"With the incredible popularity of Michael Moore's books and movies, and the continuing success of anti-consumer critiques like ADBUSTERS and Naomi Klien's NO LOGO, it is hard to ignore the growing tide of resistance to the corporate-dominated world. But do these vocal opponents of the status quo offer us a real political alternative?" "In this work of cultural criticism, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter shatter the central myth of radical political, economic and cultural thinking. The idea of a counterculture, a world outside the consumer-dominated one that encompasses us, pervades everything from the anti-globalization movement to feminism and environmentalism. And the idea that mocking the system, or trying to 'jam' it so it will collapse, they argue, is not only counterproductive but has helped to create the very consumer society that radicals oppose." "In a blend of pop culture, history and philosophical analysis, Heath and Potter offer a startling, clear picture of what a concern for social justice might look like without the confusion of the counterculture obsession with being different."--Book jacket.
With the popularity of Michael Moore, Adbusters magazine and Naomi Klein’s No Logo, it’s hard to ignore the growing tide of resistance to our corporate-controlled world. But do these vocal opponents of the status quo offer us a real political alternative? In this lively blend of pop culture, history and philosophical analysis, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter argue that this countercultural opposition to "the system" has not only been unproductive but has helped to create the very consumer society that radicals oppose. This thought-provoking book will enrage and entertain today’s countercultural rebels and their opponents on the political right.
In this wide-ranging and perceptive work of cultural criticism, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter shatter the most important myth that dominates much of radical political, economic, and cultural thinking. The idea of a counterculture -- a world outside of the consumer-dominated world that encompasses us -- pervades everything from the antiglobalization movement to feminism and environmentalism. And the idea that mocking or simply hoping the "system" will collapse, the authors argue, is not only counterproductive but has helped to create the very consumer society radicals oppose. In a lively blend of pop culture, history, and philosophical analysis, Heath and Potter offer a startlingly clear picture of what a concern for social justice might look like without the confusion of the counterculture obsession with being different.
One of Canada's hippest, smartest cultural critics takes on the West's defining value. We live in a world increasingly dominated by the fake, the prepackaged, the artificial: fast food, scripted reality TV shows, Facebook "friends," and fraudulent memoirs. But people everywhere are demanding the exact opposite, heralding "authenticity" as the cure for isolated individualism and shallow consumerism. Restaurants promote the authenticity of their cuisine, while condo developers promote authentic loft living and book reviewers regularly praise the authenticity of a new writer's voice. International bestselling author Andrew Potter brilliantly unpacks our modern obsession with authenticity. In this perceptive and thought-provoking blend of pop culture, history, and philosophy, he finds that far from serving as a refuge from modern living, the search for authenticity often creates the very problems it's meant to solve.
In 1888 New York City, sixteen-year-old governess Verity Newton agrees to become a spy, whatever the risk, after learning that the man for whom she has feelings sympathizes with rebels developing non-magical sources of power, via steam engines, in hopes of gaining freedom from British rule.
Josey Wales is out for the blood of the pro-Union Jayhawkers who raped & murdered his wife. When Wales refuses to surrender, he begins a life on the run from the law, reluctantly befriending a diverse group of whites & Indians on his quest for revenge and a new life.
The current way of treating people at work has failed. Globally, only 30% of employees are engaged in their jobs, and in this fast-paced world that's just not enough. The world's best companies understand this, and have been quietly treating people differently for nearly two decades. Now you can learn their secrets and discover The Engagement BridgeTM model, proven to build bottom line value for companies through sustainable employee engagement. Companies with the best cultures generate stock market returns of twice the general market and enjoy half the employee turnover of their peers. Their staff innovate more, deliver better customer service and, hands-down, beat the competition. These companies outperform and disrupt their markets. They break the rules of traditional HR, they rebel against the status quo. Build it has found these rebels and the rulebreakers. From small startups to global powerhouses, this book shows that courage, commitment, and a people-centric mindset, rather than money and resources, are what you need to turn an average business into a category leader. The book follows the clear and proven Engagement BridgeTM model, developed from working with thousands of leading companies worldwide on their own employee engagement journeys. The practical model highlights the areas that leaders need to examine in order to build a highly engaged company culture and provides a framework for success. Build it is packed with tips, tools and real-life examples from employers including NASDAQ, Unilever, IBM, KPMG, 3M, and McDonald's to help you start doing this not tomorrow, but today. Readers will learn: How employee engagement helps companies perform The key factors that drive engagement, and how they work together What the world's most rebellious companies have done to break the rules of traditional HR and improve engagement How to implement The Engagement BridgeTM model to boost productivity, innovation, and better decision-making Unique in this category, Build it is written from two sharply different perspectives. Glenn Elliott is a multi-award winning Entrepreneur of the Year, CEO and growth investor. He talks candidly about the mistakes and missteps he has made whilst building Reward Gateway into a $300m category leader in employee engagement technology. Debra Corey brings 30 years experience in senior level HR roles at global companies such as Gap, Quintiles, Honeywell and Merlin Entertainments. She shares the practical tools and case studies that can kickstart your employee engagement plan, bringing her own pragmatic and engaging style to each situation.
Reunited with her ex, a military vet faces internal battles and physical danger in this romantic suspense tale by a New York Times–bestselling author. Mariah Conrad has come home. Badly wounded on active duty in Afghanistan and finally released stateside, she has no family to call on and nowhere to go—until Quinn Walker arrives at her bedside. Quinn . . . her brother-in-arms, ex-lover and now maybe her future. Quinn brings Mariah to his log cabin in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky to rest and recuperate both physically and emotionally. While she’s incredibly grateful, Mariah is also confused and frustrated. She’s always stood on her own two feet, but now even that can literally be torture. She’s having flashbacks and blackouts, hearing helicopter noises in the night. She wants to push Quinn away—and hold him closer than ever. But will she get the chance? Those helicopters are more than just post-traumatic stress; they’re real—and dangerous. Bad things are happening on the mountain. Suddenly there’s a battle to be fought on the home front, and no guarantee of survival.
