Social Studies Books

This book may be a little out dated here and there (thats why only 4 star) but it still serves the purpose nonetheless. I studied abroad in Germany for 6 months and this gave me an amazing insight into the culture of Germany. Put it on as your #1 on your reading list while in Germany or before going. It will help you cope very well. My other study abroad friends also found it very insightful.

It is also a nice quick well thought out book.

The author achieved his purpose of providing an objective and unbiased account of the cultural differences between Germans and Americans. This is a definite must read, and a real page-turner. The only critique point I have concerns a couple of paragraphs on the European Union. The majority of the German people did not want the EU, period. They were not allowed to vote on it like France, for example. Germans still would much prefer their German Mark over the Euro. In fact, there are still vast sums of German Marks still in circulation. Many Germans are keeping them as they are not convinced the EU will hold together.

As an American living in Germany, I've become accustomed to asking "why?", this book has given me many of the answers. Now I understand the German social market economy, German communication styles, the importance of formality and work/non-work divisions, the importance that Germans give to "doing something right the first time", etc.

I couldn't stop reading this book. It is done in an academic style much like a college text but I was still captivated over the detailed explanations of the cultural and behavioral differences. Keep an open mind when reading how others might perceive American culture. Enjoyable and informative!

The book overall is quite good. Also, as a German, I can speak to its incredible accuracy in terms of our custums/traditions and how they differ from those in America. I enjoyed chapter 4 the most and as I was reading it only for enjoyment purposes did not really benefit from the discussion of the differing business practices. However, if you are an American unfamiliar with us and will be doing business in Germany or with Germans it is a definite must read. It is well worth the price of the book.

This is an honest and sincere memoir of one heterosexual woman's spiritual growth through her experience in knowing these early victims of this devastating illness. Ms. Brooker has the gift of intimately telling her story as if she were sitting directly across from you. I, too, witnessed the loss of some remarkable souls to this illness and I always recommend this work to others whether they have been affected or not. Good read.

this book is NOT about AIDS, it's about humanity. I was very
interested in the story of the heterosexual San Francisco reporter who found herself in the middle of the early eighties holocaust. This book reads like a novel and a social history. A book worth reading.

"God Doesnt Make Trash" is a masterpiece. It isn't just about AIDS, it's about humanity, about a heterosexual woman who finds herself in the middle of the AIDS holocaust and records the truth. I think I'd like to see this book in a film. It's like Philadelophia Story with a fresh approach.

Bill Bowker-SF

The skill with which Ms. Brooker weaves together the stories of the AIDS patients she is following with the growth of her own awarenesses and her own personal story is remarkable, and what makes this such a compelling read.

I have never read a first chapter of a book that so moved me as this one did, about the author's friend who was the first person she knew who died of AIDS. After reading it I felt I knew this man, and I truly mourned his death, even though I never met him and he died over 15 years ago. That's how powerful a writer the author is. With every chapter, she uses the words of the person she is interviewing along with her own thoughts and feelings to tell their story. She writes with love and the artistry of a poet. This is a wonderful, moving, beautifully written book. I only wish this will be read beyond the gay/AIDS community. I only wish everyone in America would read this book, to see the suffering that ignorance and fear has created in far too many lives.

"For anyone seriously interested in Haiti, it is an indispensable work. it belongs not only in one's school/college/university library, but in one's personal collection as well." -French Review

This book truly is the very best introduction to Haiti I can possibly think of. If you want to learn about Haiti, start here. Each entry is short, carefully chosen, and typicaly riveting. SIX STARS on this work, and my thanks to Arthur and Dash.

This book truly is the very best introduction to Haïti I can possibly think of. If you want to learn about Haïti, start here. Each entry is short, carefully chosen, and typically riveting. SIX STARS on this work, and my thanks to Arthur and Dash for putting it together.

Reviewed by Brian Concannon Jr., Bureau des Avocats Internationaux, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Libète is a wide-ranging and compelling anthology of writing on Haiti. As the title suggests, the Haitian people's struggle for freedom from oppression is the focus, but the editors manage to weave a lot more than history and politics into the work. The selections are interesting and concise, and well organized into chapters with equally concise introductions. Libète is invaluable as an introduction to Haiti, but also will fill in knowledge gaps for most Haiti veterans, and is a handy reference on the bookshelf.

The book's breadth is striking: 187 selections, mostly excerpts, are grouped into ten chapters, including history, politics, rural and urban life, refugees, culture and literature. The selections are well chosen, and represent much of the best that has been written about Haiti. Selections date from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 20th; their authors hail from Haiti, Europe, North America and the Caribbean. The selections include primary and secondary non-fiction, as well as novels, poetry and photographs. The writers were (and are) participants, chroniclers, anthropologists, scholars and artists.

Libète's brevity is equally impressive: all that is crammed into 352 pages. Each selection can be read in a few spare minutes, each chapter in an hour or two (I first read it over a month of breakfasts). The price of this breadth and brevity is depth: although the editing is skillful, no skill can distill a book adequately into a page or two, especially a great one, nor adequately treat a complex subject in two-dozen pages. In this sense, Libète is not an end in itself, but a starting point. The reader should keep this limitation in mind, and use the book as inspiration and guide to further reading.

Each chapter begins with a short introduction by the editors, which places the selections in context and fills in some of the gaps between them. Libète ends with a comprehensive index and citations for all included material. It does not, unfortunately, contain a bibliography discussing the useful material that did not make the final cut.

Although the various authors represent a diversity of perspectives, Libète is assembled consciously from an activist point of view. The principal editor is the coordinator of the London-based Haiti Support Group, and a long-time supporter of Haiti's democratic transition. The book reflects an activist's adoption of Haiti's poor majority as the starting point for analysis, as well as an emphasis on the adverse impacts of a host of "isms" - colonialism, imperialism, racism and capitalism - on Haitians' struggle for freedom, especially freedom from poverty.

About half of Libète chronicles the series of oppressions that have kept Haiti's majority vulnerable to exploitation. They include outsiders, from Columbus' explorers to the French slave-holders, the occupying U.S. Marines, and the current enforcers of neo-liberal economic policy. They also include home-grown oppression - brutal political and military potentates, and the economic elites they served. The book shows how the poor in Haiti were kept in their place with force, including slavery, war and civilian massacres, but also with law, politics, diplomacy, land tenure, social structures, the economy and the education system.

Libète does not, however, treat Haiti and Haitians as mere objects of these large forces. Its other half chronicles the courage, creativity, resourcefulness and persistence of Haitians as they wage their perpetual uphill battle for freedom. This resistance uses brute force when it has to, but also art, literature, song, politics, social organization, work and even botany where it can. Although it often seems to be losing the war, Libète points out the many areas where the struggle has carved out space for freedom to express, to create, to vote and to live. The book highlights Haitians' agency by featuring Haitian voices, in works of fiction, newspaper articles, interviews and essays, many of them for the first time in English.

Libète does not speak directly to some of the current debates raging about Haiti, but that may be one of its strengths. By focusing on the issues that are important over the long-term, it provides an example of looking past the petty internecine battles that have plagued Haitians' struggle for freedom, to the more vital long-term work to be done. The long view also extends the book's shelf life: by not depending on today's events, the selections, and the editors' analyses ensure their relevance for a long time to come (sadly, until "Libète" is achieved).

Libète is an excellent introduction to Haiti, possibly the best in English. A student, visitor or solidarity activist who had read nothing else on Haiti would have a pretty good idea of what was going on in a variety of fields. It is equally useful for veterans: it points out the gaps that we all have in our knowledge, and shows where we can go to fill these gaps. It is also a good reference for the specialist's shelf, for quick access to subjects outside one's expertise.

"Libete" is a comprehensive and concise anthology of writings on a wide spectrum of topics, including the history, religion, art, and politics of the country. It is a good introduction for those new to Haiti, and shows those wanting to deepen their understanding where to look.

Should be required reading in our schools. Mr. Ford has written an enlightening book that answers the many questions pondered by americans of African origin. So many things explained prompted me to write "The Aha!" in the margin. Superb work. Thank you.

This is an excellent book. I'd give it 100 stars if I could. Like another reader wrote, I wish I had found this book sooner. Every African and African-American should read this book. Thank you so much, Mr. Ford. I'll keep my review simple because I could go on forever. This book puts African myths in their rightful place: as legitimate, awesome, powerful stories that explain the human condition and our connection to the creator. All myths sprang from the African ones and Ford does a masterful job in explaining why myths are important to our lives today.

I've read this book twice and will probably read it once more, because I learn something new with every reading. This is such an essential book for understanding not only the importance of myth, but Africa's far-reaching contribution. Ford's book traces the genesis of myth and belief systems and shows an evolution that not only surfaces in other cultures, but even in the bible. A masterful documentary that takes us all on a hero's and heroine's journey

Increasingly, happily (albeit painfully)the new question for modern man and woman is "Am I my black brother's (sister's) keeper?" Conversely, "Am I my white brother's (sister's) keeper?" The answer is a resounding "Yes!". This book is a tremendous contribution toward the fulfillment of that Dream, toward a universal Philadelphia (phila = love; delphia = brother): the City of Brotherly Love, genuine agape, Unconditional Agape.

Clyde W. Ford helps us to connect to African mythology on so many levels. It is encouraging and illuminating to finally see African mythology treated in the manner that it deserves: as vital as those of any other culture. He demonstrates the importance of myth for centering our lives and providing focus for living. His discussion of the meaning and role of myth in the preface is worth the price of the book alone.

Joseph speaks out for a lot of the military. It amazes me that we let all the expulsions go on. Every year our military is depleted from these expulsions. No one has proven that homosexuality divides cohesion in a military unit. Another example is Tracy Thorne.

Joseph Steffan gives us an interesting account of the military in general and the US Naval Academy in particular in the late 80s and early 90s. Mr. Steffan was selected for entry in the academy and flourished, reaching high leadership positions and gaining numerous honors. The first half or so reads much like the standard military academy novel. But something happens along the way. The author discovers he is a homosexual. Understanding his sexual orientation would end his career he tries to keep this quiet, telling only a handful of friends. Unfortunately, one of these friends outs him to authorities. At this point Steffan shines and the Academy tarnishes itself by being completely inflexible. As the investigation reaches its climax, a senior naval officer at the academy asks Mr. Steffan if he is gay mere weeks before he is to graduate. Feeling bound by the Academy's Honor Code, he tells the truth. Before you can say "youre out", Mr. Steffan is......well....out!

Steffan's treatment by the Academy leadership is truly sad. Here's a guy at the top of his class who honestly tells the powers that be he's unqualified to serve in the military. Instead of letting him leave with some dignity, the senior leadership changes his vital leadership grade from A to F, strips him of all midshipman rank and throws him into the street. Given his accomplishments and the fact he was weeks from completing coursework, he should have been allowed to graduate. I know service academies do allow students to graduate when they have become unfit to serve close to graduation time. They should have made an exception for this fine gentlemen.

Thats not to say I think he makes the case he should have been commissioned. I do not. His arguments for this fall flat. His main argument is that hes constrained by the same outmoded rules that used to keep out blacks and women. He doesnt tell the reader that these groups were integrated into the military after there was a need and society was ready. In the late 20th Century, there was no shortage of available servicemen that would have warranted allowing openly gay soldiers to serve with people not ready for them. Steffan accidentally reveals the problem with letting him serve when he notes in a post discharge visit to the Academy, many people treated him differently. Its likely this attitude would have caused him and the military terrible problems had he entered Naval service. Many of his other arguments to lift the gay ban also collapse under scrutiny. In particular, he couches these arguments in a way that he believes there is a right to serve in the military. There is no such thing. Go look in the Constitution for this right. It doesnt exist.

This is not to say open homosexuals shouldnt be allowed to ever serve. Some of the old arguments (security risk in particular)dont seem to be valid anymore. I also think its likely attitudes of those now serving may have changed enough to allow the Joe Steffans to serve. But I can say this much. I was in the military at the time Mr. Steffan was at the Academy. Those I served with would have major issues if forced to be in the same unit with this guy!

Another thing Id like to say in Steffan's favor that really doesnt fit above. While at the Academy, he tells us he became aware of other homosexual midshipmen. From reading the text I got the feeling some of Steffan's friends in the gay advocacy community pressured him to name names. He intentionally does not do this, noting this would likely ruin their lives. Kudos to Joseph Steffan for being a classy guy!

Perhaps its time to lift the gay service ban now. It definitely wasnt then!

I read this book (just finished) and wanted to review it while its fresh on my mind. I thought the book was very enlightning, to say the least and I really felt for joe steffan, they don't make guys like this anymore. Where he could very well have just kept his mouth shut, he chose to stand up for himself, I wish I had more of his courage and perseverance. Thanks to men and women like himself, this issue will keep being chipped away at and this book is a testament that good, honest people come in all types; straight, gay, black, white, short, tall and they need to be judged by their merits and work ethics whatever the job deems, thats what counts.

This book was, in short, incredible. I can't believe it's no longer in print. Steffan offers a very frank view of the Navy as seen by one who excels through it's ranks. I've often asked my grandfather (who was also in the Navy) to tell me what it was like. Most persons are very vague about the experiences of boot camp, etc. Steffan clears up the mystery with a very matter-of-fact tone. When the political issues that prevent his graduation come up in the story, I was right there with him, and livid that such injustices happen within the very institution we rely upon to maintain the freedoms offered to us within the US. One of the best aspects of this book is the clear, simple way in which he writes. Steffan is obviously not a slick story-teller and this makes his story ever the more believable and relevant to myself and my political views. This book addresses the very real nightmare of discrimination that is alive and well in our society, and negates our want to be complacent about the system and its injustices. If you can get ahold of this book, read it!

"Honor Bound: A Gay American Fights for the Right to Serve His Country," by Joseph Steffan, is the autobiography of a man who became one of the top midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, was discharged for homosexuality, and then fought the discharge in court. The book starts with Steffan's boyhood in rural Minnesota. The author covers a number of topics as his story unfolds: the trials of "Plebe (i.e. freshman) Year," his rise up the ranks to a key leadership position among the midshipmen, his coming to grips with his own sexual orientation, the harrowing discharge process, and his legal fight.

Steffan creates a vivid portrait of life at the Naval Academy, a truly remarkable institution. He looks at the traditions and language of the Academy, as well as at the process by which the Academy molds leaders. Another important theme of the book is Steffan's overcoming of his own internalized homophobia; he goes through a process of reeducating himself on the topic of homosexuality. The book also touches on events that were relevant to Steffan's situation: the "outing" of a high ranking Pentagon official, as well as the start of the Gulf War.

This is a well-written and very interesting memoir. Steffan's authorial voice is down-to-earth and reasonable. There are some really memorable sections to the book, such as his account of a submarine training cruise. A critical theme of the book is, as the title indicates, personal honor. Steffan pays tribute to some of the other military personnel who have challenged the U. S. military's policy of excluding gay people: Leonard Matlovich, Perry Watkins, Margarethe Cammermeyer, and others. "Honor Bound" is both a fine military memoir and an important "coming out" story. As companion texts I recommend James Webb's "A Sense of Honor" (a powerful novel, set during the Vietnam War, about midshipman at the Naval Academy) and Margarethe Cammermeyer's "Serving in Silence" (another memoir of a gay person who challenged the military).

Jonathan Raban is truly a gifted writer, and he articulates in beautiful and apt prose his keen grasp and feel for the subject matter here to his readers.

Raban's four books written to date on America-Old Glory, Hunting Mr Heartbreak, Badlands and Passage to Juneau-are all elegant and entertaining meditations on America and what it is to be American. Although each book is very different, they all feature the same blend of candid autobiography, careful historical exegesis, vivid description, and wry humour. Each one is a rewarding work, but Hunting Mr Heartbreak is in my view his masterpiece. Each chapter of the book is a self-contained episode in a personal odyssey, which takes as its starting point the voyage made by the immigrants who flocked to the New World from Europe. The book was written over ten years ago and a few parts of it have inevitably lost a little of their resonance, but his exploration of the historical currents underlying American life and of the concept(s) of Americanness itself remains as relevant and perceptive as ever. Raban's skillful interweaving of allegory and analysis, cleverness and comedy, wonder and unease has resulted in a rich and endlessly fascinating book.

Raban's written better books - Old Glory and Badland, to name two - nonetheless, Mr. Heartbreak is an engaging book that is a delight to read. Seeking the singular experience of becoming American, Raban sets up shop in New York City, Guntersville (Alabama), Seattle, and Key West to investigate the newly emigrated and those whose families emigrated generations ago. His observations of people and places are insightful, intriguing and occasionally quite funny.

He is an accomplished observer, capable of peering beyond the surface to uncover what lies beneath. The book's opening, in which Raban describes his sea voyage from Liverpool to New York, is particularly entertaining. So, too, his sojourn in Alabama where he provides gleeful commentary on the irony of a town embracing provincialism whilst stuggling with worldy challenges. I was tempted to award this book 5 stars, but it simply doesn't measure up to other Raban efforts. All the same, it is an excellent selection on anyone's reading list.

Jonathan Raban is, unless I'm missing some unknown genius out there (always a possibility), the best contemporary travel writer out there - hands, anchors, flaps down. I think the main reason for this is that his writing is not MERE travel writing, as such, but is as much introspective as explorative. He allows the places he visits to seep into him and produces narratives that seamlessly mingle inner and outer travel as no other modern writer does. He is also keenly aware - or makes himself keenly aware - of the history of the places he sojourns, such as Guntersville, Alabama, giving his narratives a further layer of texture and depth. Added to all these qualities, he is extremely literate and literary - And yet for all these depths, he is so much fun!

There are not many books which cause me to laugh aloud when reading them; Fielding's Eighteenth Century Classic Tom Jones was the last, if memory serves. But this book did it for me, particularly the one hundred page centrepiece of the book, the chapter "In Our Valley", set in Guntersville, Alabama: His (successful) attempt to "rent" or borrow a dog - the Labrador "Gypsy", his renting a cabin in a neighbourhood called Polecat Alley, imagining himself as a Southern squire if he buys the lakefront property a local real estate dealer is attempting to foist on him etc--Perhaps it's because I myself am a transplanted Englishman living in the South, but these hundred pages were golden to me, and worth as much as the entire book- particularly when Raban notices he's picking up a Southern accent and starting to call himself "Mr. Rayburn" (to be intoned with long-stressed Southern syllables), as the rest of the town has denominated him.

Well, I've gone on enough. Time for me, as Raban puts it, to "flat-mash the gas pedal" and let you readers do the further exploring.

This is an extremely excellent book both full of character and details as it is of a real understanding of the perspectives of the early immigrants. This is a must read book that not only opens up the US as a haven for others but also as a place of great opportunities. It will leave you wanting to read more.

I enjoyed every moment of this nostalgic ride back down memory lane. Dr. Crosby is telling it like it is, without pretense or exaggeration. Well done my sister and keep em coming.

Antoine C.

This is the best biography that I have ever read. Dr. Crosby pens sheer passion and political poetry as she describes her awesome life. This hynpotic book defined, validated, and soothed all of the pain and isolation that I have ever felt as an African-American womanist. It also expertly exposed rabid colorism, sexism, and elitism in Egypt. This book is a masterful gift to womanist word singers and wounded African-American female souls...

[...].

Dr Crosby: Thank you for penning this masterpiece!

Alicia Banks

Dr. Crosby's self-examination of feminism, class divides, and sexual power struggles in "If My Soul Be Lost", was an amazing and raw journey to read. I find it very inspiring for someone to bare all, while keeping the context intact. No melodrama here. For me, it was a chance to think even more critically where I fit, as a feminist, as a gay, white male, and as a professional who is looking for more. Excellent national debut, what a beautiful portrait.

If My Soul Be Lost encapsulated everything that I think, breath, and feel as an educated, young, feminist, black woman. Thank you for writing an inspiring self-portrait that provides a place for me as well. Few contemporary works are able to accurately and poignantly depict the realities that many young black women face as this text has. So intensely profound I read it in one sitting . I cannot say much more but that I loved every letter of it....

A well-written piece, that will/does capture a portrait of many lives. She reminds you over and over again, that she is still becoming a whole person, which is something most forget. Dr. Crosby speaks to every women/man struggling to create themselves from the inside out. This book kept my attention, with humor and a well-captured, well-executed sadness. She uncovers feminist concepts and ideas we all question, but "no one ever says so outloud." I recommend this book to anyone who has ever questioned their journey as a women, but most of all as a women.

Carol Bleser and Lesley Gordon did a wonderful job with this book,delving into the personal lives of several famous civil war figures, along with black and white photographs of the couples.Some of the marriages in the book include the Shermans, Grants, Lee's, Custer's , Stonewall Jacksons, and many others. With so many figures from the civil war this book gives a wonderful overview of some of the more famous marriages and there family life. With so many figures to choose from I think the authors did a suberb job with the couples they featured. This is a book not to be missed.

Carol Bleser and Lesley Gordon did a wonderful job with this book,delving into the personal lives of several famous civil war figures, along with black and white photographs of the couples.Some of the marriages in the book include the Shermans, Grants, Lee's, Custer's , Stonewall Jacksons, and many others. With so many figures from the civil war this book gives a wonderful overview of some of the more famous marriages and there family life. With so many figures to choose from I think the authors did a suberb job with the couples they featured. This is a book not to be missed.

Carol Bleser and Lesley Gordon did a wonderful job with this book,delving into the personal lives of several famous civil war figures, along with black and white photographs of the couples.Some of the marriages in the book include the Shermans, Grants, Lee's, Custer's , Stonewall Jacksons, and many others. With so many figures from the civil war this book gives a wonderful overview of some of the more famous marriages and there family life. With so many figures to choose from I think the authors did a suberb job with the couples they featured. This is a book not to be missed.

This collection of twelve essays explores the personal lives of prominent Civil War military commanders and their wives. The writers paint vivid pictures of how family life and the war were interwoven. The most striking thing to me is the great variation between the relationships of the various commanders and their wives, all within the Victorian societal structure. I think this book makes great reading for everyone, regardless of a person's interest in history.

Carol Bleser and Lesley Gordon did a wonderful job with this book,delving into the personal lives of several famous civil war figures, along with black and white photographs of the couples.Some of the marriages in the book include the Shermans, Grants, Lee's, Custer's , Stonewall Jacksons, and many others. With so many figures from the civil war this book gives a wonderful overview of some of the more famous marriages and there family life. With so many figures to choose from I think the authors did a suberb job with the couples they featured. This is a book not to be missed.

you know, i'm pretty much sick of what the world today has to offer. if i see another Gap or Nordstrom or Slick-Chic sitcom that tries to tell me what i should be, look like, or do (as in "Don't Think For Yourself-Let ABC") i'll choke myself with my own vomit.

Deliberately.

for weeks, i've been nervous about a painting project that's about to come to fruition, i've felt a void begin to eat in my comedy work, i've stopped drinking.

i'm dry.

then, in the mail, i get this gift-this wonderful gift a friend who works in a tie sent me.

"i know you- you'll love this book..." he said to me when it arrived.

and i did.

i'm a Carver fan, an Estep worshipper, a woman who adorrres Bukowski. a faithful commercial-book hater- to Sydney Sheldon i give the finger and the miserable like that dominates the Best Seller list that has to do with that form of smarmy apologia.

it takes alot- fiction or non- to impress me, make me want to write.

Gareth has done that very thing.

in a simply divine, concise use of language, i felt like he was taking me on this heathen-ess tour of areas to infiltrate the media. play with it. no longer try to fight being a consumer puppet-but showed me the way to help sever the strings.

i knew of some but never really put myself in a position, even in my imagination, to really be able to do it myself.

DIY publishing.

zine-dom.

pirate radio.

...Jamming The Media.....

i ripped through this book, read parts over and over again til it sank in if it needed to, began scribbling notes first in the book, then my notebook, then on my drawing board... (yes, i really do have one )

now instead of searching for free pictures of naked people and their friends on the Internet, i am actually up till 2 and 3 in the morning with something constructive.

i'm Jamming The Media...heh-heh-heh...

His book helped show me where to find the plug to HAL.

all i got to do now is pull....

thank you, Gareth.....

In his book, Jamming the Media: A Citizen's Guide Reclaiming the Tools of Communication, Gareth Branwyn writes about an alternative media, a Do It Yourself (DIY) media, where everybody can produce high quality messages from their desktops. He talks about every kind of medium from zines, which are noncommercial amateur publications, to the most modern multimedia technologies. In every chapter, he provides a "starter kit and resources" section to encourage the reader to experiment with the making of zines, music recordings, multimedia CD-ROMs, WebPages, TV, films, videos, radio and other kinds of bizarre media.

The media, as an institution, have changed their role to an interactive, public access space where everybody can participate. With passion and a particular writing style, Branwyn gives the recipe, step by step, of how to design, produce, package, distribute and promote written, audio, visual and even animate messages. Moreover, he opens the reader's mind to create a new kind of message full of feelings and expressions that crosses the barrier of conventional and commercial media. Talking about media pranks and art hacks, Branwyn affirms: "Anything that's out of the ordinary or worthy of a sound bite will find its way into the local and national media (albeit shoved into a little suffocating compartment)" (p. 248).

The author introduces his book giving an explanation on how the development of new technologies has contributed to the creation of powerful personal computers that can now be used as "a full-color publishing house, a broadcast-quality TV studio, a sound recording studio, or an island in the digital oceans of the cyberspace" (p.13). He then talks about zines, as an easy and funny way to get on the bus in this DIY media. Starting with a brief history of the print media, he tells some anecdotes about how "Factsheet Five", the mother of all zines, started as a two-sheets zine, distributed among twenty-five people, and converted into a nation-spread zine that can also be found over the internet. But Gareth Branwyn not only lays in theory. As in every chapter, when talking about zines, he develops "The Zine Hacker's Starter Kit", where he teaches many different ways of how to create a homemade a zine or other types of media with a very low budget. Other interesting sections are "Words of Wisdom", where specialists about each topic give advice on how can you communicate a message in a properly way, and "Resources", a practical guide with books, directories, catalogs and net sites, where the reader can learn more about each subject.

But DIY media applies not only to print or visual media, but also to the audio. "Never Mind the Music Biz" is the chapter where the author discusses DIY tape recording as an accessible way of self-publishing music productions. Musicians can now stop their search for big record companies to finance their projects. Instead, they can not only produce but also distribute their recordings by mail and by on-line sites (Web Pages with downloadable samples). Furthermore, he introduces other kinds of unconventional audio recordings as audio zines, which are compilations of music, rants, poetry, essays and other sounds.

Talking about audiovisual media, the author also has the answers to how to make high-quality multimedia, like CD-ROMs and broadcast media, like TV, video and film. To combine interactive text, sounds, video, animations and images, Branwyn proposes the CD- ROM. "It's like touring an art gallery" (p. 130), he affirms. Thanks to the use of multimedia technologies, an art multimedia publication, can become a fascinating documentary about the authors life, with video or audio interviews, entertaining games, an original soundtrack and even an interactive paint program. In addition, the CD-ROM technology "is moving into hybrid media" (p. 129), where the disc's content can be combined with on-line data. TV, video and film production, is another type of affordable media for the public. There is a big movement of amateur artists who are proud of making great movies with very low-budgets. Branwyn can convince anybody with some interesting ideas to communicate, to become one of those. One more time, he has all the answers to jump into the visual medium.

Finally, "Media Pranks and Art Hacks" is an interesting chapter were for Gareth Branwyn, the art and different ways of communication have no frontiers. As an example, he talks about "mail art", a kind of noncommercial art that consists in sending a letter to many diverse regions, allowing "people from diverse cultures and walks of life to share art, ideas, and information through the postal system"(p. 270).

I consider Jamming the Media a powerful handbook that should be read by anyone both in and out the communications business. Branwyn theory about how today's technology is reshaping traditional media culture is completely right. People can now open their minds in order to change their role from passive receivers, to active communicators. At least it was able to open mine. My next step is to install an old computer in my room in order to have a server where I can have my own Web Pages and distribute my neighbor's music band over the Internet. Moreover, it encourages me to continue producing short documentaries and enriching my experience in the audiovisual field. Furthermore, I particularly enjoy the author's writing style, with a clear use of the language, a particular bizarre vocabulary and a really attractive design.

The media is rightfully ours. The airwaves are actually owned by the American people. (Here in the US) The FCC "lends" them out to companies, organizations and such. The corporate monsters have stolen the airwaves from the general public that gave it to them.

So, it is right that we should be able to use our first amendment rights to use the media to express ourselves.

Pirate radio or microradio, zines, public access television, the Internet, tapes and CD's. It is not about money, it's about expressing viewpoints.

This book shows us how. It's a bit old (1997), but it's still a good reference.

Free DC! (Taxation without representation is against the law!)

This book is the bomb - it is an engaging read, and an indispensable reference. Whenever I have doubt about any of the projects I'm involved in, I open this book and take strength. Clear layout, comprehensive content, and inspiring ideas. A toolkit for media hackers, pranksters, or for anyone who needs to grok our role in media today.

Jamming the Media is packed with concise, useful information. The format of the book is designed to treat media types in a consistent fashion. At the end of each chapter, Branwyn offers starter Kits and Resources. The information is invaluable. An excellent writing style, cool format, and great references make this book a nice addition for anyone with an interest in media.

Topics covered: zines, music, multimedia, broadcasting ("pirate radio"), shortwave listening, media pranks -- this is a funny chapter, and electronic publishing.

The book was nothing like I expected. I expected a traditional treatment of using the media. Instead, this book has helped open whole new avenues of media expression. The book is not a how to manual; it is a how to think manual. Excellent work and a nice surprise.

I've been interested in popular Japanese culture for a long time, so I was pleased to see this new exploration of the interface between Japan and America, . . . though I was somewhat put off by the use of the pejorative word "invaded" in the title. That seems to have been a marketer's contribution, though, because the half-Japanese author, who has become something of a professional explainer of Japanese and Americans to each other, seems not to reach value judgments about the wide popularity of manga and anime in this country, nor about the much more longstanding popularity of everything American in Japan. It's largely a generational thing, though; most Americans over the age of thirty have no idea what Gundam is, nor what "otaku" and "cosplay" mean. And while anime has become increasingly popular in the U.S., it remains deeply Japanese. There's really no such thing as "American anime." Though he comes to no strikingly original conclusions, Kelts does a good job of explaining things to those who are new to the subject.

Mr. Kelts' book about the popularity of Japanese culture in America is first rate. He discusses more than just anime and manga and provides the reader with an easy to understand analysis of Japanese popular culture both in Japan and as it appears in the US. It should be in the collection of any Japanophile.

As an American who is fascinated with Japan, but frustrated with books about the relationship between the two countries, I found Roland Kelts' "Japanamerica" to be a welcome breath of fresh air. Kelts focuses on the growing popularity of manga and anime among Americans, and the "mobius strip" of give and take between the two cultures, but his focus inevitably widens to address the broader mutual fascination between these two worlds. I love the fact that, as an American with a Japanese mother, Kelts avoids the two hazards of Japanophilia and Japanophobia. There is a refreshingly grounded and sensible middle ground in his analysis, a realism that seems to lighten things up and make it all more accessible and welcoming. Perhaps best of all - and this is a miracle in the world of cultural analysis - Kelts is delightfully unpretentious and his prose is as clear and comprehensible as it is filled with fascinating ideas and observations. Never for a moment do we doubt that Kelts knows what he's talking about it - and he brings it all across with infectious enthusiasm.

For those who have been to Japan or have an interest in anything Japan, I highly recommend this book. The author does a wonderful job explaining Japanese pop culture and how it relates to Japanese society and culture. IT was a very easy, entertaining, and insightful read.

I read this book after a Village Voice critic called it "a Wired Magazine article on steroids," and Ain't It Cool News said that it was "an imperative resource." Then Bookforum called it "an amazing ride," and The Boston Globe raved.
Then: Even Pete Townshend of The Who endorsed it!
I am skeptical of books trying to capitalize on trends, and very skeptical of books on Japan. But the chorus of praise from so many different voices was enough for me.
This book is written in lucid, carefully crafted prose--telling you everything you need to know about transcultural entertainment and the psychological and spiritual traumas embedded in pop culture, and also precisely what makes Japan so sexy to Westerners in the 21st Century. It is also hip and smart, and very accessible. I only wished it were longer.
The author is no geek, but a writer of considerable talent and range. Get Japanamericaa now.