Tourism Market Trends 2000: Africa (Tourism Market Trends)

Book Description

For dozens of developing countries, the financial upheavals of the 1980s have set back economic development by a decade or more. Poverty in those countries has intensified as they struggle under the burden of an enormous external debt. In 1988, more than six years after the onset of the crisis, almost all the debtor countries were still unable to borrow in the international capital markets on normal terms. Moreover, the world financial system has been disrupted by the prospect of widespread defaults on those debts. Because of the urgency of the present crisis, and because similar crises have recurred intermittently for at least 175 years, it is important to understand the fundamental features of the international macroeconomy and global financial markets that have contributed to this repeated instability.

This project on developing country debt, undertaken by the National Bureau of Economic Research, provides a detailed analysis of the ongoing developing country debt crisis. The project focuses on the middle-income developing countries, particularly those in Latin America and East Asia, although many lessons of the study should apply as well to other, poorer debtor countries. The project analyzes the crisis from two perspectives, that of the international financial system as a whole (volume 1) and that of individual debtor countries (volumes 2 and 3).

This third volume contains lengthy and detailed case studies of four very different Asian countries—Turkey, Indonesia, Korea, and the Philippines.

Customer Reviews:

IMF wanted high interest rates, local business want cheap credit flows.......2006-01-08

Indonesia financial troubles were a result of large account deficits. Massive debt and forced foreign loan repayment caused the Rupiah too fall from 15,000/$1 to 2,400/$1 in 1997. Economic output would shrink by 14% and unemployment increased to 15%. Financial troubles did not seem predictable, as the Central Bank had $20 billion in reserve currency. Indonesia's top seven largest banks owned 50% of the financial assets with preferential treatment extending loans to favored business. Risk management was pushed aside in the rush for growth and state banks exceed 25% bank loan limits. Further compound no credible banking practices was the fact that Bank of Indonesia knew about bribes for loans but turned a blind eye. Rupiah selloff initiated because investors saw a gloomy perspective on the region and the rupiah was linked to the dollar and policy makers did not want to use the $20 billion reserve to stop the devaluation of the rupiah. Indonesian banking financial system was heavily in debt too foreign market. Indonesia loans owed $55 billion to foreigners. Businesses and corporations assumed financial surplus and the high levels of dollar reserves would help the rupiah survive devaluation. Business were not thinking about problems in obtaining dollars in the case the debt burden caused a shortage of available dollars and a falling rupiah valuation would increase the burden of repaying the debt. Risk of not being able to pay off dollar loans would breed Panic and cause foreign debt creditors too demand payment in full on loans coming due, reversing lax monetary policies and cause a scramble for dollars furthering the drop in rupiah value.

IMF wanted high interest rates and Muslim bankers wanted cheap credit flows. Structural reforms were a condition for receiving the $33 IMF billion bailout loan. First to go was the BULOG cartel, an import and marketing monopoly. IMF reasoned absolving the cartel would open up the market allow prices too competitively adjust. Also, the chemical industry would lose some of its tariff protections.

Surgically, removing ailing banks to restore credibility, but what happened was a drop in consumer confidence. In 1933, Roosevelt employed a similar tactic shutting down ailing financial institutes. The IMF reason bank closures would send a positive message, "banks can not continue operating unprofitably" and clean up banks that were riddled with bad loans. The good and bad bank list caused a run on the money by depositors, who moved money from private banks to state owned banks. Private banks lost 12% of their rupiah deposit and 20% of their foreign currency deposits. Interestingly, the 16 banks closed only represented 3% of the total assets. What was at risk was financial confidence, as people thought the banks were weak. A strong measure of political and financial action was required to restore public faith in the system. People wanted a government guarantee on all deposits. The IMF did not want an expensive taxpayer guarantee and was divided on policies that benefited the rich. The IMF chose to protect the small investor providing 20 million rupiah guarantee approximately $5,000. The indecisive solution did not stop the run on the deposit and the rupiah fell to 4,000/$1 and the government continued to inject money into the system as runs continued. The Indonesian central bank injected money into the bank system equally 10% of GDP.

The IMF wanted to rise interest rates which would stabilize currencies by providing irresistible yields keeping local money invested and once the panic abated the interest rates would return to reasonable rates. The US treasury people liked the interest rate hikes. Indonesian banks were desparate for funds offerring 75% annual rates for dollars.

A contrarian opposition argument suggests interest rate hikes contending that the IMF did not need interest rate increase but confidence building policy; interest rates would exacerbate the problem by increasing inflation and Indonesia did not need inflation. Higher interest rates only caused corporations and businesses too go further in the red, as they struggled to make interest payments. Inflation devalued collateral and so external financial institutions lend less to Korean banks as the currency devalued. Currency devaluation caused widespread bankruptcies and a crisis of confidence.

Book Description

Power Structure examines the effects on economic performance of several key features of the U.S. electric power industry. Paramount among these are public versus private ownership, vertical integration versus deintegration, and retail competition versus monopoly distribution. Each of these, as well as other structural characteristics of utilities and their markets, are analyzed for their effects on costs and price.
These issues are important for a number of reasons. The U.S. electric power industry is presently embarking on a fundamental restructuring in terms of integration and competition. In other countries, privatization of state-owned enterprises is being viewed as the answer to unsatisfactory performance. From a longer perspective, the question of the relative performance of publicly owned versus privately owned utilities in the U.S. has never been resolved. And despite much speculation there is little reliable evidence as to the importance of either vertical integration or competition.

Power Structure: Ownership, Integration, and Competition in the U.S. Electricity Industry. (book reviews): An article from: The Energy Journal

Average customer rating:

Power Structure: Ownership, Integration, and Competition in the U.S. Electricity Industry. (book reviews): An article from: The Energy Journal
Herbert G., Jr. Thompson
Manufacturer: International Association for Energy Economics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00097JFUK
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Energy Journal, published by International Association for Energy Economics on January 1, 1998. The length of the article is 1299 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Power Structure: Ownership, Integration, and Competition in the U.S. Electricity Industry. (book reviews)
Author: Herbert G., Jr. Thompson
Publication: The Energy Journal (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1998
Publisher: International Association for Energy Economics
Volume: v19 Issue: n1 Page: p158(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Superficial, but with BIG COLOR PHOTOS.......2002-07-23

Bruce Dessau has written two books on the life and career of British comedian Rowan Atkinson. The first one that I read (simply titled ROWAN ATKINSON) was a three hundred and fifty page biography -- a detailed and concise history of the man's television, film, and theatre work. This volume, BEAN THERE DONE THAT, covers the same material in coffee-table form, but only taking one hundred and twelve pages to do so. What this book lacks in content, it makes up for in large, glossy, color photographs of the clown himself. It's a fairly good summary of Atkinson's career, though after reading the more in-depth tome, this slimmer volume can't help but feel watered down.

Like Dessau's other biography, this volume has a lot to say about the various characters that Atkinson has created over the years, but very little about his private life. This omission is more forgivable here, since one probably isn't looking for an enormous amount of insight in a book of this type. It does do quite a good job at following Atkinson's career and will especially be enjoyed by anyone who isn't overly familiar with some of the television shows he has appeared in that haven't sustained the amount of international exposure as MR BEAN.

While BEAN THERE DONE THAT suffers from many of the same flaws as the other Dessau biography, this volume should be recommended to people new to Atkinson's work. There are some excellent photographs and the text is quite adequate at the task of describing all of Rowan Atkinson's work (up to the MR. BEAN movie). It may be a bit too superficial for the Atkinson fans, however, as most of the information included is available in other forms.

Bean Here And I'm Going To Read It Again!.......2000-03-06

This book is in the words of Bart Simpson is," Fab-U-Lus! &quot

Atkinson's Depth Glossed-Over in At-A-Glance Bio.......1998-05-02

While Dessau's book does cover the talented British comic's meteoric rise to success, the frantic pace and "press-bio" approach ultimately ruin what true fans await. Admirers of Atkinson's work will find themselves asking, "and then what?" on every page. We learn of his childhood surroundings, but very little of his family life. His impressive body of work is listed chronologically with no discussion of the blood, sweat and tears behind it. His classic influences are mentioned in passing, save his British similiarities to Stan Laurel. Left with very little insight into the creative process, Dessau's book reads like a coffee-table version of an Entertainment Weekly article with great photos.

Average customer rating:

The Bean Queen, Been There Done That
Barbara Lindquist
Manufacturer: Infinity Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Reference & Collections | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0741428695

Product Description

At a workshop, Barbara played an introductory game with the other participants. The leader placed a bowl of beans in the center of the circle, gave each person a paper cup and stated the rules. You were to go around the circle, telling the something you had never done. For instance, you might say, I have never been to Australia. If any of the others had done such a thing, they were to go take a bean for their cup. At the end of the game you counted your beans. Barbara won. She really has been there, done that.

Average customer rating:

Still Enigmatic After 278 Pages
The face that launched a thousand quips
Sad Yawnsville
Eh
Detailed about the work, superficial about the man

Bean There Done That
Bruce Dessau
Manufacturer: Welcome Rain Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Actors & Actresses | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Television Performers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1566490685

Book Description

In W&N's large illustrated format, this is a fully illustrated, affectionate celebration of Rowon Atkinson's career. He first came to prominence in the late 1970's in the classic comedy serires Not The Nine O'Clock News. His ability to strange mannerisms with a natural acting abiltiy set him up to achieve great success as the darstadly Blackadder. In the 1980's he created Mr Bean, now an international success; in August 1997, a major movie "Bean" will be released. This book trces his career and celebrates the talents and life of a true comic original.

Customer Reviews:

Still Enigmatic After 278 Pages.......2006-11-13

Until an authorized biography is written with the cooperation of Rowan Atkinson, this book will have to do. Because none of Atkinson's close companions (or the man himself) would be interviewed for the book, the author had to resort to sources such as published interviews and the like. While not an ideal situation, the general outline of Atkinson's life does successfully emerge, though with substantial interpretation required of Dessau.

The book is more a summary of Atkinson's career than an in-depth biography (for obvious reasons) and in that regard it is quite detailed. Atkinson emerges as the shy and reclusive youth with a penchant for "pulling faces" and physical humor. Although obviously his material has matured over the years, a persistent theme of the book is the essential "brainy physicality" of Atkinson's catalog. This physical humor obviously leads to comparisons with John Cleese (the two are friends,) who emerges as a mentor of sorts for Atkinson. I was especially amused at the prospect of Atkinson participating in the corporate training films made by Video Arts, Cleese's film company (see page 100 for details.) I appreciate also that Atkinson never lost touch with his roots as he participated in several projects centered on the schools he attended (he went to Durham School with Tony Blair) and Newcastle, his home town. I found it interesting that Atkinson's first date with his future wife Sunetra was to see Dire Straits, the band fronted by Newcastle's other famous progeny, Mark Knopfler.

The book does detail the shows and characters Atkinson became famous for, notably Mr. Bean, and my personal favorite, Blackadder. It also supplies a fairly detailed amount of information on several other ventures of less critical note (for instance, please feel free to read page 165 for a full account of the travails of attempting to get a piece of toast to stick to Jeff Goldblum's bottom) or import, such as his small roles in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "The Tall Guy."

As for genuine biographical insight, the book mostly outlines Atkinson's love for cars (and vehicles of all kinds; he's very proud to have a commercial truck drivers license) and racing. In the end, Atkinson seems not to have changed that much: he's still reclusive, shy, and intellectual, but of course, now he's the top paid actor in Britain.

I awarded this book four stars for a couple of reasons. While it isn't that insightful into Atkinson's inner being, it is the best that could be hoped for given the source restrictions faced by the author. It does yield a detailed professional history, and it gives us at least a glimpse of the enigma that is Rowan Atkinson.

The face that launched a thousand quips.......2003-07-15

Bruce Dessau's book begins with his childhood and school life at St. Bees, then into his gradual abandonment of a science degree (he was expected to go into electrical engineering) and onto the theatre, where via connections to the Oxbridge mafia, he got the biggest breaks and the funniest lines.

Influences? Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot character, whose tics and twitches he memorized during his time at St. Bees. The significance of this is that it helped him in his technique of using silent comedy, miming even, to get laughs. Coupled with the faces he pulled in front of a mirror to gain a rubbery-faced elasticity that rivalled Jim Carrey, we can see the beginnings of Mr. Bean. Naturally, Monty Python is an influence, as it aired when he was 15 years old. John Cleese's nasty sarcasm was later felt in each of the Blackadders, as well as his portrayal of hideous comedy star Ron Anderson in his first starring movie, The Tall Guy, opposite Jeff Goldblum.

There are a lot of comparisons between him and Cleese, come to think of it. Each of them had many years behind them, cutting their teeth on TV series, working with other performers, never being in something for too long, before making it big.

In terms of his TV series, there's quite a lot devoted to each of them: Not The Nine O'Clock News, Blackadder, Mr. Bean, and the Thin Blue Line. Brief plots are given of each episode, as well as major performers who appear as guest stars, such as Miranda Richardson, Rik Mayall (The Young Ones), and Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter movies). It is with the third series of Black Adder (my personal favourite) that he won BAFTAs (the British equivalent of the Emmys and Oscars).

Mr. Bean, despite being his breakthrough series, was not only his fulfillment to create a comedy that could be more universal instead of being directed strictly at British tastes, was in a way the culmination of sketches he did on stage in the late 1970's, so it was basically old material (e.g. face shaving routine) refined. The movie was a success here, but because it was so Hollywoodized, was panned quite a bit in Britain.

Atkinson though comes through as a genius who despite striving to be a perfectionist, realizes that perfectionism unhealthily reduces someone to a bundle of ragged nerves. More an introvert, he is two different people, a comic onstage, a very private person offstage.

At this point, the Bean movie seems to be the pinnacle of his American success, but has the backlash happened? Sure, he came out the painfully jejune Rat Race, but Johnny English may be his saving grace, as Hollywood seems at a loss how to use him optimally. Then again, he didn't quite break into movies, as the book points out. Most of his movie roles have been minor (Never Say Never Again, Hot Shots Part Deux, Four Weddings And A Funeral). Yet through this book and from the time I noticed him in Not The Nine O'Clock News, the thing I've learned is never to anticipate what Rowan Atkinson will do next. Overall, a well-done book that casts Atkinson in a positive light and recommended for those who want to find out more on Britain's most talented comic since John Cleese.

Sad Yawnsville.......2003-05-22

It's a sad sad tale of an ugly duckling. Once upon a time there was this boy whom everyone called alien for his looks were quite odd if not freakish. Even own parents of his shipped him off to a distant boy boarding school as not to see his grotesque visage.

The book merrily skips the boarding school years -- thank god. Imagine the torture and suffering poor Rowan must have endured in a British school.

No wonder, the man is quite quiet and reserved. That was his survival technique. The only way poor Rowan could touch life was through playing out characters on stage. His inclination, like a snubbed wicked cripple who hates the world, was to play the bad guys and sort of get back at the world.

But the story, as you know, has a happyend. Rowan makes it big. Real big. He turns his oddity into a golden mine. Where are those pretty boys that once picked on Rowan now? Getting up at 5 lining up to catch the bus to ferry them to and fro their dead-end jobs as nobodies, carrying a mortgage on a semi-detached dwelling with a hefty dose of stress to boot.

Well done, Rowan. Way to get back at all of them. And in fact, in Blackadder II or III (The one where you play the court guy doing a great deal of hanging around with the giddy queen) you look rather dashing.

Yes, you may interject, but Atkinson is synonymous with fun... he's a hoot... he's great... that all is well but not in this case. Not in the pages of this dull paperback. Not in its confines. The retracing of steps of this comic giant leads into a boring staleness of a rather common and not so happy plight.

I'm giving it 2 stars only because I like Rowan. The book itself deserves none, really.

I'm Rick Friedman. This has been the Awful Truth, bringing you reality like no other. Take care.

Eh.......2001-09-01

Something of a lesson in not judging a book by its cover (or the blurb on the back). After purchasing this book, I was disappointed to learn in the opening acknowledgements that this was an unauthorized biography and that not even one of Atkinson's friends or close business associates agreed to be interviewed by Bruce Dressau, which in my mind, somewhat discredits the biography. On the other hand, if you're an American who didn't stumble upon Blackadder until it began airing on public television in the 90's (the way I did), this book isn't a bad read. It closely follows his career from his Oxford days up through The Thin Blue Line, which was interesting, especially when you see that seeds of certain characters (particularly Mr. Bean) took root early on in his career. Other than that, though, don't expect to gain any insight as to Rowan Atkinson the man, because there isn't any. The author tries to draw parallels between things like Atkinson's love of cars and his performing (if I had the book by my side now I'd subject you to the metaphor)but they just don't fly. I also realized, after reading the book, that the numerous articles that he quotes from (since no one was willing to talk to him) are mostly available on the internet. So while I'm willing to say that I learned something about British comedy and Rowan Atkinson, in the end I was still disappointed.

Detailed about the work, superficial about the man.......2001-04-18

This biography is an excellent account of the various television shows, films and stage productions that Rowan Atkinson has performed in during the course of his career. Starting with some plays that he did as a school-boy, it continues right up to the year 2000 with his Comic Relief CURSE OF THE FATAL DEATH sketches and the BLACKADDER BACK AND FORTH one-off special. Unfortunately, while the book is bursting at the seams with information and facts about his professional life, we never really learn much about Mr. Atkinson himself. This is perhaps hardly surprising, after all it's fairly well-known that he hates to give interviews and will often times appear on a chat show in his Mr. Bean character in order to promote the series without having to give anything of himself away. Throughout the book one only catches a glimpse of the man behind that face. We learn rather superficial details, such as his love for automobiles and his shyness in person, but we never really get to see how much of an impact his public and private lives have on each other.

There has obviously been a lot of research that has gone into this book. To compensate for the lack of material from the mouth of Rowan Atkinson himself, the author instead quotes from a variety of his friends, but the bulk of the information comes from his co-workers. It's very interesting to see how Atkinson kept with the same people he had worked with since his graduate school days. The same names keep cropping up over and over and it becomes clear that Atkinson knows to stick with a winning team. One also learns the origin of some of the most famous Mr. Bean sketches, many of which date back to his stage persona from the late 1970s. I was fascinated to see the evolution of the Bean character. While many of his live shows incorporated a silent character, it wasn't until the 90s that he brought most of his most famous material to television.

This book is recommended for fans of Rowan Atkinson's work. Do not expect an in-depth look at his personal life, because until Atkinson starts giving more interviews or writes his autobiography, there simply won't be anything on the market resembling one. However, as far as detailing his many accomplishments in the field of comedy, you won't get any better than this book.

Average customer rating:
Bean There Done That The Life And Times Of Rowan Atkinson
Bruce Dessau
Manufacturer: Welcome Rain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UUKGBS

Average customer rating:
Bean There Done That: The Life and Times of Rowan Atkinson
Bruce Dessau
Manufacturer: Orion Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GSOXFE

Average customer rating:

Got the wrong book

Bean There, Done That! Everything I?ve Learned about Selling IT Training
Martin Bean
Manufacturer: Course Technology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0619161914

Customer Reviews:

Got the wrong book.......2007-06-09

The seller sent me the wrong book. It was actually a book about the character Mr. Bean.

Not even close.

Seller would not refund money.

MAKE SURE YOU GET THE RIGHT BOOK and be aware a bean is not necessarily a bean.....

BEAN THERE DONE THAT: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ROWAN ATKINSON

Average customer rating:

BEAN THERE DONE THAT: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ROWAN ATKINSON
Bruce Dessau
Manufacturer: Orion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NTHX8K

Average customer rating:

Great song book!!!

books are fun.

Good band, Good Tabs. Just all around GOOD!

Nirvana: Nevermind, with Notes and Tablature
Nirvana
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Songbooks | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Nirvana - In Utero

Nirvana - Bleach

Nirvana in New York

Nirvana - Incesticide: Transcribed Scores

Weezer Weezer

ASIN: 0793523923

Product Description

Mathcing folio to the revolutoinary album that brought grunge to the masses. 12 songs, including: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Art, Lithium, Breed and more.

Customer Reviews:

Great song book!!!.......2005-09-29

Please don't hesitate and do buy this book! It is one of the greatest albums ever and also the most famous happening in the nineties of the previous century.The tabs are strictly grunge and you'll be enjoying nirvana of your own playing these tablatures. The solos are also wonderfull and the notes are tabbed easiest way possible to be played in a harmonic ways with our own being. I think so or... Enjoy it yourself!

books are fun........2004-01-24

awesome book. buy it if you have sense. have a nice day.

Good band, Good Tabs. Just all around GOOD!.......2003-12-04

If you are looking for a book that perfectly tabs out all of Nevermind for the guitar you have found your baby!

Book Description

This collection makes available what was once popular but has long been buried. During the eighteenth century, popular culture assumed a peculiar importance. In the early part of the century, high and low cultures often collided. Later in the century, politeness more and more required the distancing of genteel from vulgar amusements. This carefully annotated selection rediscovers some of the energies of the low and the vulgar in the period. It examines particular themes (crime, religious enthusiasm, popular politics, for example) by telling particular stories (the career of a notorious criminal, the exploits of a religious sect, John Wilkes and the crowd). It also illustrates how the very idea of popular culture was formed in the period, providing examples of the ways in which it was discussed both by those who were fearful of it and those who were fascinated by it.

Eighteenth-Century Popular Culture : A Selection

Average customer rating:

Eighteenth-Century Popular Culture : A Selection
John Mullan
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press(UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OL42TA

Book Description

In this pathbreaking study, Douglas Kellner offers the most systematic, critically informed political and institutional study of television yet published in the United States. Focusing on the relationship among television, the state, and business, he traces the history of television broadcasting, emphasizing its socioeconomic impact and its growing political power. Throughout, Kellner evaluates the contradictory influence of television, a medium that has clearly served the interests of the powerful, but has also dramatized conflicts within society and has on occasion led to valuable social criticism. LONG DESCRIPTION BEGINS HERE

Customer Reviews:

Lost in the Funhouse.......2003-07-12

In "Television and the Crisis of Democracy" the most valuable service postmodern popularizer Kellner performs is a quick but fair summary the major leftist theories of media over the past century. Then taking elements of each, he attempts to build a more comprehensive, realistic model of the media and its effects on social, economic, and political life. He shows that each theory tends to focus too narrowly on one cause, for instance that the Frankfurt school theorists represented by Adorno and Max Horkheimer, true to their Marxist backgrounds, tends to view media economistically as a tool of the capitalist, the means to upholding the bourgeoisie state. He also discusses the radical critique of Chomsky and others which charges that the media is almost purely a tool of government. He discusses Habermas briefly, noting his view that the images and stories in the media now constitutes most peoples' understanding and of the world. He touches on Baudrillard, neatly stating this theorists' view that in the postmodern world we now inhabit in which we hear people on television describing events they have witnessed personally as being like something they "saw on TV." A philosophical theory, which though interesting Kellner notes, fails to analyze it in economic or any other terms for that matter.

Then, after his summary, noting that television has never been "theorized" completely, he then attempts a synthesis of these various critiques, one that is reasonable and fairly straightforward: the media is captive to economic forces, but not entirely so. It does tend to broadcast and thus sustain the arrangements of both the economic and the political elite. At the same time, the media will give voice to counter opinions. Kellner points out that these counter opinions are usually other elites whose bull is being gored by the another set of elites and thus the "balanced" reporting technique so prized by journalists for its "objectivity" reinforces a fairly narrow discourse and leaves out any other non-elite or even radical elite viewpoints. Rather, the media prefers mainstream discourse from trusted representatives of the power elite to bolster their own authority and to curry favor with that elite. At the same time Kellner notes, certain stories sometimes arise, scandals, for instance, that do not serve the interests of any elites. He notes, however, that such events are relatively rare.

Kellner also gives a brief history of the hijacking of the public airwaves by big business, discusses Paul Lazarfeld's insight that what is "not seen" in the media is just as important, if not more so than what is seen, and shows with careful research how the conservatives scared the "liberal media" to a conservative center position during the Nixon, Reagan and Bush era while at the same time the deregulatory policy of the government with respect to the media transformed the media business into bottom line focused entities which quickly failed to uphold the public interest but instead upheld the interests of the corporations that own them. Those corporations desire profit, they do not desire lawsuits, nor do they wish to offend those who buy ads or those who control those who really control the broadcast licenses, the FCC, not the citizenry.

More than ten years old now, some of the examples Kellner employs here, as one might expect, may seem a little musty to some. But others may find, provocatively, that the examples he cites of the previous decades media mendacity, misdirection and misrule during the Reagan/Bush era are just as apparent, if not more apparent now. In fact, Kellner's last section in the book which discusses strategies for the public to take back the public trust of the airwaves is almost poignant now. The discussion that he had hoped for, where citizen groups would demand re-regulation of the airwaves that would involve more local control and more say in what is covered and not covered in the media, has not come to pass. Kellner in a postscript would have to say its only been more of the same since this book was published, more deregulation, more media agglomeration, more of the same non-coverage of real political scandal or alternative views of how society might conceive of itself. This "business as usual" activity in the intervening decade actually goes to his larger point that the media is closely aligned with conservative business and political elites more so than at anytime in the past century. See also Gitlin's Media Unlimited for another good take on the media as entertainment culture.

A very important book about a very controversial topic.......2001-07-05

This is a book that if widely read, could possibly precipitate change in the way television works if enough people understood its well argued claims. It should not be brushed off as left-wing, ax-to-grind, [some unforseeable cliché like] drivel. The book should be read as a serious criticism of a controlled medium of information that is many times manipulated, filtered or presented in such a fashion that it reveals some anti-democratic tendencies in the very foundations of the American capitalist system. (Let us be clear, there are arguably many positive aspects to our capitalist system, but they do not negate the overt and covert abuses by corporations which are quite apparent in this and other analyses of television).

Douglas Kellner articulates cogent, rational critiques of many typical American opinions and beliefs about television. This particular piece is well worth reading to reconsider how we think about the effects of television on our lives and our perceptions of just about everything. The truism that Americans spend vast quantities of time watching television is not the point here. The point is that television is a means of communication which we think we can depend upon to present issues to us in a balanced, informative format. Well, if the control of television and its spectrum of analysis lies within the purview of relatively few influential individuals (which to some degree it really does), who at the very least share a corporate lifestyle and sit on the board of directors of several major corporations, then how are we to expect that the presentation of facts and issues on corporate run networks won't clearly reflect their interests even if those interests contradict those of the public?

Kellner here presents some historical evidence of the corporate influence and ultimate political influence that corporations and administrations have exerted over television and other mediums of communication. An important fact Kellner puts on the table is that corporate and political influence have resulted in less and less true diversity in presentation and content, thereby narrowing the spectrum of articulated opinion on network television.

He does account for the reality that there are conflicts between coporate interests and these do result in some (mostly superficial) differences in network content, however, it is also explained that the networks are part of larger conglomerates which include defense contractors, health care providers and other major corporations and their influence over network coverage or the lack of it are hard to deny.

The book covers many events or stories which were either presented in a narrow, half-truth fashion or ignored altogether because if they were revealed in their entirety, the public would have been outraged.

The weak point is that Kellner and other post-modernist writers use methods that are controversial which deter some potential readers, especially conservatives. I encourage conservatives to read and think about the issues as Kellner presents them.

Even if you disagree with his ideas, Kellner is worth a read. You must contradict his account if your contrary opinion is tenable.

Book Description

Discover the Truth
·Detailed walkthrough with puzzle solutions and plot-progressing strategies
·How to choose the correct course of action in order to maintain each main character's psychological balance
·Complete listing of mental-health points and how to gain or lose them
·Bios for all four main characters
·All tarot cards and crucifix located
·Bonus gallery, movies, and soundtrack revealed

Customer Reviews:

INDIGO PROPHECY STRATEGY GUIDE.......2007-09-15

EXCELLENT STRATEGY GUIDE FOR THIS CRIME MYSTERY GAME.WELL WORTH PURCHASING AND A VERY GOOD GAME.

A must for this game!.......2007-03-10

This game itself is very confusing. The guide is very helpful in directing you through the game. I would probably waste mindless hours trying to "figure" everything out w/o it.

Fahrenheit Strategy Guide review.......2006-02-04

Upon buying the Fahrenheit game, I guessed that a strategy guide would be necessary, and I was correct. Luckily, this strategy guide is everything you'll ever need and more. You'll probably want to play the game through without consulting the guide, but when you do get stuck the guide offers invaluable advice without spoiling the plot, which is vital in a game such as this. The book itself is also a highly enjoyable read and is recommended for any lover of videogames. This guide, and comprehensively the game, is a must-have for gamers of any type.

Probably just enough.......2006-01-22

This guide uses a step-by-step walkthrough that is seldom seen in strategy guides nowadays, but credit to Prima for doing something that will appeal to people who really need to use a guide. It's like reading the Zelda: A Link to the Past again with the leading-you-by-the-hand approach. Then again, I guess this is the only way to present the walkthrough for this game.

For an official guide, however, it isn't exactly complete in its research for actions that may increase or decrease your character's stress levels. Some events are missing, which is not what you'd expect for an official guide. The frequent references to the screenshots are also somewhat unhelpful due to the poor quality of images.

Still, what this book does is that it provides an adequate amount of information for a player to go through the game at their own pace (providing said player can perform those button-pressing sequences correctly!). At least it tries to make things easier for the players by guiding them by the step. Overall, a fair effort that could be made better with a more detailed list of actions and sharper screenshots.

When You Don't Have a Good Alternative.......2005-12-28

There are two problems with Indigo prophecy. The first is that you may suddenly lose the game with nary a hint of why. This is because some of the events and conversations have unexpected dependencies. And second, you can also win the game in a very short time with nary a clue what you did right, or what you missed in the process. So without a game guide, odds are very good that you will find the game unsatisfactory for one reason or another.

That being said, this guide fills a very important role - it greatly increases the players enjoyment of the game. And it does so in a very plain spoken and straightforward manner. It is a walkthrough with pictures and not frills. Unfortunately, the text has a habit of referring to the pictures, especially when the picture is really to muddy to quite make out. This can get on your nerves quickly.

Still, it's the only guide for this game there is, although you might want to look at some of the on-line walkthroughs before upping the cash for this. For some reason, Prima seems to specialize in game guides that are cheaply made and the same prices as the slick guides. But if you want to get the full 40 hours of play that Indigo Prophecy provides this is probably the best answer.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books