This is especially relevant in the age of the “Patriot” Act and the Total Information Awareness program from the Pentagon. A good story with lots of good philosophy on the nature of society in the latter part. Made me want to track down Frohmm’s “Sane Society” (but haven’t yet). The movie version is actually fairly close to the book.

Good theories about the causes of our obesity epidemic. High carbs, high-frutose corn syrup, lack of exercise (duh), and trade politics. Some parts descend too deeply into stats, and even then some aren’t terribly convincing, but a good read. I now avoid HFCS like the plague, but today’s processed foods are a minefield.

A watered down version of Chomsky’s “Manufacturing Consent”. I’ll admit I read it as a shortcut to digesting “Manufacturing Consent” and to that end it delivered.

Another short gem by Seven Stories Press. This being a watered down version of McChesney’s “Rich Media, Poor Democracy”. Good basic layout of the history of media, the current problems, and possible solutions. It’s short; pick it up; read it!

Read the part setting up the propaganda model, then decided to drop it until later. The watered down “Media Control” told me everything I wanted to know for now. This book looks to go into excruciating detail of various historical events to back up the model.

Thought provoking ideas about the future with a compelling story set in Disneyworld. As one review said, you can see the outlines of his ideas for the future here today (if you know where to look). A very fun book.

Not Franken’s best. I think his age is getting to him as this is mostly a stream of consciosness rant about whatever is bothering Al today.
The first part rebuts much of the lies presented by right-wing authors and commentators, the rest tackles various random subjects. I laughed a few times but was mostly put off by his own self-righteous tone. And I’m a fan.

I’d thought I’d read one account of the liberal media myth. I wasn’t impressed. Mostly a rant against Dan Rather and a previous employer with little real research or data to back up the claim. Lots of subjective spin to make the case.

The seminal book on media. Lots of interesting ideas and predictions about media, but I am always put off when an author insinuates their true forte when riding outside of it. In this case, McLuhan uses a lot ink to remind us that he is an English professor. Those parts of the book fall falt for me, but maybe it impresses the academia. I dropped it somewhere in the chapter on the individual forms of media. Will return to it soon.

Neat book comparing social epidemics (or fads) with disease outbreaks. Good theory with practical applications in real life.