Lies We Live By : Defeating Doubletalk and Deception in Advertising, Politics, and the Media

Book Description

It's a sad truth that lies are becoming a part of everyday life. From "pre-approved" credit card mailings to college admission claims to presidential press conferences, the American public is being "spun," deceived and misinformed at a dizzying rate and on a daily basis. Why is this? And what can we do about it?
In this lively but serious examination of the way lies are infiltrating world, media expert Carl Hausman takes a hard look at the business of deception, an industry that is growing at an alarming rate. Uncovering the roots of misinformation in American business and politics, he reveals the way words, numbers, and images are intentionally distorted for public consumption by some of this country's major industries-including tobacco companies, airlines, financial institutions, public relations firms, and even medical practices and universities-and offers outrageous examples of some of the more egregious assaults on the public trust. Showing readers how to spot potentially false claims, he offers advice about what we can do to stop them, with an annotated list of publications, individuals, and organizations dedicated to preventing the spread of misleading information. Whether it is paragraph-length footnotes, microscopic print or tortured statistics, the amount of propaganda being passed off as fact is both alarming and dangerous. Lies We Live By shows what to look for behind the double talk; but most importantly it offers ways to fight back.

Customer Reviews:

Brief and light.......2006-08-07

This is a very "lite" read. There are some solid points, some interesting nuggets of information, and some patently obvious observations. Summary - read the fine print. I had hoped for something eye opening, but there was nothing there. Certainly inoffensive, but nothing new. Responding to the 14 year old revewer below, I agree, all 14 year olds should read this book.

Got it from the library, had to buy it!.......2004-10-03

This book is really awesome. I'm 14, and the title scared me at first... but then I opened it up and it's filled with pictures and illustrations of some pretty interesting (and sometimes funny) facts. It's true that we live by lives, Carl Hausman can prove it.

If you like this, you might also like George Orwell's 1984, and Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky.

Shockingly Obvious.......2002-04-19

This is a pretty useful book that gives you pointers on decoding the lies, mindgames, and doublespeak from all kinds of areas. This includes advertising, politics, media, and even car sales. That is, areas known to be populated by charlatans, influence peddlers, and con artists. Hausman's observations on these trends and especially his specific examples of chicanery in each of those areas are quite eye-opening and entertaining. But it's not exactly shocking that car salesmen and advertisers are trying to rip you off, or that politicians bend the truth in their campaign advertising. Most of us already have that figured out, and there's not much need for Hausman to introduce these problems as if we just crawled out from under a rock and should be totally shocked. Also, his occasional lapses into brutal sarcasm can be funny but tend to make him guilty of some of the behavior he's criticizing. Alas, it's hard to write a book like this, which is a media-driven exercise, and keep yourself totally detached from the bad side of media behavior that you're describing. Hausman does know this however, and instead of simply complaining then leaving you up in the air like other writers on this subject, he actually comes up with some useful solutions to the problem. The only true weakness of this book though, is that Hausman sees lies and doublespeak EVERYWHERE. If that's the case, then there's not really much reason for hope, is there? There's no need to be as pessimistic as him. Also beware of this book's low production values (at least in paperback), with illustrations that look like they came from fifth-generation copies off an extremely ancient copy machine.

WAKE UP AMERICA!.......2001-01-25

Tired of double talk? Innuendo? Half-baked journalism and devious flim-flam speakers? Read Carl Hausman's brillant book. He highlights the extent to which misformation has permeated business, politics, medical practices, universities, presidential press conferences, and even those pre-approved credit card applications you received unsolicited in the mail, just to mention a few. He outlines what you can do to stop this onslaught of mis-information, and includes a list of publications and organizations already in place for that purpose. He presents his material in a comic way, so there are lots of laughs about this tragic trend. After reading the book, I would like to see Mr Hausman team up with Bill O'Reilly in the Factors no-spin zone. Now these two could really keep us alert. WAKE UP AMERICA!

Read it or weep!.......2000-12-15

A great expose of how decpetion works. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, though. The writing is funny but when you see the way that deception has become such a common part of politics it's truly depressing.

Book Description

With new and updated information, the focus of Physician Compensation Strategies, Second Edition is on addressing the complex issues that face physician practices today and presenting workable solutions for the distribution of compensation. This resource is filled with practical solutions/information to help your practice reach an agreement on appropriate forms of compensation. These include:

-Base pay

-Incentive pay

-Benefits

-Equity arrangements

-Concerns regarding Stark legislation that may impact compensation

Customer Reviews:

Poor choice.......2007-03-11

I probably did not know that this book is not what it is meant for. I bought it thinking it would help me in writing a contract for an associate of mine and that it would have different formulas for production based compensation. It does not. I am not sure what this book is written for, to be honest. After reading it, I do not believe that I learned anything at all!

Strategies to successfully charge for telephone care. (Not Reimbursed by Most Insurers).: An article from: Pediatric News

Average customer rating:

Strategies to successfully charge for telephone care. (Not Reimbursed by Most Insurers).: An article from: Pediatric News
Damian McNamara
Manufacturer: International Medical News Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008G5OU2
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pediatric News, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 945 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: Strategies to successfully charge for telephone care. (Not Reimbursed by Most Insurers).
Author: Damian McNamara
Publication: Pediatric News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 37 Issue: 1 Page: 38(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Deferred compensation strategies for healthcare executives and physicians: A complete guide to deferred compensation and supplemental retirement plans ... and not-for-profit healthcare organizations

Average customer rating:

Deferred compensation strategies for healthcare executives and physicians: A complete guide to deferred compensation and supplemental retirement plans ... and not-for-profit healthcare organizations
Thomas L Ledbetter
Manufacturer: American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006R4Z0S

Book Description

Effectively disproving any notion that Christians are relentlessly dour, melancholy, humorless, and joyless, these books from Cal and Rose Samra offer a rib-tickling treasury of Christian joy and humor. They're as ideally suited to individuals and families looking for a laugh as they are to pastors, speakers, and all those who seek to spice up their presentations - and their lives -
with a few power-packed moments of Holy Humor.
        For more than a decade, the interdenominational Fellowship of Merry Christians has been publishing The Joyful Noiseletter, an award-winning newsletter filled with church life humor by some of the world's top comedians, humorists, clowns, and cartoonists. Now, the most snicker-spurring and laughter-inciting of these comical contributions are available in four uproarious trade paperback collections and four mini-giftbooks!
        Featuring cartoons by such gifted cartoonists as Bil Keane, creator of The Family Circus, and Johnny Hart, creator of B.C., these collections by editors Cal and Rose Samra are a virtual treasury of good, clean, inspirational humor. Within the pages of each book, readers will find enough knee-slapping jokes, uplifting anecdotes, zingy one-liners, joyful Scripture references, inspiring stories, top ten lists, clean limericks, church cartoons, real-life "uh-ohs," bulletin bloopers, and "jestimonials" from pastors, health professionals, chaplains, and patients to make them laugh from start to finish!
        Conveniently arranged by topic or month for easy use, each book is ideal for pastors, teachers, public speakers, and all who seek to fill their lives with God-inspired joy and holy laughter, to help them face the challenges of life.

Customer Reviews:

More Hilarity Please.......2000-09-26

While this book was amusing, I have seen many of the items before, and I kept waiting for the various authors to break some real ground here, but they played it safe too often.

Holy Hilarity.......1999-12-23

I love to read amusing anecdotes, etc. and I enjoyed this book. As the "holy" in the title suggests, this book's about God and church...and the amusing stuff about holy things. It is non-denominational.

More Holy Hilarity (The Holy Humor Series)

Average customer rating:

More Holy, Less Hilarity

More Holy Hilarity (The Holy Humor Series)
Cal Samra , and Rose Samra
Manufacturer: WaterBrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1578562821
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

More Holy, Less Hilarity.......2000-09-26

You can read my review of the first book in the series and apply it here. More of the same oft-told stories without trying anything new. I will stick to the Church Chuckles series instead.

More Holy Hilarity : Inspirational Humor & Cartoons

Average customer rating:

More Holy Hilarity : Inspirational Humor & Cartoons
Cal Samra , and Rose Samra
Manufacturer: Fellowship of Merry Christians Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J4MHIA

Holy Hilarity Sunday.(Brief Article): An article from: Presbyterian Record

Average customer rating:

Holy Hilarity Sunday.(Brief Article): An article from: Presbyterian Record
Frank Breisch
Manufacturer: Presbyterian Record
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Presbyterian Record, published by Presbyterian Record on February 1, 2001. The length of the article is 958 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: Holy Hilarity Sunday.(Brief Article)
Author: Frank Breisch
Publication: Presbyterian Record (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2001
Publisher: Presbyterian Record
Volume: 125 Issue: 2 Page: 11

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Holy hilarity!: Playshop guidebook of the Fellowship of Merry Christians

Average customer rating:

Holy hilarity!: Playshop guidebook of the Fellowship of Merry Christians
Cal Samra
Manufacturer: Merry Christians
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Holy Hilarity; Inspirational Humor and Cartoons

Average customer rating:

Holy Hilarity; Inspirational Humor and Cartoons
Cal & Rose Samra
Manufacturer: Guideposts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NHWPNK

Average customer rating:

Great information, a fan's labor of love

Very enjoyable book but just a few complaints...

Marillion/Separated Out: The Complete History 1979-2002
Jon Collins
Manufacturer: Helter Skelter Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Rock | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Rush: Chemistry

Marillion: Live From Loreley

Contents Under Pressure: 30 Years of Rush at Home and Away

Misplaced Childhood

Return to Childhood

ASIN: 1900924498

Book Description

With Script for a Jester's Tear in 1983 and chart hits "Punch and Judy" and "Kayleigh," Marillion ushered in a post-punk progressive rock renaissance. Drawing on interviews with all band members, past and present, and featuring 150 rare photos and featuring cover artwork by the artist behind Marillion 15 album covers, this is the definitive book on one of the most enduring modern progressive rock bands, who enjoy a hardcore underground following in the U.S.

Customer Reviews:

Great information, a fan's labor of love.......2005-12-17

Would you stop breathing the air if you didn't like it? Of course not, because the air around you is all there is to breathe. This is, so far as I know, the only Marillion biography out there, authorized or otherwise. So if you're a Marillion fan or find yourself wondering "whatever happened to them?" or "why did Fish leave the band?" or even "I sure loved that Kayleigh song...", then this is the book to buy.

It's chock full of detailed information about the history of the band and you really get a sense of just how hard it must be to generate the kind of success the did, in so short a time. It explains why Fish left (in as much as anything can) and conveys a strong sense of what it might have been like to be close to the band around that time. There is somewhat less detail when it comes to the Hogarth years, which is odd considering that Steve Hogarth (the singer who replaced Fish for those of you who checked out in the '80's) has been with the band longer than Fish ever was.

All in all though, it's very satisfying and informative for the- I almost said "Casual Marillion fan", but we Marillion fans are hardly casual. Either you get Marillion or you don't. Like the reviewer before me, I consider myself a "lifer" in the Marillion camp and am hardly objective. But I live in the United States and have missed out on a lot of detail over the years. Marillion's following is passionate, but smallish and it doesn't always make sense for the band to tour the U.S. So this book, flaws and all, serves as kind of a crash course for those of us who miss out on the little things.

Flaws? There are times in this book, where it's painfully clear that the author too closely identifies with the band and it hurts the narrative. He rushes past things that make him uncomfortable. The most obvious example is how he handles Steve Hogarth's appeal for their female fans. It's an important point that while Fish was the driving force behind the band early on and his lyrics were a kind of high art, he appealed largely to men. His macho presence and biker-like, hard drinkin', hard livin' attitude combined with the bitterness toward women in his early lyrics helped attract a largely male audience. Steve Hogarth is more conventionally hansome, his persona is one of gentler of spirit and he sings songs of hope. Where Fish's work was a study in darkness, Steve Hogarth seems equally comfortable in both the light and the dark. Unfortunately, the way the author handles this is to stop the narrative flow and interject {paraphrased} "It should be noted that the women find Steve Hogarth to be quite the horn. Yes, well, that's covered, let's move on." It's an important point but the author is too embarrassed to pursue it and one wonders what other stones he left unturned.

It's not a terrible book, but it's not exactly a good book either. It is, however, the only account of one of the most unusual, creative and constantly surprising bands in music today. Marillion are a phenomenon. Not every album is genius and not every song on their best albums works. But they constantly challenge not only the expectations of their fans and critics, but their own expectations as well. In a world where the Beatles still manage to inspire 2 or 3 new biographies each holiday season, Marillion deserves better than they get and if this were a world that rewarded talent and hard work over marketing glitz, I believe they'd be near the top. However, until the world gets a clue, fan projects like this one are like the air. Good or not so good, we will continue to breathe.

Jon Collins did a huge thing here. As a fan, I both envy his access to the band and respect his effort. As fans go, he's top notch. As writers go, he shows promise. He does an excellent job conveying the mood and feel of the band's early days. His research is good and he'd pretty good about saying when there isn't enough evidence to draw a tidy conclusion about one thing or another. I hope if he reads this, he'll understand what I'm trying to say and that his next effort, if there is one, may be stronger for it.

Very enjoyable book but just a few complaints..........2003-05-20

For any Marillion fan, this is the best book out there as it covers every era up to the present. There are interviews with evryone past and present and the book is a very easy read (though be forwarned American readers there's a lot of British slang in there) and was pretty accurate with a nice dsicography in back as well.
My only complaints are that when it comes to each album the descriptions of the songs are at times unintentionally hilarious. The author goes WAY overboard with his emotions in describing songs. Here is the most ridiculous in describing the song "Warm Wet Circles": "...Steve Rothery breaks into an aching solo, full of pathos and longing...Ian Mosely's snare cracks and we feel the first bullet smashing into John Lennon on the steps of the Dakota Building". What? I feel a drum, I don't know about you. This goes beyond insanity. I mean, I laughed out loud at this and many others. The author clearly has no distance from the subject and Marillion can do no wrong.
I am a lifetime fan and let me say they've put out their fair share of [stuff] ("Radiat10n" and [local website] are prime examples). To his credit, he does have the fan perspective and some negative views are offered at times but not many.
If not for cringing at the reviews of the songs, I'd say this was a total pleasure. As is, it's a great book.

Book Description

As Laura Linder asserts, increased concentration of media ownership has resulted in the homogenization of public discourse. Packaged, commercialized messages have replaced the personalized and localized opinions necessary for the "uninhibited marketplace of ideas" envisioned in the First Amendment. Narrowcast outlets such as talk radio give vent to individual voices, but only to a limited, predefined audience. The media have led a social shift toward splintering and compartmentalization, away from pluralism and consensus. Public access television provides an alternative to this trend, requiring active public participation in the process of developing community-based programming through the dominant medium of television. Today, more than 2,000 public access television centers exist in the United States, producing more than 10,000 hours of original, local programming every week. But public access television remains underutilized, even as deregulation and growing interest in other telecommunications delivery systems pose a potential threat to the long-term viability of public access television. In this comprehensive review of the background and development of public access television, Linder offers all the information needed to understand the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings as well as the nuts and bolts of public access television in the United States. Must reading for students and scholars involved with mass media in the United States and professionals in the television field.

Customer Reviews:

An Excellent Overview.......2006-06-04

There is not much scholarship on public access television. Laura Linder's book is one of the few, so I was especially happy to discover that it is a piece of high-quality scholarship.

Linder surveys the many issues surrounding this complex institution, including: the philosophical vision, the way stations operate, their regulatory and funding frameworks, and their history. It is full of citations, too, which is very helpful.

I recommend this book not only for scholars but also for practitioners in the field who want a broad overview of the sector in which they work.

Public Access Television: America's Electronic Soapbox

Average customer rating:

Public Access Television: America's Electronic Soapbox
Laura R. Linder
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORD89O

Book Description

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires public companies to implement internal controls over financial reporting, operations, and assets-all of which depend heavily on installing or improving information security technology
Offers an in-depth look at why a network must be set up with certain authentication computer science protocols (rules for computers to talk to one another) that guarantee security
Addresses the critical concepts and skills necessary to design and create a system that integrates identity management, meta-directories, identity provisioning, authentication, and access control
A companion book to Manager's Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (0-471-56975-5) and How to Comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 (0-471-65366-7)

Download Description

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires public companies to implement internal controls over financial reporting, operations, and assets-all of which depend heavily on installing or improving information security technology Offers an in-depth look at why a network must be set up with certain authentication computer science protocols (rules for computers to talk to one another) that guarantee security Addresses the critical concepts and skills necessary to design and create a system that integrates identity management, meta-directories, identity provisioning, authentication, and access control A companion book to Manager's Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (0-471-56975-5) and How to Comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 (0-471-65366-7)

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books