Separates the nonsense from the fabulous and shows that falling in love with an It bag doesn't mean you have the IQ of an It girl. This book shows how to wear shorts without looking like an extra in Hamlet , what to spend money on, and what not to, and why only harpists should wear velvet.

Looks at the surprising ways that stories have influenced people within contemporary culture and vice versa. This title explores topics, including the dumbing down of books for children, the marketing of childhood, the changing shape of feminist fairy tales, and why American and British children aren't exposed to more non-western fairy tales.

One of the developments in the popular culture of the past has been the popularization of elite tastes for mass audiences. This book is a collection of essays that explores this cultural formation across disciplines and media - from film, television, and interior design/material culture to publishing, music, and museum exhibition.

The Gospel according to unpopular culture.

Since 1970, when a small group of comic book lovers organized the first show, Comic-Con International has been the place for insiders to check out the latest creations and connect with legions of fans. This book documents this cultural phenomenon's history, illustrated with over 650 images from the Comic-Con archives.

What's in a name? A few vowels and some consonants - or a whole new identity just waiting to burst free? This book rearranges hundreds of famous names to create a parallel universe - like the world we know, but funnier, ruder, and much more vitriolic.

From the author of 'Women's Magazines: The First Three Hundred Years', who has also been a director of Conde Nast, comes the definitive history of one of the most enduring but ever-changing consumer items of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries - newspapers and magazines.

A chilling investigation into the rites and rituals of modern-day exorcism.

A wonderfully entertaining and fascinating mosaic of the 1970s, arguing that it was much more than just the decade that taste forgot and actually represents a key period in 20th-century culture.

Does txtng spell the end of literacy? David Crystal looks at the evidence, investigating how txtng began, what it is, why it's used, and how it works. Txtng: The Gr8 Db8 is entertaining and instructive: reassuring for parents, illuminating for teenagers, fascinating for everyone.

First published in France in 1977, this work presents a topological account of the entire history of humanity, honing in on the technological advances made possible through the militarization of society. Building on the works of Morand, Marinetti, and McLuhan, it looks at speed - not class or wealth - as the primary force shaping civilization.

Celebrates the impact of Hip-Hop's visual style in seven chapters on fashion, sneakers, advertising, music, movies and television, street art and fine art, and automobiles. This book tracks the influence of Hip-Hop graphics down the decades and across a variety of media.

Published in miniature edition, the perfect gift for all those who want to indulge in this lushly illustrated book on the most favourite of fashion subjects.

From flowerpower to hippie mafia - the story of the LSD counterculture.

Spain is a complex country. Beyond the stereotypes of sangria and bullfighting lies a cultured mosaic of regions, languages and customs. This title uncovers the key events, themes and people that have shaped the nation, from green Galicia to dusty Andalucia. It also explores the culture of everyday Spanish life.

We live in an increasingly uncertain world. There's so much to worry about it is often hard to know what to really panic about. Putting a lit match to the lies, headlines and statistical twaddle that seeks to frighten us, this title explores 40 reasons for worry: from binge-drinking to Frankenstein foods, bird flu to alien abductions.

The Dark Subculture. Goth is the subculture that never dies, influencing fashion, TV, movies, and alternative rock music. 'Goth: The Dark Subculture' is a visual history that draws on a rich photographic archive. Spanning the entirety of the scene's existence, the book vividly evokes the past, present and future of Goth.

Emphasizing the importance of popular culture and the wealth of knowledge that can be gained through an analysis of the daily lives and practices of individuals, this book serves as an introduction to Czech popular culture. It includes six hundred entries, cross-referenced to allow readers to pursue particular topics in greater depth.