Book Description
Film Policy is the first comprehensive overview of the workings of the international film industry. The contributors examine film cultures and film policy across the world, explaining why Hollywood cinema dominates the global film market, and the effects of the rise of television and video on the international industry. In a series of case studies drawn from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia, the authors explore the relationship between Hollywood cinema product and national film cultures, and trace the development of international and national film policies, looking at issues of financing, regulation, protectionism and censorship. Contributors: Manuel Alvarado, Tino Balio, David Birch, Ron Burnett, Michael Dorland, John Hill, Anne Jackel, Randal Johnson, Jonathan Levy, Steve McIntyre, Michael Meadows, Toby Miller, Albert Moran, Manjunath Pendakur, Krishna Sen, and Carole Sklan.
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In his fourth book, Everything Bad Is Good for You, iconoclastic science writer Steven Johnson (who used himself as a test subject for the latest neurological technology in his last book, Mind Wide Open) takes on one of the most widely held preconceptions of the postmodern world--the belief that video games, television shows, and other forms of popular entertainment are detrimental to Americans' cognitive and moral development. Everything Good builds a case to the contrary that is engaging, thorough, and ultimately convincing.
The heart of Johnson's argument is something called the Sleeper Curve--a universe of popular entertainment that trends, intellectually speaking, ever upward, so that today's pop-culture consumer has to do more "cognitive work"--making snap decisions and coming up with long-term strategies in role-playing video games, for example, or mastering new virtual environments on the Internet-- than ever before. Johnson makes a compelling case that even today's least nutritional TV junk food-the Joe Millionaires and Survivors so commonly derided as evidence of America's cultural decline--is more complex and stimulating, in terms of plot complexity and the amount of external information viewers need to understand them, than the Love Boats and I Love Lucys that preceded it. When it comes to television, even (perhaps especially) crappy television, Johnson argues, "the content is less interesting than the cognitive work the show elicits from your mind."
Johnson's work has been controversial, as befits a writer willing to challenge wisdom so conventional it has ossified into accepted truth. But even the most skeptical readers should be captivated by the intriguing questions Johnson raises, whether or not they choose to accept his answers. --Erica C. Barnett
Book Description
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Mind Wide Open comes a groundbreaking assessment of popular culture as it's never been considered before: through the lens of intelligence.
The $10 billion video gaming industry is now the second-largest segment of the entertainment industry in the United States, outstripping film and far surpassing books. Reality television shows featuring silicone-stuffed CEO wannabes and bug-eating adrenaline junkies dominate the ratings. But prominent social and cultural critic Steven Johnson argues that our popular culture has never been smarter.
Drawing from fields as diverse as neuroscience, economics, and literary theory, Johnson argues that the junk culture we're so eager to dismiss is in fact making us more intelligent. A video game will never be a book, Johnson acknowledges, nor should it aspire to be-and, in fact, video games, from Tetris to The Sims to Grand Theft Auto, have been shown to raise IQ scores and develop cognitive abilities that can't be learned from books. Likewise, successful television, when examined closely and taken seriously, reveals surprising narrative sophistication and intellectual demands.
Startling, provocative, and endlessly engaging, Everything Bad Is Good for You is a hopeful and spirited account of contemporary culture. Elegantly and convincingly, Johnson demonstrates that our culture is not declining but changing-in exciting and stimulating ways we'd do well to understand. You will never regard the glow of the video game or television screen the same way again.
Customer Reviews:
Nice Book.......2007-09-22
It was a pretty good book, but I feel the author missed a number of opportunities to argue important points. While I share the opinion of the author, I don't think the book was particularly convincing.
This is good for you too.......2007-09-22
The writer's style feels like a a conversation, where he tells about his ideas and some supportive research made by other persons. The lack of references in the text is compensated by a last chapter with comments about hte origin of the data he used to support his claims.
This informal text is what makes the book an easy and enjoyable reading. However, as a scientific result, the book is not completely sound, since his conclusions are based only on what he think is happening and the supportive that is not necessarily correlated with his findings.
Parents, researchers and educators will find the book provocative. Actually, it defends that beyond content, form is also important, and maybe more important when we are talking about the new media (basically TV and games).
As a general reader, it is a very good book. As a position book, it really makes the author's point of view. However, scientific oriented readers will feel something is missing.
Great Suggestions, Lack of Evidence makes this a teaser.......2007-09-05
I felt that this book kept dangling a carrot out in front of me, providing a soft supposition without the follow-up of hard evidence in most cases. I was intrigued enough to jot down some of the primary sources to investigate further, But i feel that a book of this sort should really advance the subject. However, the author admits in the text that his intention was to spark the interest of those willing and able to do research in the field.
The suggestions that the author makes are certainly concieveable, and worth your time to read. Howver, i believe that the author may lend too much credit to the problem-solving nature of a handful of strategy games and complex drama/competition reality shows, without acknowledging the out and out mindless imitations and competitors of most examples. for every Episode of the apprentice, there is an equally mind numbing "fear Factor" produced.
The author successfully pulls us away from the counter argument of morality's downward Spiral, but again, focuses on a few high minded video games and televison shows.
I was suprised that there was not more focus on the internet, and how society is not only technically inclined, but more social than ever. we are certainly sharing more and reading more information on computers than ever before. but it seems that the author skims this subject in favor of television ands video games, where he clearly has more information.
good read, but you will be left wanting more information than what is provided.
very good read as long as you understand what his point is and isn't.......2007-08-05
As one reads some of the other reviews, I've noticed a tendancy to say "but the author doesn't say this or that" and I think they are missing the point. There is a generally accepted rule that video games and tv are mindless. That they have gotten "worse", that they corrupt moral values and are "bad" for you. His position is that these arguments are false.
He makes the cases (quite convincingly) that the complexity of tv and video games nowdays vs 20 or 30 years ago helps children to think in complex ways that children of the 60's and 70's did not. He thinks this is beneficial. He is not saying that playing them all day every day is better, in fact he says that children should be given a love for reading because reading books is important.
I think where people go awry is when they talk about the other stuff he didn't mention. How society itself may be more complex, how spending that much time in front of a tv screen or computer screen takes time away from other things. That may all well be true, but that's irelevant to the issue at hand. There is a generally acepted negative view of tv and video games and he makes a counter argument. Period. I notice that most of the negative reviews do not dispute anything he says.
Science without Morality.......2007-08-02
Just because you think more or concentrate on more negative aspect than in the past doesn't make you a better person, only a little smarter. Intelligence is not the end all and be all of being human. Basically the author proclaims that today's media makes us more like computers. Yesterday's scientists understood there are far more aspects to human existence than the ability to calculate. I completely agree that today's tv makes you think more. But that's where the author ends his point. In reality, there are so many more parts to human existence that the author doesn't even touch upon... perhaps he doesn't even know. What about morality? In the past, men of science understood that their work had moral and ethical implications. Today it's a "that's for them to figure out, i'm just doing my job". This attitude has permeated other fields, especially MEDIA. Now it's a matter of the bottom line, regarless of how it affects the psyche. So watching the worst humans act their worst today is better than 30 years ago? Cluttering your mind with thoughts of selfishness and depravity today is better than watching Lucy try to get on Ricky's show yesterday? But the author doesnt even CONSIDER this point. He simply stops at "we think more now", not "We think more now so we are better or worse people", simply "we think more now". There is very little point to this book.
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This digital document is an article from New Criterion, published by Foundation for Cultural Review on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1081 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Dumb & dumber.(Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter)(Book Review)
Author: Mark Bauerlein
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New Criterion (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: Foundation for Cultural Review
Volume: 23
Issue: 10
Page: 91(2)
Article Type: Book Review
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The joy of gaming: how to get smart without really trying.(Book review) : An article from: Education Next
Nathan Glazer
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This digital document is an article from Education Next, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2006. The length of the article is 1585 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The joy of gaming: how to get smart without really trying.(Book review)
Author: Nathan Glazer
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Education Next (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 6
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- Inept Readers Perhaps...
- Should have been a quartet...
- Only one reason to read this series
- A worse waste of time has yet to be written
- Okay conclusion to interesting series
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The Chaos Curse (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 5)
R. A. Salvatore
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
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The Fallen Fortress (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 4)
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Night Masks (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 3)
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In Sylvan Shadows (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 2)
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Canticle (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 1)
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The Two Swords (The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Book 3)
ASIN: 0786916087
Release Date: 2000-07-01 |
Book Description
The quest is over. The hero returns home.
A weary Cadderly makes his way back to the Edificant Library, where he can begin to rebuild his shattered life. But the Chaos Curse has one last surprise for him.
If he fails to meet the challenge, his beloved Danica will be lost to him forever.
Customer Reviews:
Inept Readers Perhaps..........2006-07-13
So many bad reviews, I think the problem lies not with the book, but with the readers. This book is what it is, a closing to a 5 book series. The reader should know better then to jump into the story at book 5 and expect indepth character development and the logical development of a villain. This book is meant to end the story of Cadderly not begin a new one.
The Clerical Quintet is a series that overall bears a 5 star rating and is one of the best fantasy reads you can find. This book lacks in areas and is not as enthralling as the first 4 but it closes the story well regardless of whether people liked the ending or not. If you continue to read the Drizzt's series books that procede this book on the Forgotten Realms timeline you will run into Cadderly once again and find more information about what happened to him that might change your perspective on the story teller.
Salvatore is a master at painting a picture in everything he writes. If you purchase this book, purchase the entire Quintet and be prepared to be whisked away and immersed into the world of the Forgotten Realms by one of the best fantasy writers of our time...
Should have been a quartet..........2006-03-10
Seriously, with this as the final volume, I think the Cleric Quintet would have been better as the Cleric Quartet. If you've read the rest of the series (which is excellent) you'll want to read this one just to know how it all wraps up. The series deserved a better ending though, one that wasn't so painful to read.
Only one reason to read this series.......2003-10-07
The Bouldershoulder Brothers. They are the funniest characters in the forgotten realms. Everything else in the series is blah.
A worse waste of time has yet to be written.......2003-08-17
I generally love the work of Salvatore, however this book was a disappointment. Instead of the usual "couldn't put it down", this one I "couldn't bear to pick it up". I have a rule that I always read a book cover to cover once started, incase it had a slow start with a fantastic ending or profound message. This book had
- no character developement
- non-logical villian developement
- a let down ending
and the writing style was atypical of Salvatore. His usual in depth descriptions were just glossed over intimations of what he meant.
I'll freely admit that I'm not a huge fan of the dwarven characters in his novel. They are slap stick comedy relief and make a mockery of dwarven values and characteristics. The concept of a dwarven druid is great, but he is basically portrayed as a mentally challenged dwarven druid.
Take my word on this one. This book was terrible.
Okay conclusion to interesting series.......2002-08-12
... there are some interesting elements here. As hinted at in some of the previous novels of the series, Cadderly has something a reformer attitude. He believes his order has strayed away from its tenets and that it is too consumed with ritual and dusty tomes rather than helping people etc... Cadderly's religious order is headed up by Dean Thobiscus who, in Cadderly's view, personifies the ritualistic and power politics that have corrupted the order. This conflict had potential to be developed more, but this did not happen.
There was one improvement over the previous book in the series. Cadderly finally faces a foe that he finds difficult to combat. Obviously, I don't want to reveal who this last villain is but it was reasonably done. There is also some genuine risk involved here as Cadderly's lover, Danica, is captured. Where is the setting for this confrontation? The Edificant Library which has been overcome by the forces of darkness. Also, he faces an important choice near the end; to follow the calling of his God completely or continue his relationship with Danica.
...
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Chaos Curse
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast, UK
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Binding: Paperback
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Book Description
"How do we help make black America better? Jesse Brown reminds us that we gain financial success and security when we pay ourselves first."-Tavis Smiley, author of How to Make Black America Better: Leading Black Americans Speak Out
"Jesse Brown's commonsense approach is a surefire way to watch your money grow."-Myra J., The Tom Joyner Morning Show
Achieve your financial freedom with step-by-step instructions from award-winning investment manager Jesse B. Brown. Discover the easy-to-follow, down-to-earth secret to living your dreams, whether it's buying a new home, buying a new car, sending your children to college, retiring rich, or going on that once-in-a-lifetime vacation.
Pay Yourself First is a must-have reference guide for all African Americans who want to experience their own financial security. If you make less than $30,000 a year-or if you are simply a first-time investor-here is your financial "411" on:
- How to get out of debt and stay out of debt permanently
- How to avoid the most common mistakes people make with their money
- How to put time and money to work for you instead of against you
- Everything you need to know about today's best investment options, including IRAs, insurance, stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
Jesse Brown has already shown thousands and thousands of African Americans how to successfully manage their money-and make even more while they're doing it. Now you can begin your own journey to wealth. From free money for family emergencies to the fundamentals of saving and investing, Jesse Brown will give you the help you need to secure the things you want and be a winner.
Customer Reviews:
Truly a Financial Literacy Enhancer! .......2007-03-04
Whether your trying to save a little extra for your pockets, for a house, or your kids college funds, this book is helpful with getting you on the right track.
A Good Reinforcement of the Financial Basics.......2006-07-17
This book does a very good job of divulging some very disturbing financial trends that, while on the one hand are not limited to African Americans, on the other hand they tend to disproportionately affect African Americans. The target demographic of this book appears to focus in particular on African American women, primarily the single female with one or more dependents. The book is written to a lesser extent with other demographic sub-groups in mind. That said, the book is nonetheless a very useful introduction to the subject of money matters, which sadly is a topic in dire need of discussion within the African American community.
The book contains a number of good points, the best of which are the following: knowing where your money goes and having a goal, using time to your advantage (as opposed to letting others use time against you, like most of us do), developing an emergency fund before you begin saving and investing (which too few of us do, even if we do save and invest), emphasizing the importance of credit, credit ratings and the wise use of credit, paying cash for most of your purchases, presenting the perils of being dependent on a person or institution for some or all of your livelihood, unlearning bad money habits and learning good money habits, and reminding the reader that not taking control of one's destiny has dire consequences.
To be honest, the book also has a number of key demerits. First, the author's financial compounding examples do not factor in mutual fund expenses and taxes. Second, contrary to what the author believes, buying a house is not always the wisest investment, even though (and this is generally speaking) houses usually appreciate in value (he also neglected to discuss the hidden expenses associated with a house). Third, for someone who spent a lot of time railing against excessive credit card use and advocating for the use of cash to pay for purchases, it seems odd to me that he never once discussed the use of debit cards and other pre-paid cards. Fourth, his information on contribution limits to tax shelters like the IRA and 401k are woefully out of date, but then, given that the book was last printed in 2001, the author may be forgiven for this (and perhaps should pen a revised edition). Fifth, the author contends that liquidity is both expensive and disruptive to the best plans- this is typical business school financial non-sense (ask Mr. Warren Edward Buffett about how he feels about having 45 billion dollars of liquidity) as it panders to the erroneous notion that one should have all his or her capital put to work earning some specified return. Most of us keep our funds in cash because for one, given the daily insults we suffer, we may not know what is coming at us next, and second, many of us are still woefully ignorant of ways to put our hard earned money to work. As such, someone truly concerned about African American financial health would not utter such silly remarks. Finally, Brown is wrong when he says that insurance coverage is an investment strategy; insurance coverage is a cost.
Still, potential readers must keep in mind that this book is intended to impart some basic financial knowledge to those who either have little or no financial know-how, or are guided by some crippling financial misconceptions (or more typically, both). The more financially savvy among us might get angry at his treatment of some topics, given what we know, but would have to agree wholeheartedly with his coverage of some very disturbing financial trends.
In sum, I have to give Brown five stars for having the courage and foresight to tackle this looming crisis, if not outright disaster. By now, most of us know not to depend on getting that long ago promised forty acres and a mule, and now our attention must turn to thwarting the attempt to reinstitute feudalism (or is it slavery ?!?) of a financial sort upon the masses. I intend to purchase a few more copies of this book and give them to some people I know who are in dire need of its information. We've gone through too much and come too far as a people to even consider a wholehearted return to servitude- no, slavitude, and God as my witness, I WILL NOT GO BACK!
Book Purchase.......2005-10-17
The process was smooth, I received the book fast and it is great reading. Very informational and helpful. Thank you.
Great Advice, but no follow through.......2005-10-06
When I got this book, I couldn't put it down. After reading it, I was anxious to get started on setting my goals as Mr Brown described in chapter 16, but I hit a roadblock. Mr. Brown gives an example of the goal planner, but he didn't show how the math works to get the amount one should save each month. Mr. Brown even states,
"The following goal-setting forms will serve as a map in guiding you toward your desired financial goals. They are here to assist you in your planning. Feel free to use the formula over and over again for your actual desires."
One frustrating problem, Mr. Brown gives NO FORMULAS.
I followed up by going to Mr. Brown's company website and sending an e-mail explaining my frustration, I got a reply telling me to visit the website and click on "need a financial plan." This requires me to enter in my credit card information and be charged $25 for Mr. Brown to preform the calculations for me (the same calculations that should be outlined in Chapter 16). In addition, I get a free copy of a book that I just bought. WHAT?!
I bought this book expecting to be given the tools to be independent when setting up my goals. Or at least to understand how calculations are made before I seek out professional help. But Mr Brown only brought me halfway when he suggests ways to set up goals and then in turn doesn't fully explain them.
Simply Excellent!.......2005-02-19
This book is great! Its not for African-Americans, its for everyone especially African-Americans. As a young African-American professional, I can relate to every chapter in this book. After reading the first chapter, I could not put it down.
Jesse, you are the man! Thank You!
Books:
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- Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner
- Get Published! Get Produced!: Tips on How to Sell Your Writing from America's No 1 Literary Agent
- Haunted Idol: The Story of the Real Cary Grant
- Hilary Duff: Total Hilary, Metamorphosis, Lizzie McGuire and More!
- Hollywood Auteur: Francis Coppola
- Hollywood Classics 2: B Movies, Bad Movies, Good Movies
- How to gamble at the casinos without getting plucked like a chicken
- "I Sing for I Cannot Be Silent": The Feminization of American Hymnody, 1870-1920 (Pittsburgh Series in Composition, Literacy and Culture)
- In Front of the Children: Screen Entertainment and Young Audiences
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