The Elephant in the Room: Silence and Denial in Everyday Life4 reviews Eviatar Zerubavel Oxford University Press, USA, 2006 The Elephant left the room a little too early. + Great little book I originally heard the author being interviwed on NPR and was intrigued by the topic. Mr. Erubavel aptly laid out the "elephants" that he would discuss. His topics were right on the mark and every reader can identify with one of his examples either through personal or through a family member or ...             Fast Food Nation1410 reviews Eric Schlosser Harper Perennial, 2005 The true world of Fast Food opens before your eyes! + By the Author of Outstanding You + highest approval This book is truly interesting in that it explains a process that many consumers thought that they were already familiar with. This book will explain why: 1) it always seems the person at the register is being "trained". 2) children flock to most fast food joints. 3) the fast food ...             Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream211 reviews Barbara Ehrenreich Metropolitan Books, 2005 If you want to know the truth, read this book . . . + good book Barbara Ehrenreich is right: there really is a crisis going on, a "hidden" crisis if you will, although I'm beginning to think this is more of a case of sheer denial. I can't imagine why any person, knowing the odds, would choose to work in the white-collar "business," i.e. administrative ...             Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time38 reviews Paul Rogat Loeb St. Martin's Griffin, 1999 A must read if you believe in service to others + Every citizen must read Paul is an outstanding voice in our world. Fantastic book helping bring hope to a difficult time for those of us who aspire to service. It is a challenge to keep engaged in service and Paul does provide hope. I also appreciate his newsletter and recommend it to those who appreciate his work. Great ...             An Action a Day Keeps Global Capitalism Away1 review Mike Hudema Between the Lines, 2004 An Amazing Activist Resource I just read a copy of An Action a Day and was absolutely floored. The content is highly engaging, funny at times and extremely useful. As a long time activist I am always looking for new ways to build community and present issues and Hudema's guide does just that. It is insightful, is designed both ...             Strengthening Community: Social Insurance in a Diverse America National Academy of Social Insurance, 2003 This new volume from the National Academy of Social Insurance raises a provocative question that goes to the heart of discussion about social insurance and diversityto what extent must social insurance programs address historical, social, and economic inequities? The contributors explore issues of equity and diversity in social insurance programs in America today. Some argue that differences in ...             The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need68 reviews Juliet B. Schor Harper Paperbacks, 1999 Enlightening + Consumption über alles... + Are You Upscaling? + A quick and interesting perusal of our dire straits             Exception to the Rulers, The: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them80 reviews Amy Goodman, David Goodman Hyperion, 2004 Radio Free America - On CD + War and an Uninformed Public + The Crony connections. + Must reading/ listening re:current events + Is Amy Goodman a liberal who is protecting the Neo-Con? This is a paradox indeed!             Branded: The Buying And Selling Of Teenagers13 reviews Alissa Quart Basic Books, 2004 Brand This! Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers by Alissa Quart is a quick and fascinating read on the current and constructed intersections between young people, the media and popular culture, corporate agencies, and consumer culture. What struck me most about Quart's analysis is how RELEVANT it ...             Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America1081 reviews Barbara Ehrenreich Holt Paperbacks, 2002 Good book. Very interesting + A Small Peek into the world of minimum wage Enjoying the book thus far. Really gives practical information about what it is like to try to live on minimum wage.             The Heart of Social Change: How to Make a Difference in Your World (Nonviolent Communication Guides) Marshall B. Rosenberg Puddledancer Press, 2004 The tenets of Nonviolent Communication are applied to a variety of settings, including the classroom and the home, in these booklets on how to resolve conflict peacefully. Illustrative exercises, sample stories, and role-playing activities offer the opportunity for self-evaluation, discovery, and application. This insightful perspective on effective social change is illustrated with how-to ...             Peacocks, Chameleons, Centaurs: Gay Suburbia and the Grammar of Social Identity (Studies in Communication, ...3 reviews Wayne Brekhus University Of Chicago Press, 2003 Exploring the other Gay America + Excellent Analysis and GREAT writer + Peacocks, Chameleons, Centaurs While there has been a marked increase in the visibility of gay men in popular culture, from music to television to film, the portrayals often focus exclusively on one particular aspect of gay life in America; the urban gay male who openly displays many of the traits of speech, dress and mannerism ...             Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America7 reviews Mitchell Gold, Mindy Drucker Greenleaf Book Group, LLC, 2008 Raising the Curtain on Growing Up Gay + Hearing the Stories, Seeing the Faces: A Review of Crisis + Great book! Make sure your copy is not defective. + Compilation of brief stories about growing up gay in America + Must Read Book             Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than ...73 reviews Jean M. Twenge Free Press, 2006 I am very grateful for the book + Everyone needs to read this book! I was born in 1959 and my son in 1984. The book helped me to see myself as a member of my generation. I was born and spend first 30 years of my life in Russia and would never expect to fit description of American baby boomers. Never-the-less a lot of things are pretty true for me. The book ...             100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37)909 reviews Bernard Goldberg HarperCollins, 2005 100 People Screwing Up America + Political Incorrectness I just LOVED listening to Goldberg's choices ! ? Hearing the author read his own book helps YOU understand his choices. Quite an INTERESTING, "uplifting", extremely INFORMATIVE piece of literature! A MUST READ FOR EVERY LIBERAL !!!             Hollywood's America: Social And Political Themes In Motion Pictures Stephen P Powers, David J Rothman, ... Westview Press, 1996 American motion pictures still dominate the world market with an impact that is difficult to measure. Their role in American culture has been a powerful one since the 1930s and is a hallmark of our culture today. Though much has been written about the film industry, there has been very little systematic attention paid to the ideology of its creative elite. How does the outlook of that elite ...             The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things163 reviews Barry Glassner Basic Books, 2000 Many true notions This book is great for the social and cultural notions of the last 20th and early 21st century. It speaks to an important and growing discourse of critiquing the media.             Blogwars: The New Political Battleground3 reviews David D. Perlmutter Oxford University Press, USA, 2008 The Most Comprehensive Book on Blogging to Date + An excellent read Perlmutter offers an entertaining and insightful review of the history of blogging (pre-internet to its current form), and peppers his analysis with information gleaned from interviews with the most important bloggers today. This is a particularly well-written book: inviting enough for those ...             Coloring the News: How Political Correctness Has Corrupted American Journalism44 reviews William McGowan Encounter Books, 2003 Clear view from the inside + A Timely book + the best press criticism book + Biased like all books are biased             ...And Then I Became Gay: Young Men's Stories4 reviews Ritch C. Savin-Williams Routledge, 1997 great + Very nice connecting of stories + A good and informative book This is probably the best book on gay issues I have ever read! I do not buy those kind of books very often, but this was definitely worth the money.