Popular Culture Books - Page 10

Inner Paths to Outer Space: Journeys to Alien Worlds through Psychedelics and Other Spiritual Technologies

Rick Strassman MD, Slawek Wojtowicz, Luis Eduardo Luna, Ede Frecska

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Park Street Press Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $9.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An investigation into experiences of other realms of existence and contact with otherworldly beings

• Examines how contact with alien life-forms can be obtained through the “inner space” dimensions of our minds

• Presents evidence that other worlds experienced through consciousness-altering technologies are often as real as those perceived with our five senses

• Correlates science fiction’s imaginal realms with psychedelic research

For thousands of years, voyagers of inner space--spiritual seekers, shamans, and psychoactive drug users--have returned from their inner imaginal travels reporting encounters with alien intelligences. Inner Paths to Outer Space presents an innovative examination of how we can reach these other dimensions of existence and contact otherworldly beings. Based on their more than 60 combined years of research into the function of the brain, the authors reveal how psychoactive substances such as DMT allow the brain to bypass our five basic senses to unlock a multidimensional realm of existence where otherworldly communication occurs. They contend that our centuries-old search for alien life-forms has been misdirected and that the alien worlds reflected in visionary science fiction actually mirror the inner space world of our minds. The authors show that these “alien” worlds encountered through altered states of human awareness, either through the use of psychedelics or other methods, possess a sense of reality as great as, or greater than, those of the ordinary awareness perceived by our five senses.

TEACHING TO TRANSGRESS CL

Hooks

List Price: $54.95 By: Routledge Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $17.70

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Hooks and Hate Speech 2 out of 5 stars.
17 of 66 people found this review helpful.

We read this book in class at the graduate level and her ideas caused a great deal of controversy. Some loved her and others were sure she was radical with no agenda except for blaming others for her anger. I thought that her book was non-academic because it was not an academic piece of writing. Color or gender have nothing to do with it. I was not impressed by her ranting against white middle class educational values because she was a beneficiary of a scholarship that helped her achieve her education. Besides, at least in this book, she can't get past her anger to give real examples of transformative education in the classroom, except to assure the reader she practiced it. Not good enough. Playing the race-card, flagrant self-promotion and hate speech is not enough. Being a revolutionary requires more than a polemic against the things you don't like. I wasn't impressed.

Editorial Review:

In this book, Bell Hooks, one of America's leading black intellectuals, shares her philosophy of the classroom, offering ideas about teaching that fundamentally rethink democratic participation. Hooks advocates the process of teaching students to think critically and raises many concerns central to the field of critical pedagogy, linking them to feminist thought. In the process, these essays face squarely the problems of teachers who do not want to teach, of students who do not want to learn, of racism and sexism in the classroom, and of the gift of freedom that is, for Hooks, the teacher's most important goal.

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Max Weber

Amazon Price: $24.95 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley-Blackwell Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $17.77

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Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The definitive introductory text in Modernization theory 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Weber is the definitive introductory text in Modernization theory. Although somewhat western-centric, this book is essential reading for any college student, as it gave rise to many theories in every branch of social science, and still has more influence on theoretical thought than most social scientists would like to admit.

What Made Capitalism Tick? 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

In my youth I used to believe that Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism was the very last word in understanding, sociologically, the driving force behind capitalism in its prime. His premise, at least his expressed narrowly- defined one, that out of the mishmash of feudalism a `new' man and a `new' woman were being created who could subordinate their temporal desires enough to begin the tedious process of primitive capitalist accumulation that got the whole mode started, hit home hard to my young mind. Of course, that was not my conscious take on it at the time, although parts of it certainly were. What interested me the most wa that Weber was using some examples that were close to home, the Massachusetts Bay Colony experiment, and, being from Boston and steeped in Purtian history, that is why I was glad to get a copy of the work.

Strangely, in recently re-reading the work I found that I was drawn by those same examples. Additionally, I was drawn by the huge set of footnotes at the end that I did not remember going through in my youth but offer some very interesting insights into how Weber put his argument together and the sources that he had available at the time and that he used. The re-reading poses this question, though. How does the work itself hold up?

Of course today my class struggle perspective derived from a Marxist world view notes that Weber is clearly a political opponent. Not so much for his argument, which actually has a certain merit, but for his tenacious desire to use a quasi-Marxism materialist approach to sociology without drawing those requisite class struggle conclusions. I might add that the class struggle was fully raging in Germany at the time of the publication of this work as the Social Democratic Party was becoming the voice of the German working class. Weber, thus, really needed to keep his blinders on. Moreover, as a work of scholarship, which I will grant it certainly is, it is an early effort in the very long struggle to divorce sociological observations from any practical use. A militant today in order to benefit from reading this work has to do the equivalent of suspending disbelieve in the plot of a novel to realize that it is important to know what made capitalism tick in the old days and why we have to move on. Here, nevertheless is my very condensed take on the work today.

In some place in 16th and 17th century Europe, the scope of Weber's study, individuals and small communities were breaking from the established churches, Roman Catholic and mainstream Protestant and creating, in some cases 'hit or miss', a culture that we today describe as secular but in the nature of those times had a religious connotation. That breakout, not without opposition and oppression by the constituted authorities, formed the nucleus of an ethic that made accumulation of wealth through hard work and thrift the norm-in short that private accumulation mentioned above. This, dear reader, was a historically progressive series of actions. In the year 2007 those traits have long since failed to be progressive. What is necessary, as Marx, Lenin, Trotsky and even someone like Che Guevara recognized is in the interest of social solidarity we need to create `the new socialist man and woman' out of the muck and mire of capitalism. Hell, we need our own version of the Protestant ethic-and if current worldwide economic conditions are any judge- we need it pronto. Read this one at your leisure.

Editorial Review:

First published in 1905 The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is one of the most renowned and controversial works of modern social science. It is a brilliant book which studies the psychological conditions which made possible the development of capitalist civilization.

The History of the Snowman

Bob Eckstein

Amazon Price: $13.11 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Simon Spotlight Entertainment Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $2.41

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Who made the first snowman? Who first came up with the idea of placing snowballs on top of each other, and who decided they would use a carrot for a nose? Most puzzling of all: How can this mystery ever be solved, with all the evidence long since melted? The snowman appears everywhere on practically everything -- from knickknacks to greeting cards to seasonal sweaters we plan to return. Whenever we see big snowballs our first impulse is to deck them out with a top hat. Humorist and writer Bob Eckstein has long been fascinated by this ubiquitous symbol of wintertime fun -- and finally, for the first time, one of the world's most popular icons gets his due. A thoroughly entertaining exploration, The History of the Snowman travels back in time to shed light on the snowman's enigmatic past -- from the present day, in which the snowman reigns as the King of Kitsch, to the Dark Ages, with the creation of the very first snowman. Eckstein's curiosity began playfully enough, but soon snowballed into a (mostly) earnest quest of chasing Frosty around the world, into museums and libraries, and seeking out the advice of leading historians and scholars. The result is a riveting history that reaches back through centuries and across cultures -- sweeping from fifteenth-century Italian snowballs to eighteenth-century Russian ice sculptures to the regrettable "white-trash years" (1975-2000). The snowman is not just part of our childhood memories, but is an integral part of our world culture, appearing -- much like a frozen Forrest Gump -- alongside dignitaries and celebrities during momentous events. Again and again, the snowman pops up in rare prints, paintings, early movies, advertising and, over the past century, in every art form imaginable. And the jolly snowman -- ostensibly as pure as the driven snow -- also harbors a dark past full of political intrigue, sex, and violence. With more than two hundred illustrations and a special section of the best snowman cartoons, The History of the Snowman is a truly original winter classic -- smart, surprisingly enlightening, and quite simply the coolest book ever.

The Official High Times Pot Smokers Handbook: Featuring 420 Things to do When You're Stoned

David Bienenstock, High Times Magazine Editors

Amazon Price: $17.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $11.49

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Fresh Pot-pourri 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As the head of a national marijuana reform organization, I've read A LOT of books about marijuana. This one ranks up there as one of the most fun and informative. Who better to lay out the various elements of marijuana than David Bienenstock and the folks at High Times? This book has tons -- or should I say kilos? -- of information on marijuana culture, politics, activism, entertainment, and more.

Whether you consider yourself a scholar or novice when it comes to the issues surrounding marijuana, you are sure to enjoy this book.

Editorial Review:

Since 1974, High Times has been the world's most trusted name when it comes to getting stoned. This all-new, definitive handbook to pot culture rolls together inside perspective and collected wisdom into an illustrated ganja guide for readers ready to light up or those just along for the contact high. Entertaining and informed features include looks at marijuana's "highstory," legality, and its place in popular culture; profiles of herb-friendly globetrotting destinations and festivals; favorite "pot luck" recipes from the High Times staff; celebrity observations on the sweet leaf; profiles of famous marijuana strains; and a lexicon of stoner slang. With a life-changing list of 420 things to do when you're stoned, this is a truly indispensible guide to green living.

Society of the Spectacle

Guy Debord

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Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This should be required reading for first years. 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I haven't read any of the other translations of this text, however, this one reads quite fluidly.

The scope of the book sets the tone for one's consideration of contemporary events and societal relations. As research for a project on collaboration amongst individuals, the book was helpful in demonstrating that many forces are at work and are behind everything that exists in the world. This relates to collaboration in that each of us in a collaboration brings different histories to the table. The book also helps to illuminate the notion of the impossibility of non-collaboration. Even if the individual is from birth completely independant of others (which of course is quite improbable) their very existance comes into being through the cooperation of at least two separate forces (eg. the parents).

Debord shows us that the (two or more) forces which have led us to this point in history have done so, whether willingly or otherwise, together.

Editorial Review:

The Das Kapital of the 20th century. An essential text, and the main theoretical work of the situationists. Few works of political and cultural theory have been as enduringly provocative. From its publication amid the social upheavals of the 1960's up to the present, the volatile theses of this book have decisively transformed debates on the shape of modernity, capitalism, and everyday life in the late 20th century. This new edition is the Ken Knabb translation. Certainly it has the most "modern" design of all three editions, as well as a short new introduction from the translator.

In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed (Plus)

Carl Honore

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Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

We live in the age of speed. We strain to be more efficient, to cram more into each minute, each hour, each day. Since the Industrial Revolution shifted the world into high gear, the cult of speed has pushed us to a breaking point. Consider these facts: Americans on average spend seventy-two minutes of every day behind the wheel of a car, a typical business executive now loses sixty-eight hours a year to being put on hold, and American adults currently devote on average a mere half hour per week to making love.

Living on the edge of exhaustion, we are constantly reminded by our bodies and minds that the pace of life is spinning out of control. In Praise of Slowness traces the history of our increasingly breathless relationship with time and tackles the consequences of living in this accelerated culture of our own creation. Why are we always in such a rush? What is the cure for time sickness? Is it possible, or even desirable, to slow down? Realizing the price we pay for unrelenting speed, people all over the world are reclaiming their time and slowing down the pace -- and living happier, healthier, and more productive lives as a result. A Slow revolution is taking place.

Here you will find no Luddite calls to overthrow technology and seek a preindustrial utopia. This is a modern revolution, championed by cell-phone using, e-mailing lovers of sanity. The Slow philosophy can be summed up in a single word -- balance. People are discovering energy and efficiency where they may have been least expected -- in slowing down.

In this engaging and entertaining exploration, award-winning journalist and rehabilitated speedaholic Carl Honoré details our perennial love affair with efficiency and speed in a perfect blend of anecdotal reportage, history, and intellectual inquiry. In Praise of Slowness is the first comprehensive look at the worldwide Slow movements making their way into the mainstream -- in offices, factories, neighborhoods, kitchens, hospitals, concert halls, bedrooms, gyms, and schools. Defining a movement that is here to stay, this spirited manifesto will make you completely rethink your relationship with time.

1000 Pin-Up Girls (25th Anniversary Special Edtn)

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Taschen Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $10.19

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

better than nothing 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This book is flawed but if you want the covers from Robert Harrison's magazines by famous pin-up artists this is good. One problem is the cropped covers that prevent the reader from seeing the whole effect. The images also cover the full page so there is no white margin to absorb finger marks and other edge damage from use without harming the image. Taschen should have focused on the pin-up artists rather than trying to make a book cover all of Robert Harrison's magazines. By changing focus to the artists they could have dumped the black and white photos and shrunk the book. They then could have published full covers in an oversized book.

Taschen has published the same material in two other books but they are also flawed. First, is the original volume "Girlie Magazines." With 60 fewer pages it is a significantly thicker volume because the pages are thicker. While "1000 Pin-Ups is a good value, in my opinion "Girlie Magazines" remains the better book, with better paper quality. Second, is a small selection of covers from "Girlie Magazines" titled "Pin-Ups" in the Icons Series by Giles Neret. I would just buy a good used version of "Girlie Magazines" for a little more and get 3-4X the illustrations.

Editorial Review:

"Girls, Gags & Giggles" - this was publisher Robert Harrison's recipe for dishing up the American pin-up to the U.S. male. In the 1950s, his girlie magazines sold by the millions, before becoming icons of pulp and trash culture.These skilfully illustrated girls with their curvaceous forms and inviting lingerie soon overtook America's national dessert, in terms of popularity, and even developed considerable potential as a cultural export during the 1940s. 'Never show everything,' was always the motto. Smiling prettily at the camera, the models exuded just the right amount of sex appeal without seeming too sophisticated or artful. They were the 'girls next door' whose wholesome attraction soon made one forget the magazines' deliberately trashy presentation. Their rosy complexions and innocent allures still titillate even in an age when far more graphic material is the norm. This is for everyone who enjoys pin-ups, push-ups and pulp style!

Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic

John De Graaf, David Wann, Thomas H. Naylor

List Price: $24.95 By: Berrett-Koehler Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $1.26

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Total reviews: 99 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Afflu-Repetitive 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I had to read this book for summer reading for an AP Gov course. It was a dreadful experience. It was very difficult to force myself to read more than one chapter per sitting because of the book's repetitiveness and dullness. If you actually want to read it, let me save you the time while I summarize it:

-Spend more time hiking than working.
-Don't get a well paying job, because it will make you miserable and you will undoubtedly go into dept.
-take a low paying job, because life will be great. As long as you dont want to buy anything.
-Don't buy material goods that make you happy.
-Only nature and people make you happy.
-Rich people, 90% of the time are littering, stuck-up, scumbags.

pack that into 250 pages, and there you go.

Editorial Review:

"Affluenza" is about the personal, social, economic and environmental costs of over-consumption - and what we can do to beat the "all-consuming bug" that's infecting the planet. The book presents symptoms (such as stress of excess, family convulsions, dilated pupils, resource exhaustion); historical and cultural origins; and proven cures. Here, in one source, is an accessible, humorous overview of a subject that is usually difficult to tie together. Looking at it as a single disease helps us connect the dots. The book is both accessible and academically rigorous and is directly linked with a popular TV series seen by 10 million people. It presents alternatives to the "American Dream" via five years of research and fascinating facts and data. There are short, interesting interviews with the best thinkers on this subject together with dozens of ideas and examples for improving our lives. The reader should be left with a feeling that we can "beat the bug".

People: Paul Newman (People Tribute the Life of a Movie Legend)

Editors of People Magazine

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