Tag Archives: media

This Week at the Library (10 October)

Posted on October 10, 2012 by smellincoffee

Fall arrived rather suddenly this week, although I imagine the cooler temperatures won’t stay for too long. October 3rd was ‘der Tag der Deutschen Einheit’, or the day of German Unity. As I did with the United States and France … Continue reading →

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No Logo

Posted on September 29, 2012 by smellincoffee

No Logo: the Case Against the Brand Bullies  © 1999, 2009; Naomi Klein 544 pages The political and financial turmoil of the past few years have seen a rising tide of anger targeted against the political power of wealthy corporations. … Continue reading →

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Empire of Illusion

Posted on September 16, 2012 by smellincoffee

Empire of Illusion: the End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle© 2009 Chris Hedges232 pages Do we live in a world where images are more important than reality, where perception has supplanted substance? Chris Hedges thinks so, and in … Continue reading →

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Cinderella Ate My Daughter

Posted on June 10, 2012 by smellincoffee

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture© 2012 Peggy Orenstein260 pages When did every little girl become a princess to be bedecked in pink and fawned over? Such is the question posed by … Continue reading →

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Books in the News

Posted on June 4, 2012 by smellincoffee

Every so often I see news articles which touch on subjects I’ve been reading about; I used to link to them in weekly review posts from time to time, but I may start doing it in this format. For Consuming … Continue reading →

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So Sexy So Soon

Posted on May 30, 2012 by smellincoffee

So Sexy So Soon:  the New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids© 2008 Diane E. Levine, Jean Kilbourne226 pages For me, the filthiest show on television is Toddlers and Tiaras. Perhaps I’m old-fashioned: I’m generally … Continue reading →

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Consuming Kids

Posted on May 29, 2012 by smellincoffee

Consuming Kids: the Hostile Takeover of Childhood© 2004 Susan Linn288 pages To some, children are the joy of our lives; a refreshing source of curiosity, energy, youth, and joy. To others, they are nothing but grist for the mill. In … Continue reading →

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The Shallows

Posted on May 23, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing To Our Brains© 2010 Nicholas Carr276 pages How many tabs do you have open right now? Neil Postman thought we were undoing ourselves with a distracting and busy fusion of information and entertainment … Continue reading →

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Amusing Ourselves to Death

Posted on January 29, 2009 by smellincoffee

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Television© 1985 Neil Postman176 pages, plus index, bibliography, and notes. I read a couple of books by Postman during the summer, and both were mind-broadening. Postman is particularly concerned about … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (15/8)

Posted on August 15, 2008 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Firestarter, Stephen King Hard Call, John McCain Second Foundation, Isaac Asimov Technopoly: the Surrender of Culture to Technology, Neil Postman The Ascent of Science, Brian L. Silver I began this week with Stephen King’s Firestarter, which was … Continue reading →

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