Popular culture is often seen as nothing more than the production of endless entertainment video games, computer games, hand-held games, movies and music on computers. It's common currency to talk about the declining standards of today's culture to say that modern media is dumbing us down. In this complex and tautly written book, Steven Johnson presents a radical alternative: mass culture is making us smarter by consistently demanding more of our brains. So whether you watch The Sopranos or Survivor, turn on and tune in.
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Review
'We need never feel guilty about that 96-hour Grand Theft Auto session again’ -- Arena
'Wonderfully entertaining’ -- Malcolm Gladwell
Essential and rather brilliant. -- New Statesman
The championing of popular culture is most welcome ... a vital, lucid exploration of the contemporary mediascape. -- Time Out Book of the Week
This book is a satisfying experience. -- New Statesman
‘A guru for Generation Xbox’ -- Financial Times
‘A must-read’ -- Mark Thompson, head of the BBC
‘Thought-provoking … very persuasive’ -- Sunday Times
'Wonderfully entertaining’ -- Malcolm Gladwell
Essential and rather brilliant. -- New Statesman
The championing of popular culture is most welcome ... a vital, lucid exploration of the contemporary mediascape. -- Time Out Book of the Week
This book is a satisfying experience. -- New Statesman
‘A guru for Generation Xbox’ -- Financial Times
‘A must-read’ -- Mark Thompson, head of the BBC
‘Thought-provoking … very persuasive’ -- Sunday Times
About the Author
Steven Johnson is the author of the US bestseller Mind Wide Open. His previous book, Emergence, was shortlisted for the Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism. Johnson's writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's and The Guardian, as well as on the op-ed pages of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He also writes for Discover magazine and Wired.com, and was co-founder of the award-winning websites FEED and Plastic.com. He teaches at New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program, and has degrees in Semiotics and English Literature from Brown and Columbia Universities.
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First Sentence
EVERY CHILDHOOD HAS its talismans, the sacred objects that look innocuous enough to the outside world, but that trigger an onslaught of vivid memories when the grown child confronts them. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
EVERY CHILDHOOD HAS its talismans, the sacred objects that look innocuous enough to the outside world, but that trigger an onslaught of vivid memories when the grown child confronts them. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
By bookrunner
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
As a keen gamer, I plan to show this book to everyone who tells me I'm wasting time! The book explores a premise called the Sleeper Curve, a term invented by Johnson and used liberally throughout the book, explaining that those forms of mass culture that are most slated for being mindless and simplistic are in fact challenging our brains in ever newer and more complex ways. By examining the changes in television, film and games over the last few decades, and citing results of IQ studies and other publications, Johnson certainly makes a persuasive argument for the complexification of American culture.
However, a major flaw with this book as far as I see it is its concentration on America and American media. Whether older British television is indeed as simple compared to today's shows as Johnson claims American TV is, I cannot say; however, I suspect that at least some of our older television still challenges today's audiences. Equally, results of spurious IQ studies (with Johnson himself mentioning that IQ is not necessarily a good measure of intelligence) are entirely divorced from our culture. Having lived in America, I did understand most of the references to television shows, but there were still some which passed me by, unfortunately.
In terms of style the book is fairly heavy-going (at least initially) since it takes a more academic than casual tone. Certainly the term 'Sleeper Curve' is accurate as I fell asleep reading it a few times, and I felt more like I was ploughing through reams of justification than following a series of eloquent arguments. However, Johnson makes his point logically, and well, and I am inclined to agree with his line of reasoning; it is also a good thing for mass media that finally a well-supported argument can stand up to the old-wives' myths levelled at it by its detractors, and the general folk belief that "TV is bad for you" which, I realise, I have never seen actually argued out anywhere.
Overall, this is an interesting and fairly challenging book but a little too America-centric; I feel it wouldn't have been terribly difficult to look outside the USA for examples! If one can look past that, however, it's definitely worth at least one read, though it might not stand up to repeated reading, since my reaction on finishing the book was to want to talk to the author to challenge some of his points -- something the old-fashioned one-way un-interactive medium of books doesn't allow
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By V. Pollard
Format:Paperback
i'm a big fan of Stephen Johnson's writing. Interface Culture should be on every digital media-related course's reading list and blew my mind at the time. I also think Emergence is a great book, which expands into more scientific areas. that said, i found this book slightly disappointing. it is well written and interesting in parts but there's nothing especially surprising or thought-provoking in it (especially if you've read his other books) and i left feeling it would've been better as a magazine or newspaper article rather than something you have to pay £8 for. ironically (given the commentary on fit for purpose media). there was a fair bit of repetition (at one point i was thinking "if he mentions how gaming improves your cognitive skills one more time i'm gonna scream") and the referencing of Nietszche e.g. just struck me as gratuitous. if you're a fast reader or haven't read his other books then you may enjoy it but is less challenging and less interesting than his other writing. it's less academic and therefore more accessible than his other stuff so would probably buy this for someone that needed persuading, which perhaps is the audience he's aiming for with this one.
By giraffe
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Great idea of a book to look at new media from a different perspective, although I found it quite repetitive.
Could have been much more concise, I found myself scanning and skipping.
Could have been much more concise, I found myself scanning and skipping.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Incomplete
Several paragraphs of the preview chapter alone introduce a picture, diagram or other image which is simply absent, apparently not included in the electronic version. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2010 by Antsoton
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant
simply one of the best books i've ever read. it finally gave me valid arguments for things i knew to be true...
Published on 5 July 2010 by ppferraz
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is so good. And it's good for you.
Are you annoyed with classical music and classical literature fans who believe that they are somehow better, nobler, finer than the rest of us, just because everything they like is... Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2009 by Printul Noptilor
4.0 out of 5 stars
Everything Bad is Good for You - Steven Johnson
Very interesting and really sums up the current media debate! going to be really useful when starting by media uni course in september!
Published on 26 April 2009 by Ms. Eilidh White
4.0 out of 5 stars
Everything Bad is Good for You is Good for You
Johnson is one of my favourite writers; this might not be his best book, ('Emergence' is) but this is like spending a weekend with a fascinating eccentric, one whose arguments are... Read more
Published on 17 Jun 2008 by A. Strong
2.0 out of 5 stars
Elitism Rules! OK?
This is a provocative book which warrants serious consideration. The author postulates that through the device of the sleeper curve, the various technological developments which... Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2008 by Junglies
4.0 out of 5 stars
Grand Moff Tarkin...why grand Moff Tarkin??
First let me say that this is a truelly inspiring book, after reading it I not only feel entirely justified in my TV and DVD viewing but a little ashamed of myself for not playing... Read more
Published on 25 May 2007 by Pacman
4.0 out of 5 stars
This Book Was Good For Me
I value this book immensely because it highlighted that my generation had not wasted away on computer games, formulaic film and TV content. Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2007 by Simon Drake
5.0 out of 5 stars
My best non-fiction read in 2005!
I read this book at the end of 2005 and found it one of the best eye openers in challenging a lot of my simple misconceptions regarding computer games, TV and the benefits of the... Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2006 by Siriam
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ecologists relax!
Unless he's added stuff the author's not really saying everything bad is good. As an advocate for less gas guzzling travel I'm not worried by anything I've read of Steve Johnson's... Read more
Published on 2 May 2005 by S. BADDELEY
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