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alivemagdolene) wrote2011-08-23 11:29 pm
alivemagdolene) wrote2011-08-23 11:29 pm
Book-It 'o11! Book #31
The Fifty Books Challenge, year three! (Years one and two, just in case you're curious.) This was a library request.
Title: The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media by Brooke Gladstone and illustrated by Josh Neufeld
Details: Copyright 2011, W. W. Norton & Company
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover): "A visionary and opinionated work of graphic nonfiction on the media and its discontents.
A million weekly listeners trust NPR's Brooke Gladstone to guide them through the distortions and complexities of the modern media. This brilliant radio personality now bursts onto the page as an illustrated character in vivid comics drawn by acclaimed artist Josh Neufeld. The cartoon of Brooke conducts the reader through two millennia of history- from the first tabloid in Caesar's Rome to the rise of "objectivity" as a ploy to sell penny papers to the manipulations of contemporary journalism. Gladstone's manifesto debunks the notion that "The Media" is an external force, outside of our control. All along, we've constructing, and filtering what we watch and read. With fascinating digressions, sobering anecdotes, and brave analytical wit, The Influencing Machine equips us to be smarter consumers and shapers of the media. It shows that we have met the media and it is us. So now what?"
Why I Wanted to Read It: I was half-listening to The Colbert Report when Gladstone was on to plug the book and I perked up at the thought of it being told in graphic novel form. I was even more interested when I heard that Josh Neufeld (of A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge fame) was doing the illustrations.
How I Liked It: In now the third year of doing this curious sort of self-imposed reading assignment, I find I write more about books I loathe than ones I love. I'm not sure exactly why this is, but I apologize for not doing better justice to books that I think are worth your time. Then again, maybe less of my rantings is actually doing the books justice.
At any rate, this is an entertaining, essential, and revolutionary (on many fronts) book. It should be required reading (but thanks to some f-bombs, violence, and nudity, it won't be) for high school civics/history/social studies. Not only is it extremely important information told in an incredibly user-friendly format, the book is engaging and Neufeld's style is shown off beautifully, covering a range from the cartoonish to the more precise line features.
The layout and artwork are, as I said, superb and make for an extremely polished and readable format. What could come across as dry and somewhat pedantic is brought to life through excellent use of the panel space and metaphoric narration. The fact the book is in black and white (well-- one of those three color jobs-- black and white and shades of blue) actually works to its advantage as the panels are so rich with text and illustration (and illustrated text) that it might have been overkill.
Aside from this book being an essential read for any consumer of media (you know, everybody) and a plain old good and entertaining read (also everybody?), it's revolutionary for the medium of graphic novels. The graphic novel, for all its accolades, is still dismissed as "comics" by many. However, this can be something that can work in its favor in this case to snare in more readers that would ordinarily dismiss such a book. I admit, I wasn't terribly intrigued by the prospect of yet another social critique dissecting yet another social construct until I heard the format. Depending on the success of this book, this opens a whole new world and direction in which for graphic novels can go.
This book is for anyone who reads the newspaper, watches the news on television, or (most likely), follows online. This book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in current events or history, particularly from a cultural anthropological level (my bread and butter favorite). Go read this book and be fascinated, entertained, and educated.
Notable: Although this book was plugged on The Colbert Report, Gladstone made an omission that would've no doubt upped book sales and interest. Stephen Colbert himself is referenced in the book:
Title: The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media by Brooke Gladstone and illustrated by Josh Neufeld
Details: Copyright 2011, W. W. Norton & Company
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover): "A visionary and opinionated work of graphic nonfiction on the media and its discontents.
A million weekly listeners trust NPR's Brooke Gladstone to guide them through the distortions and complexities of the modern media. This brilliant radio personality now bursts onto the page as an illustrated character in vivid comics drawn by acclaimed artist Josh Neufeld. The cartoon of Brooke conducts the reader through two millennia of history- from the first tabloid in Caesar's Rome to the rise of "objectivity" as a ploy to sell penny papers to the manipulations of contemporary journalism. Gladstone's manifesto debunks the notion that "The Media" is an external force, outside of our control. All along, we've constructing, and filtering what we watch and read. With fascinating digressions, sobering anecdotes, and brave analytical wit, The Influencing Machine equips us to be smarter consumers and shapers of the media. It shows that we have met the media and it is us. So now what?"
Why I Wanted to Read It: I was half-listening to The Colbert Report when Gladstone was on to plug the book and I perked up at the thought of it being told in graphic novel form. I was even more interested when I heard that Josh Neufeld (of A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge fame) was doing the illustrations.
How I Liked It: In now the third year of doing this curious sort of self-imposed reading assignment, I find I write more about books I loathe than ones I love. I'm not sure exactly why this is, but I apologize for not doing better justice to books that I think are worth your time. Then again, maybe less of my rantings is actually doing the books justice.
At any rate, this is an entertaining, essential, and revolutionary (on many fronts) book. It should be required reading (but thanks to some f-bombs, violence, and nudity, it won't be) for high school civics/history/social studies. Not only is it extremely important information told in an incredibly user-friendly format, the book is engaging and Neufeld's style is shown off beautifully, covering a range from the cartoonish to the more precise line features.
The layout and artwork are, as I said, superb and make for an extremely polished and readable format. What could come across as dry and somewhat pedantic is brought to life through excellent use of the panel space and metaphoric narration. The fact the book is in black and white (well-- one of those three color jobs-- black and white and shades of blue) actually works to its advantage as the panels are so rich with text and illustration (and illustrated text) that it might have been overkill.
Aside from this book being an essential read for any consumer of media (you know, everybody) and a plain old good and entertaining read (also everybody?), it's revolutionary for the medium of graphic novels. The graphic novel, for all its accolades, is still dismissed as "comics" by many. However, this can be something that can work in its favor in this case to snare in more readers that would ordinarily dismiss such a book. I admit, I wasn't terribly intrigued by the prospect of yet another social critique dissecting yet another social construct until I heard the format. Depending on the success of this book, this opens a whole new world and direction in which for graphic novels can go.
This book is for anyone who reads the newspaper, watches the news on television, or (most likely), follows online. This book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in current events or history, particularly from a cultural anthropological level (my bread and butter favorite). Go read this book and be fascinated, entertained, and educated.
Notable: Although this book was plugged on The Colbert Report, Gladstone made an omission that would've no doubt upped book sales and interest. Stephen Colbert himself is referenced in the book:
“The press was momentarily celebrated because its response felt good and true; it had what Comedy Central's mock pundit Stephen Colbert calls "truthiness."” (pg 42)