| This is a list of possible books on popular culture that you might want to read for your major course project. This is only a partial list, because there is no end to the topics people have written about and continue to write about on popular culture. You can choose one of these, or find one of your own. Check out bookstore shelves, libraries, used book stores, or anywhere else that interesting books might be on display. If you choose one of your own and are not sure if it is completely appropriate for the course and the assignment, run it by me first. Baudrillard, Jean. America Bermun, Morris. The Twilight of American Culture Bloom, Harold. The Closing of the American Mind Bongco, Mila and Jan Philipzig. Reading Comics: Language, Culture, and the Concept of the Superhero in Comic Books Brooks, David. Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There Brunvand, Jan Harold. The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and their Meanings Glasser, Barry. The Culture of Fear: Why Americans are Afraid of the Wrong Things Harris, Daniel. Cute, Quaint, Hungry, and Romantic: The Aesthetics of Consumerism Hine, Thomas. I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers Kellner, Douglas. Television and the Crisis of Democracy Knight, Peter. Conspiracy Culture Lasch, Christopher. The Culture of Narcissism Lasn, Kalle. Culture Jam: How to Reverse America's Suicidal Consumer Binge--and Why We Must Lewis, Lucinda. Roadside America: The Automobile and the American Dream McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media Mitroff, Ian and Warren Bennis. The Unreality Industry Neal, Mark Anthony. Soul Babies: Black Popular Culture and the Post-Soul Aesthetic Osterworld, Tilman. Pop Art Owen, Frank. Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture Paglia, Camille. Vamps and Tramps: New Essays Parfrey, Adam. Apocalypse Culture, part I and II Porter, Jennifer and Darcee McLaren. Star Trek and Sacred Ground: Explorations of Star Trek, Religion, and American Culture Powers, Ann. Weird Like Us: My Bohemian America Quart, Alissa. Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers Ramsey, Guthrie P. Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop Remnick, David. The New Gilded Age: The New Yorker Looks at the Culture of Affluence Roof, Wade Clark. Spiritual Marketplace: Baby Boomers and the Remaking of American Religion Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America Rushkoff, Douglas. Coercion: Why We Listen to What "They" Say Rushkoff, Douglas. Media Virus: Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture Sack, Daniel. Whitebread Protestants: Food and Religion in American Culture Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal Shank, Theodore. Beyond the Boundaries: American Alternative Theatre Shweder, Richard. Why Do Men BBQ? Recipes for Cultural Psychology Stabile, Carole. Prime Time Animation: Television Animation and American Culture Stevens, Jay. Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream White, Curtis. The Middle Mind: Why Americans Don't Think for Themselves Postmodernism: Baudrillard, Jean. [anything he wrote] Harvey, David. The Condition of Postmodernity Lyotard, Jean-Francois. The Postmodern Condition Toulmin, Stephen. The Return of Cosmology: Postmodern Science and the Theology of Nature Collins, Jim. Uncommon Cultures: Popular Culture and Postmodernism |