News and Media Books

Catalyst: The Power Of The Media And The Public To Make Change by Madonna King (Senior Columnist with the Courier-Mail and broadcaster with Brisbane's Newstalk) is an in-depth presentation of the effect public opinion and the media has upon government policies, big business, as well as political figures and activists. Providing the reader with an extensive and comprehensive analysis media intervention and influence, Catalyst draws from interviews with over 130 people, including state premiers, attorney generals, Supreme Court judges, journalists, academics, social workers, and even convicted criminals. Catalyst offers a unique and conceptual grasp of politics, criminology, sociology, and the great exposure to media the general public still retains, granting them a decent perspective on their empowered those who govern them in the private and/or public sectors of control.

Author Loren Ghiglione begins his introduction to "CBS's Don Hollenbeck" by saying, "When I started this book thirty-five years ago"...and the conclusion to this lifetime effort is an absorbing, psychobiography of one of the most inspirational journalists of the McCarthy era. A deeply gifted and troubled man, Hollenbeck put a stamp on integrity that would be hard to find today. The times brought out the best of his talents and in a perfect storm, killed him. His legacy has long outlasted his relatively short life but it is all captured wonderfully by Ghiglione.

A native Nebraskan whose mother also committed suicide, Hollenbeck had a hard work ethic, a sense of purpose and a personal life that saw him consumed by three marriages and alcohol. How often it is that personal demons which can engage a person's genius can also have the opposite effect. Hollenbeck, while disciplined in much of his work, could also be rash and irrational in his outbursts, causing his many dismissals and resignations. While the first few chapters of "CBS's Don Hollenbeck" are more traditionally presented, the book really catches fire when Hollenbeck, having bounced around a good deal by the time he was in his early forties, finds a niche in "CBS Views the Press". From that first broadcast it's a rather fast track to his death.

Ghiglione structures the second half so that Jack O'Brian, Hollenbeck's nemesis from the Journal-American and possible igniter of Hollenbeck's suicide, is summed up in a few short biographical chapters. By not giving O'Brian a huge amount of "ink", the author reminds us that O'Brian doesn't need much exposure. He was a bully of the worst sort at a time when public attacks against liberals (and therefore supposed Communists) were seen as necessary patriotic moves by those who supported McCarthy and his tactics.

Hollenbeck held on, perhaps as long as he could, given his increased drinking and continuing assaults by O'Brian. While fellow journalist and friend Edward R. Murrow counseled Hollenbeck to ride out the O'Brian storm, it seems likely that Hollenbeck was already "gone" in a sense. His continuing referrals to suicide, increasing aloofness (although Hollenbeck was always a loner), the dissolution of his third marriage, his inability to keep O'Brian at bay....and, the booze...allowed Hollenbeck to paint himself into a corner from which he could not escape.

Ghiglione helps to balance Hollenbeck by pointing out that others of the time also committed suicide, yet many more who did not, survived and thrived... the point being that Hollenbeck should not be pitied but be understood. After reading this book, I do, indeed, feel that while empathy is certainly due Hollenbeck, his inner self was on a crash course to an early end. One of the most telling quotes (and there are many) is this one offered by his third wife, Anne..."he was a young man in search of a way to die".

As a narrative, the author builds a slow crescendo...the story is never hurried...and Hollenbeck's decency, courage and his reporter's eye for finding the truth is well-established. The sense and temperature of the McCarthy years add color to this terrific biography of a man whose talent and torture intersected with tragic consequences at the height of one of the worst eras in American history.

This book is wonderful. It describes in detail the most important, yet censored stories of the year. I learned more from this than i learn in a years worth of news. The coverups and secrecy scares me, showing vividly how manipulative media, politics and industry really are. Truly a great buy. It is your duty to read this amazing book

Kudos to Atkins & Mintcheva, the co-editors of Censoring Culture for not beginning their discussion with a list of which freedoms we're supposed to give up in order to ensure our safety in the post 9/11 era. In fact, they assert the opposite: that we need to broaden our thinking about the nature of censorship beyond merely the statutory (that is actions of the law), to include the forces--economic and technological, tostart with--that silence voices and inhibit expression, including the internal/psychic workings of self-censorship. (Thus by their definition we should also be looking at what might inhibit the creation of work, when the fears of the writer about the commercial potential of a work stopped him from even writing it.) The framework they've created allows for provocative, even jaw-dropping material, by experts from the fields of law, psychoanalysis, media, new technology, the arts and education--in the last, don't miss Diane Ravich's revelation of what isn't allowed on standardized tests at schools these days. (No wonder we're a nation of the dumbed down, allowing our children to read Huck Finn today with the N word crossed out! ) How bad are things? Read this and weep, but by all means read it. Then go out and run for public office.

A fascinating read about today's internet driven world and the young turks behind the wheel. I thought the book might be a bit too statistical, but it was not at all. Nickles explains the behavior and psychology of the new technology-fluent generation and their far-reaching influences, from traditional corporate environments to culture changing dot coms like wedding planners and on-line magazines. A lot of intellegence gathering research went into the book, but it is presented in an enjoyable, anecdotal fashion.

Anyone who is confused about change and how to deal with change should consider reading this book. It is packed with clear, easy to follow explanations of the cycles a person goes through when experiencing change (such as job loss), and how they can get back on track.

Great read

This is a fun book. The boy in the story notices that changes are taking place in his house. Everyday items are beginning to morph into animals. They do not completely change leaving your child to imagine what, for example, the teapot is going to become.
The boy is wondering what the deal is because his Dad left the house saying big changes were in store. At the end of the book and new baby is brought home. My kids LOVE the sink, teapot, chair, couch all morphing into????

Compiled and edited by Ralph Grizzle, Charles Kuralt's People is an anthology of newspaper columns written in 1956 by Charles Kuralt, who was then a print journalist with the Charlotte News. From a newspaper columnist, Kuralt went on to join the fledgling CBS network and became a household name in American television influenced culture. The timeless treasure that is his collected wisdom and recorded insights remains as fresh, eye-opening, and timely today, as it was nearly fifty years ago. An intellectually stimulating collection of insightful and occasionally poignant commentaries, Charles Kuralt's People is very highly recommended reading for students of the human condition in general, and legions of Charles Kuralt fans in particular.

This story is the story of a little gril named Fern who loves a little pig named Wilbur- and of Wilbur's dear friend Charlotte, a beautiful large grey spider who lives with wilbur in the life of Wilbur. Who is some pig.Atimeless tale of friendsship. i recimmend this book to kids who like animals and like to take care of them.

George's Pond: Created in the Beloved Tradition of Charlotte's Web
West's Time Machine

Being a children's author and teacher, I often enjoy reading Charlotte's Web as a child and now I enjoy reading the book to my son and my students. I think part of the reason this book has remained one of my favorites is because of the classic friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte. Both characters demonstrate an unselfish kind of love that is demonstrated from the time they meet. As a mother I want to teach my children the valuable life lesson of being a good friend and I think this story teaches that lesson in a non-didactic fashion. Charlotte's Web will forever be a classic in my heart.