Popular category: 5638 books

This unique book explores how the aesthetic and cultural movement "Steampunk" persuades audiences and wins new acolytes. Steampunk is an aesthetic style grounded in the Victorian era, in clothing and accoutrements modeled on a heightened and hyper-extended age of steam. In addition to its...

What do martial arts signify today? What do they mean for East-West cross cultural exchanges? How does the representation of martial arts in popular culture impact on the wide world? What is authentic practice? What does it all mean? From Kung Fu to Jiujitsu and from Bruce Lee to The Karate...

This book examines American popular culture to demonstrate that celebrities have superseded religious figures as moral authorities. As trust in religious institutions has waned over recent decades, the once frivolous entertainment fringe has become the moral center. Young people and voters increasingly...

A stellar and unprecedented celebration of 104 musical artists, WOMEN WHO ROCK is the most complete, up-to-date history of the evolution, influence, and importance of women in music. A gorgeous gift book, it includes a stunning, specially commissioned, full-color illustrated portrait of every musician...

Winchell and Runyon is about the bittersweet bonding of two legendary journalists who started out as adversaries but ended up as everlasting friends. Walter Winchell and Damon Runyon lived in an unforgettable era during World War II and the years following. Walter Winchell was one of the most popular...

Una visión negativa del deporte más popular de la Argentina. El fútbol visto críticamente por un agudo observador de la realidad argentina y mundial. Juan José Sebreli tiene una visión negativa del deporte más popular en la Argentina. Por eso, con implacable determinación, no contempla...

This unprecedented look at the history of satire in America showcases the means by which our society is informed by humor—from the way we examine the news, to how we communicate with each other, to what we seek out for entertainment. From biographical information to critical reception of material...

Rock ‘n’ roll infuses the everyday life of the American adult, but for the first, complete generation of rock ‘n’ roll fans—baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964—it holds a special kind of value, playing a social personality-defining role that is unique to this group. Based on 18 years...

Documenting the evolution of teens and media from the 1950s through 2010, this book examines the films, books, television shows, and musical artists that impacted American culture and shaped the "coming of age" experience for each generation. • Presents concise content and detailed...

Boy Bands and the Performance of Pop Masculinity provides a history of the boy band from the Beatles to One Direction, placing the modern male pop group within the wider context of twentieth- and twenty-first-century popular music and culture. Offering the first extended look at pop masculinity as...

Evil isn't simply an abstract theological or philosophical talking point. In our society, the idea of evil feeds entertainment, manifests in all sorts of media, and is a root concept in our collective psyche. This accessible and appealing book examines what evil means to us. • Includes the...

An intimate profile of one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century, this first full-length biography of Karen Carpenter details every aspect of her life, from her modest Connecticut upbringing and her rise to stardom in southern California to the real story of her tragic, untimely...

They say there are no second acts in American lives, and third acts are almost unheard of. That's part of what makes Brian Wilson's story so astonishing. As a cofounding member of the Beach Boys in the 1960s, Wilson created some of the most groundbreaking and timeless popular music ever recorded....

In On Michael Jackson—an at once passionate, incisive, and bracing work of cultural analysis—Pulitzer Prize–winning critic for The New York Times Margo Jefferson brilliantly unravels the complexities of one of the most enigmatic figures of our time. Who is Michael Jackson and what does...