure Rob Long / 141 17. Lessons for Life: The Virtues of Continuing Education Patrick Allitt / 149 18. Death Be Not Chic Judy Bachrach / 159 19. The American Dream, Twenty-Two Minutes at a Time Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh / 165 20. Utopian Virtues Caitrin Nicol / 171 21. Never Having to Say You’re Sorry: The Challenges of Forgiveness in an Age of Relativism Chuck Colson / 179 Contributors / 189
£999.99
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. The Seven Deadly Virtues: 18 Conservative Writers
Book SynopsisAn all-star team of eighteen conservative writers offers a hilarious, insightful, sanctimony-free remix of William Bennett’s The Book of Virtues—without parental controls. The Seven Deadly Virtues sits down next to readers at the bar, buys them a drink, and an hour or three later, ushers them into the revival tent without them even realizing it. The book’s contributors include Sonny Bunch, Christopher Buckley, David “Iowahawk” Burge, Christopher Caldwell, Andrew Ferguson, Jonah Goldberg, Michael Graham, Mollie Hemingway, Rita Koganzon, Matt Labash, James Lileks, Rob Long, Larry Miller, P. J. O’Rourke, Joe Queenan, Christine Rosen, and Andrew Stiles. Jonathan V. Last, senior writer at the Weekly Standard, editor of the collection, is also a contributor. All eighteen essays in this book are appearing for the first time anywhere. In the book’s opening essay, P. J. O’Rourke observes: “Virtue has by no means disappeared. It’s as much in public view as ever. But it’s been strung up by the heels. Virtue is upside down. Virtue is uncomfortable. Virtue looks ridiculous. All the change and the house keys are falling out of Virtue’s pants pockets.” Here are the virtues everyone (including the book’s contributors) was taught in Sunday school but have totally forgotten about until this very moment. In this sanctimony-free zone: • Joe Queenan observes: “In essence, thrift is a virtue that resembles being very good at Mahjong. You’ve heard about people who can do it, but you’ve never actually met any of them.” • P. J. O’Rourke notes: “Fortitude is quaint. We praise the greatest generation for having it, but they had aluminum siding, church on Sunday, and jobs that required them to wear neckties or nylons (but never at the same time). We don’t want those either.” • Christine Rosen writes: “A fellowship grounded in sociality means enjoying the company of those with whom you actually share physical space rather than those with whom you regularly and enthusiastically exchange cat videos.” • Rob Long offers his version of modern day justice: if you sleep late on the weekend, you are forced to wait thirty minutes in line at Costco. • Jonah Goldberg offers: “There was a time when this desire-to-do-good-in-all-things was considered the only kind of integrity: ‘Angels are better than mortals. They’re always certain about what is right because, by definition, they’re doing God’s will.’ Gabriel knew when it was okay to remove a mattress tag and Sandalphon always tipped the correct amount.” • Sonny Bunch dissects forbearance, observing that the fictional Two Minutes Hate of George Orwell’s 1984 is now actually a reality directed at living, breathing people. Thanks, in part, to the Internet, “Its targets are designated by a spontaneously created mob—one that, due to its hive-mind nature—is virtually impossible to call off.” By the time readers have completed The Seven Deadly Virtues, they won’t even realize that they’ve just been catechized into an entirely different—and better—moral universe.Trade Review“[I]nteresting and thought provoking … endearing enough to make the reader charitably inclined.” —Wall Street Journal (11/05/2014)"The Seven Deadly Virtues is 202 readable pages written by a witty group of 18 peculiar moralists, and it deserves similar success. You just know that you are in for a treat when a book on the subject of virtue starts with P.J. O’Rourke and ends with Chris Buckley. In between them, you’ll discover the architects of a new conservative cool that shows that is possible to be moral without being moralistic and authoritative without being authoritarian." —The Washington Times (11/05/2014)“It is a light, easy read and worth the time spent for the chuckle, but don’t get the wrong idea. Students of ethics and philosophy will be pleased when Jonathan Last quotes heavyweight philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre (p. 9), Andrew Stiles references C. S. Lewis in his call for temperance, and other essayists remind us of the words of St. Paul, St. Augustine, and other towering figures in the history of Christianity. Overall, I would recommend this book to students because it’s rare to find a humorous contribution to the topic of virtue that is not tearing down morality, but instead gives compelling reasons why we should all strive to be better people.” —Kristin A. Vargas, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, The Christian LibrarianTable of ContentsAcknowledgments / xi Introduction: On Virtues, Past and Present / 3 By Jonathan V. Last Part I: The Cardinal Virtues Chapter 1: The Seven Deadly Virtues: And the New York Times / 17 By P. J. O’Rourke Chapter 2: Prudence: Long Live the Queen / 26 By Andrew Ferguson Chapter 3: Justice: The One Virtue Nobody Really Wants / 38 By Rob Long Chapter 4: Courage: The Rise of “Shelter in Place” America / 48 By Michael Graham Chapter 5: Temperance: The Deadliest Virtue / 58 By Andrew Stiles Chapter 6: Hope: Chicago Is a Place Called Hope / 66 By David Burge (aka Iowahawk) Chapter 7: Charity: You Can’t Give This Stuff Away / 74 By Mollie Hemingway Chapter 8: Faith: The Eleventh Commandment / 83 By Larry Miller Part II: The Everyday Virtues Chapter 9: Chastity: The Final Taboo / 95 By Matt Labash Chapter 10: Simplicity: Or, the Many-Splendored Virtues of Hoarding / 110 By James Lileks Chapter 11: Thrift: The Un-American Virtue / 121 By Joe Queenan Chapter 12: Honesty: It’s Absolutely the Best Policy (Sometimes) / 129 By Rita Koganzon Chapter 13: Fellowship: Reach Out and Touch Someone / 139 By Christine Rosen Chapter 14: Forbearance: Opting Out of the Politicized Life / 147 By Sonny Bunch Chapter 15: Integrity: Living by the Code of the Superman / 156 By Jonah Goldberg Chapter 16: Curiosity: Maybe the Cat Got What It Had Coming / 165 By Christopher Caldwell Chapter 17: Perseverance: All the Way to the End / 174 By Christopher Buckley Author Bios / 185
£999.99
Templeton Foundation Press,U.S. Superhero Ethics: 10 Comic Book Heroes; 10 Ways
Book SynopsisWhether in comic books or on movie screens, superhero stories are where many people first encounter questions about how they should conduct their lives. Although these outlandish figures—in their capes, masks, and tights, with their unbelievable origins and preternatural powers—are often dismissed as juvenile amusements, they really are profound metaphors for different approaches to shaping one’s character and facing the challenges of life. But, given the choice, which superhero should we follow today? Who is most worthy of our admiration? Whose goals are most noble? Whose ethics should we strive to emulate? To decide, Travis Smith takes ten top superheroes and pits them one against another, chapter by chapter. The hero who better exemplifies how we ought to live advances to the final round. By the end of the book, a single superhero emerges victorious and is crowned most exemplary for our times. How, then, shall we live? How can we overcome our beastly nature and preserve our humanity? (The Hulk vs. Wolverine) How far can we rely on our willpower and imagination to improve the human condition? (Iron Man vs. Green Lantern) What limits must we observe when protecting our neighborhood from crime and corruption? (Batman vs. Spider-Man) Will the pursuit of an active life or a contemplative life bring us true fulfillment? (Captain America vs. Mr. Fantastic) Should we put our faith in proven tradition or in modern progress to achieve a harmonious society? (Thor vs. Superman) Using superheroes to bring into focus these timeless themes of the human condition, Smith takes us on an adventure as fantastic as any you’ll find on a splash page or the silver screen—an intellectual adventure filled with surprising insights, unexpected twists and turns, and a daring climax you’ll be thinking about long after it’s over.Trade Review"[P]rovides some useful food-for-thought for today's socio-political context." —Pop Matters “Every boy grows up with questions about comic books: Who’s better, Batman or Superman? Who would win in a fight, Wolverine or Magneto? Travis Smith grew up and is now asking intellectually serious questions about comic books: Who is a better representative of idealism in action--Captain America or Mister Fantastic? Who better embodies the human capacity for imagination—Green Lantern or Iron Man? Travis is a nerd’s nerd and Superhero Ethics is fun and engaging. If you’ve ever cared about comic books or superheroes, you’ll love it.” —Jonathan V. Last, digital editor, the Weekly Standard “Travis Smith ably demonstrates that costumed characters have a bigger purpose in our modern world than just filling movie studios’ coffers. If you look closely—and Smith really has—they can teach us plenty about right and wrong in these morally murky times.” —Reed Tucker, author of Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC “Superhero Ethics cleverly casts famous superheroes against each other and compares their ethics in an enlightening and enjoyable fashion, and in doing so emphasizes the true value of superheroes in society today.” —Mark D. White, author of The Virtues of Captain America: Modern-Day Lessons on Character from a World War II Superhero “Superhero Ethics reminds us to look beyond the powers of superheroes to see their important role as models of personal responsibility, accountability and integrity, of being willing to wrestle with moral and ethical issues, and to work in the service of others.” —Robin S. Rosenberg, author of Superhero Origins: What Makes Superheroes Tick and Why We Care
£999.99
Chelsea Green Publishing Co Hemp Bound: Dispatches from the Front Lines of
Book SynopsisThe stat sheet on hemp sounds almost too good to be true: its fibers are among the planet’s strongest, its seed oil the most nutritious, and its potential as an energy source vast and untapped. Its one downside? For nearly a century, it’s been illegal to grow industrial cannabis in the United States–even though Betsy Ross wove the nation’s first flag out of hemp fabric, Thomas Jefferson composed the Declaration of Independence on it, and colonists could pay their taxes with it. But as the prohibition on hemp’s psychoactive cousin winds down, one of humanity’s longest-utilized plants is about to be reincorporated into the American economy. Get ready for the newest billion-dollar industry. In Hemp Bound: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Next Agricultural Revolution, bestselling author Doug Fine embarks on a humorous yet rigorous journey to meet the men and women who are testing, researching, and pioneering hemp’s applications for the twenty-first century. From Denver, where Fine hitches a ride in a hemp-powered limo; to Asheville, North Carolina, where carbon-negative hempcrete-insulated houses are sparking a mini housing boom; to Manitoba where he raps his knuckles on the hood of a hemp tractor; and finally to the fields of east Colorado, where practical farmers are looking toward hemp to restore their agricultural economy—Fine learns how eminently possible it is for this misunderstood plant to help us end dependence on fossil fuels, heal farm soils damaged after a century of growing monocultures, and bring even more taxable revenue into the economy than its smokable relative. Fine’s journey will not only leave you wondering why we ever stopped cultivating this miracle crop, it will fire you up to sow a field of it for yourself, for the nation’s economy, and for the planet.Trade ReviewAcres U.S.A.- “Fine covers a remarkable amount of ground in his book, so much so that it’s hard to believe that he does it in fewer than 200 pages. He talks to a dizzying variety of people who have special knowledge and experience, whacks his hand on a tractor hood made from hemp, and drops in plenty of historical facts for context. (Humanity has an 8,000-year history with this plant.) If you need a crash course in a commodity that could well turn American agriculture on its head over the next few years, look no further.” Booklist- "Little noticed on the sidelines during the recent media controversy over Colorado’s decision to legalize marijuana was a groundbreaking movement in Congress to lift a decades-long ban on the popular intoxicant’s psychoactively inert cousin, hemp. As elucidated in this witty and informative overview of hemp’s enormous agricultural potential, New Mexico-based author and radio reporter Fine argues that not much has ever made sense about the stigma U.S. lawmakers have heaped upon this incredibly versatile plant since it was made illegal back in 1937. Although it bears a strong resemblance to the smokable form of cannabis, hemp is almost completely lacking in THC, the ingredient that bestows marijuana’s much sought-after ‘high.' Hemp’s incredibly strong internal fibers have been used in making everything from rope and paper to durable clothing and eco-friendly housing. In 11 engaging, myth-busting chapters bearing titles such as 'Grow Your Next Home' and 'Patriots Ponder Planting,' Fine makes clear that hemp legalization, assuming it happens, could both boost the American economy and spawn a mini hemp based industrial revolution.”“Hemp Bound is informative, entertaining, and chock full of stories about hemp farmers, wannabe hemp farmers, passionate activists, and savvy business people. It is a fun book to read and hopefully, alongside aggressive legalization at the state level, it will help break down the roadblocks to production that the cotton, vegetable oil, plastics, lumber, and paper corporations constructed and maintained since shortly after the Second World War. Doug Fine is right: this incredible plant could be a boon to large and small farmers and rural communities—one that we have been prohibited from growing in this country for more than fifty years. Hemp’s time has come again.”--Will Allen, organic farmer; author, The War on Bugs“In Hemp Bound, Doug Fine convincingly describes the proven value and amazing potential of the nonpsychoactive variety of the cannabis plant. You can eat it, drink it, read it, tie it, wear it, drive it, live in it, and make money growing it, all while saving the soil and protecting the climate. This is an important story, engagingly told.”--William Martin, senior fellow, drug policy, Rice University’s Baker Institute“If ever anyone needed proof that government meddling in markets is injurious to innovation, Hemp Bound dispels all doubt. With science and humor, Fine paints an alternative and optimistic future—one that makes growing hemp seem as exhilarating and necessary as clean air. Fine’s style and storytelling ability make this one of the most fun books you’ll ever read about the future of farming.”--Joel Salatin, author of Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal“Doug Fine’s engrossing and eye-opening book reveals hemp’s role as a new source of food, energy, and raw materials. This absurd war on one of the world’s most useful plants is about to end, and everyone can declare victory.”--Mark Frauenfelder, founder, Boing Boing“Hemp is our ancestral ally, one that long provided us with food, shelter, clothing, and medicine. Hemp Bound reveals that now is the time to remember this alliance with hemp after years of prohibition, and that although it won’t save us, it can help us. That’s what earth medicine does.”--John Trudell, poet, recording artist, actor, activist, and cofounder of Hempstead Project HEARTKirkus Reviews- "What might come back along with legalized pot? Only one of the strongest, most versatile plants in the world: hemp. In his latest, self-described “comedic investigative journalist” Fine (Too High to Fail: Cannabis and the New Green Economic Revolution, 2012, etc.) focuses on the enormous potential applications for industrialized hemp. As the author ably explains, the plant is the government-designated name for all strains of cannabis that have negligible amounts of THC, meaning it can’t get you high. However, it can be used as a wildly strong fiber; when the U.S. government passed the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, suddenly the U.S. Army found itself lacking in decent ropes. It can also create incongruous benefits, like creating nutritious products based on its oil, and can even be used as a potential energy source. To prove his point, Fine chronicles his trips across North America, visiting and profiling entrepreneurs, advocates, farmers and innovators. In Denver, he took a test drive in a hemp oil–powered Mercedes-Benz; in Winnipeg, Canada, he visited a factory where enthusiasts are crafting composite materials from hemp that could potentially be used in automobiles, airplanes or industrial tools like tractors. The author also makes the point that the United States is the largest market for Canada’s thriving hemp industry, which is regulated smoothly and profitably by its government. Fine is, of course, an accidental activist, too, but it’s hard not to admire his enthusiasm. A short, sweet, logical and funny argument for the potential of one of the world’s most dynamic cash crops.”“The issue is simple: farmers need hemp, the soil needs hemp, forests need hemp, and humanity needs the plant that the good Lord gave us for our own survival—hemp. The benefits are too many to name, but if hemp was a crop that could be monopolized by industrial Ag corporations it would already be legal. Hemp Bound tells us with detail and humor how to get to the environmental Promised Land. Doug has created a blueprint for the America of the future.”--Willie Nelson“I never dreamed industrial hemp had so much promise until I read Doug Fine's Hemp Bound. The book is not only fun to read, but it passes along fascinating insights about a farm crop that produces many food and fiber products and is adapted to areas where corn and soybeans are rarely profitable. As the author points out with gracious good humor, industrial hemp is not medical marijuana, and it should become a major farm crop in America as it has elsewhere.”--Gene Logsdon, author of Gene Everlasting and Holy Shit: Managing Manure to Save Mankind
£11.39
Dey Street Books Miracle Bud: Test How High You Really Are
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£999.99
Random House USA Inc Hipster Animals: A Field Guide
Book Synopsis A field guide to scenesters, trend-hoppers, and other cutting-edge species you’ve like, probably never heard of. They’re pretty obscure. An illustrated pocket guide to the hip characters populating “cool neighborhoods” across America, Hipster Animals helps readers identify these urban wildlife in their natural habitats. Including details on the creatures’ identifying characteristics, diets, mating behavior, and calls, this parody reference guide provides a snarky glimpse into the foreign—yet all too familiar—world of the trendsetters among us.
£12.34
Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale The Illustrated Book of Sayings: Curious
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£13.49
Boom! Studios The Art of Boom! Studios
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£17.09
Dartmouth College Press Prison Area Independence Valley
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£999.99
Chicago Review Press Junk: Digging Through America's Love Affair with
Book SynopsisJunk has become ubiquitous in America today. Who doesn’t have a basement, attic, closet, or storage unit filled with stuff too good to throw away? Or, more accurately, stuff you think is too good to throw away.When journalist and author Alison Stewart was confronted with emptying her late parents’ overloaded basement, a job that dragged on for months, it got her thinking: How did it come to this? Why do smart, successful people hold on to old Christmas bows, chipped knick-knacks, VHS tapes, and books they would likely never reread? She discovered she was not alone.Junk details Stewart’s three-year investigation into America’s stuff, lots and lots and lots of stuff. Stewart rides along with junk removal teams from around the country such as Trash Daddy, Annie Haul, and Junk Vets. She goes backstage to a taping of Antiques Roadshow, and learns what makes for compelling junk-based television with the executive producer of Pawn Stars. And she even investigates the growing problem of space junk—23,000 pieces of manmade debris orbiting the planet at 17,500 mph, threatening both satellites and human space exploration.But it’s not all dire. There are creative solutions to America’s overburdened consumer culture. Stewart visits with Deron Beal, founder of FreeCycle, an online community of people who would rather give away than throw away their no-longer-needed possessions. She spends a day at a Repair CafÉ, where volunteer tinkerers bring new life to broken appliances, toys, and just about anything. Stewart also explores communities of “tiny houses” without attics and basements in which to stash the owners’ trash. Junk is a delightful journey through 250-mile-long yard sales, and packrat dens, both human and rodent, that for most readers will look surprisingly familiar.Trade Review"Finally, a book that explains my lava lamp, boxes of cassette tapes, and three pairs of clogs. Thank you, Alison Stewart! This book is overdue, and I promise not to put it on one of my piles." Hoda Kotb , cohost of the Today Show"To my dear beloved survivors: when you one day clean out my basement, you'll find a copy of Alison Stewart's Junk . Sit down on the pile of New Yorkers , turn on that halogen floor lamp I used in college, crack open a can of Jolt Cola (you'll find about three cases), and read about why all the stuff around you isn't necessarily junkexcept for that stack of VHS tapes. That's just crap." Mo Rocca , correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and host of My Grandmother's Ravioli"Somebody's going to say it, so let me be the first: Junk is a treasure. It's an enlightening look into our modern world featuring space garbage, spam, and chicken-shaped table lamps. Buy it, read it, and store it in the attic." A. J. Jacobs , author of The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically"If you suspect that you are holding onto things that hold you back in your life, you want to read Junk by Alison Stewart. Whether they are the physical items stuck in a drawer or ideas stuck in your head, Junk will make you think about what you keep and why." Cheryl Hunter , Life Coach and author of Lose It: Turn Setbacks into Success"absorbing and enjoyably compelling research on the packrat conundrum in our society." Kirkus Reviews"[A]n engaging narrative." Booklist"Stewart's compelling and readable book is for those who are fascinated by stuff and are in search of something other than decluttering or organization manuals." Library Journal"Lively, well-researched, and wincingly relatable, Junk is a jaunty ride through our national trash habit." Chronogram Magazine
£21.56
Chicago Review Press Hot Sauce Nation: America's Burning Obsession
Book SynopsisHot Sauce Nation is a journey of discovery, delving into history, culture, immigration patterns, and the science of spice and pain. Through the stories of hot sauce makers and lovers, it explores the unique hold the dark prince of condiments has over the American heart. Trade Review"If you've ever wondered how such massive flavors and such paralyzing pain gets decanted into those little bottles, this is the book you've been waiting for. Denver Nicks weaves history, science, culture, and little bit of a lot else into a tidy, fun-to-read bundle. Enjoy this book by the drop or the spoonful." Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in 10 Cocktails"With verve, wit, and plenty of spice, Denver Nicks has captured the true flavor of the American experience. Hot Sauce Nation reads like gumbo on a page." Dane Huckelbridge, author of Bourbon and The United State of Beer"As wonderful a condimental accompaniment to American cuisine as hot sauce itself. It is substantive, detailed, and, best of all, fun to read." Tom Acitelli, author of The Audacity of Hops and American Wine"Nicks has managed to sneak a road novel into a hot sauce history class." The Currency of Cool"A very highly recommended celebration of the most popular condiment on earth and a tribute to the people who make it and the people who love it." She Treads Softly"Calvin Trillin meets Hunter S. Thompson, with some John McPhee thrown in for good measure." Palm Beach Illustrated
£15.15
Chicago Review Press Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult
Book SynopsisPinball’s history is America’s history, from gambling and war-themed machines to the arcade revolution and, ultimately, the decline of the need to leave your house. The strangest thing about pinball is that it persists, and not just as nostalgia. Pinball didn’t just stick around—it grew and continues to evolve with the times. Somehow, in today’s iPhone world, a three-hundred-pound monstrosity of wood and cables has survived to enjoy yet another renaissance. Pinball is more to humor writer Adam Ruben than a fascinating book topic—it’s a lifelong obsession. Ruben played competitive pinball for years, rising as high as the 80th-ranked player in the world. Then he had children. Now, mired in 9,938th place—darn kids—Ruben tries to stage a comeback, visiting pinball museums, gaming conventions, pinball machine designers, and even pinball factories in his attempt to discover what makes the world’s best players, the real wizards, so good. Along the way, Ruben examines the bigger story of pinball's invention, ascent, near defeat, resurgence, near defeat again, and struggle to find its niche in modern society.
£16.16
Chicago Review Press Apocalypse Any Day Now: Deep Underground with
Book SynopsisEveryone always seems to be talking about the end of the world—Y2K, the Mayan apocalypse, blood moon prophecies, nuclear war, killer robots, you name it. In Apocalypse Any Day Now, journalist Tea Krulos travels the country to try to puzzle out America’s obsession with the end of days. Along the way he meets doomsday preppers—people who stockpile supplies and learn survival skills—as well as religious prognosticators and climate scientists. He camps out with the Zombie Squad (who use a zombie apocalypse as a survival metaphor); tours the Survival Condos, a luxurious bunker built in an old Atlas missile silo; and attends Wasteland Weekend, where people party like the world has already ended. Frightening and funny, the ideas Krulos explores range from ridiculously outlandish to alarmingly near and present dangers. Trade Review"A wild journey that makes prepping for doomsday seem like a hell of a good time. Read this book if it's the last thing you do!" -- Joey Green, author of Last-Minute Survival Secrets"This exceptional collection gives you access to an exclusive group of individuals that are normally hidden in plain sight or sealed behind two eight-ton armored steel doors. Apocalypse Any Day Now questions your own survival readiness when the lights go out. Will you be an overly prepared prepper or a short-lived scavenger?" -- John Austin, author of So Now You're a Zombie"This chatty, fast-paced volume will entertain those who enjoy reading about unusual subcultures."-- Publishers Weekly"'Apocalypse Any Day Now' is a fun and funny, but never mocking, dive into the bizarre world of doomsday preppers." -- Pop Mythology
£14.20
