Showing titles in Media Studies

Family Guy and Philosophy brings together low-brow, potty-mouthed, cartoon humor and high-brow philosophical reflection to deliver an outrageously hilarious and clever exploration of one of TVs most unrelenting families. (Okay, its not that high-brow.)  

Brought to you by Penguin. If online pornography is a circus, its tent has been pitched all around us. And we’re not just spectators – we’re the prancing ponies. Pornography is everywhere. Every day, tens of thousands of hours of sexual content is uploaded to the internet. In a single year...

Conspiracy theories, and particularly the belief that elements of the world are secretly controlled by individuals or groups, have been around for as long as people have lived in groups. Perhaps that’s inevitable—after all, those who are excluded from power are very likely to be inclined to see their position not as an outcome of their own choices or situation but because of the secret machinations of shadowy groups. One of the most widely discussed conspiracy theories concerns what has become known as the New World Order.

Bloomsbury presents Doctor Strange: A Decade of Dark Magic by Stuart Moore, read by Jason Lasky. Explore the Stories Behind the Legends Enter a world where reality bends, and magic reigns supreme. From psychedelic dimensions to counterculture cool, Doctor Strange was unlike anything else in...

Explore the Stories Behind the Legends In 1984, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter brought Marvel’s heroes and villains together for an epic battle that became the template for comic book crossovers and impacted Marvel’s storylines for decades, including major changes to the Spider-Man...

In this intimate history of the extraordinary Black Plague pandemic that swept through the British Isles in 1665, Evelyn Lord focuses on the plague's effects on smaller towns, where every death was a singular blow affecting the entire community. Lord's fascinating reconstruction of life during plague times presents the personal experiences of a wide range of individuals, from historical notables to common folk. The Great Plague brings this dark era to vivid life through stories of loss and survival from those who grieved, those who fled, and those who hid to await their fate.

Readings Best Books of 2024, Non-Fiction Nominated for the 2025 Sperber Prize Never before has the media played such an active part in our politics, with Elon Musk using X to affect world elections and direct US government policy. But as Crikey owner and ex-News Corp executive Eric Beecher shows...

Maybe you know someone who swears by the reliability of psychics or who is in regular contact with angels. Or perhaps you're trying to find a nice way of dissuading someone from wasting money on a homeopathy cure. How do you find a gently persuasive way of steering people away from unfounded beliefs, bogus cures, conspiracy theories, and the like? Longtime skeptic Guy P. Harrison shows you how in this down-to-earth, entertaining exploration of commonly held extraordinary claims.

As a young girl in a working-class neighborhood of Sydney, Australia, Geraldine Brooks longed to discover the places where history happens and culture comes from, so she enlisted pen pals who offered her a window on adolescence in the Middle East, Europe, and America. Twenty years later Brooks...

Why are so many of us wrong about so much? From COVID-19 to climate change to the results of elections, millions of Americans believe things that are simply not true—and act based on these misperceptions. In Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation, expert in media and politics Dannagal Goldthwaite Young offers a comprehensive model that illustrates how political leaders and media organizations capitalize on our social and cultural identities to separate, enrage, and—ultimately—mobilize us.

If someone knew when and where the next major terrorist attack was to be to take place against America, wouldn't the US intelligence community want to know about it? In Countdown to Terror, US Congressman Curt Weldon, proves that "Ali," an informant with access to the minutes of the most secret Iranian councils does have details about many plots against the US. In fact, he has outright predicted - days, weeks, or months in advance - numerous terrorist plots that were actually carried out our thwarted at the last minute.

Taking listeners back to the days of TaB cola, dot matrix printers, and digging through the couch for just one more quarter, Alex Rubens combines his knowledge of the tech industry and experience as a gaming journalist to conjure the wild silicon frontier of the 8-bit ’80s. 8-Bit Apocalypse: The Untold Story of Atari's Missile Command offers the first in-depth, personal history of an era for which fans have a lot of nostalgia.

Did NASA fake the moon landings? Did aliens build the pyramids? Is Finland really there? Dive down the conspiracy-theory rabbit hole with bestselling author and conspiracy buff Tom Cutler. Mingle with the millions who do not trust the official version and find out what THEY – the...

Award-winning journalist and Fortune 500 consultant Jeff Ansell provides a how-to guide for leaders, executives, and other professionals whose high-visibility requires frequent contact with the media. Drawing on nearly four decades of media experience, Ansell presents tested techniques for responding to challenging questions and delivering effective messages. In addition, he reveals lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid by referencing recent news events from around the world.

Propaganda, an influential book written by Edward L. Bernays in 1928, incorporated the literature from social science and psychological manipulation into an examination of the techniques of public communication. Propaganda explored the psychology behind manipulating masses and the ability to use symbolic action and propaganda to influence politics, effect social change, and lobby for gender and racial equality.

Read by the author, Michael Bond Fans takes you on a journey into the world of superfans – in all of its strange, sometimes dark, and complicated forms. 'A celebration of human idiosyncrasy and of our talent for building shared meaning and solidarity out of the strangest material' – TLS...

For decades, Rupert Murdoch's global media empire has shaped political landscapes, influenced elections and fuelled public opinion. But behind the headlines lies a darker story – of targeted campaigns, smear tactics and relentless attacks on those who don't fit the Murdoch mould. From LGBTQI communities and women's rights advocates to progressive politicians, human rights defenders and even conservatives deemed 'not right enough', Getting Murdoched: How Murdoch's Media Wields Power and Punishment exposes how dissent is silenced and reputations destroyed.

“A beautiful book… an instant classic of the genre.” —Dwight Garner, New York Times A New York Times Critics’ Top Book of 2021 A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Named a Best Nonfiction Book of 2021 by Kirkus Winner of the 2021 National Jewish Book Award in...

From plain old doping to claiming a marathon victory despite having driven the middle section of the race, from match-fixing to diving for a penalty - cheating in sport is as old as sport itself. But what constititues cheating and where do we draw the line? Are some sports cleaner than others? Is cheating in one sport the same as cheating in another or does each sport's distinctive culture set different standards? Is there such a thing as a sport without sin? Or, indeed, a sporting competitor?

Adapted from Decoded, Meltzer's hit show on the History network, History Decoded explores many fascinating and unexplained questions. Is Fort Knox empty? Why was Hitler so intent on capturing the Roman "Spear of Destiny"? What's the government hiding in Area 51? Where did the Confederacy's $19 million in gold and silver go at the end of the Civil War? Did Lee Harvey Oswald really act alone?