Everyone is preparing for the end of the semester, whether it be by frantically studying or furiously grading. Both processes involve an intake of one intangible and seemingly unmeasurable thing: information. However, someone has quantified it.
The Global Information Industry Center, housed at UCSD, has come out with their latest report, stating that Americans “consumed information for about 1.3 trillion hours, an average of almost 12 hours per day.” The study, aptly titled How Much Information?: 2009 Report on American Consumers, goes on to offer more statistics about not only the time spent consuming information, but also about the sources of information. The researchers report that while traditional media (television and radio) still command much of our attention spans, the computer, not surprisingly, is challenging that by providing interactive exchange of information.
You can read the full report (PDF) and see for yourself. Take it all in.
Packaging Boyhood:
Saving Our Sons from Superheroes,
Slackers and Other Media Stereotypes
by Brown, Lamb and Tappan
HD9970.5 .C483 U635 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Growing up has never been easy, for some, harder than others. One could argue that the rise of television and the Internet has made it even harder to get through childhood emotionally unscathed. This week’s featured title tackles how the media influences being a kid in this day and age.
Brown, Lamb and Tappan have compiled their research from surveying over six hundred boys from across the country about what it’s like to be a young male. They examine the messages that the media sends these budding adolescents and how these seemingly positive portrayals contain dark undertones. The authors try to figure out what they wear, watch, hear, read and do in order to examine the effects of the external forces on the lives of these boys. They contend that parents and adults should help boys to process these images and encourage them to be themselves and not conform to media stereotypes.
And don’t worry – you won’t have to wait for the study of the girls, as they were the subject of the 2006 book by the same researchers (minus Tappan), Packaging Girlhood, HD9970.5.C483 U655 2006 (Main Collection, 3rd floor).
Thirteen Persistent Economic Fallacies:
by EJ Mishan
HB171 .M545 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
The drive for starting this column way back in 2007 was to highlight books that I selected for purchase – I wanted to share the fact that there were great things being published and acquired for the library’s collection. This week’s featured title is an example of one that I thought was interesting.
Mishan, professor at the London School of Economics, is out to shake things up. Specifically, the long-time economist is challenging popular notions to current issues, such as immigration, globalization and gender discrimination. You know those things that you just assume are common knowledge? The author takes thirteen statements, such as “The national debt is a burden on future generations,” and provides new arguments for the debate. Prepare to view these topics in a different light after reading this book.
American Fantastic Tales:
Terror and the Uncanny
by Peter Straub
volume 1 – PS648 .F3 A57 2009
volume 2 – PS648 .F3 A572 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
We’re now entering the last month of 2009 and winter seems to be making its first appearance for what hopefully will be a mild season (hey, I can dream, right?). The temperatures outside may cause you to stay inside and potentially curl up with a good book. This week’s featured title will have you having you on the edge of your seat or screaming – or both.
Straub, the editor of the two-volume set, has compiled a collection of short stores from the some of the most well-known authors in the history of our country. Of course, there’s a twist to the literary selections – they are representative of the horror and fantasy writing present from the 1800s to the present. Revolving around themes of the mysterious and suspenseful, the editor takes the reader into the world of the fantastical with writers from Poe to King, Melville to Cheever. The best part – most of the stories are ten to twenty pages and make it easy to jump around. On the other hand, you might not be able to put the books down…
The World Is Blue:
How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One
by Sylvia Earle
GC21 .E28 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
It seems to me that much of the focus in the environmental debate has been on climate change and plastics and recycling. This week’s featured title looks at the major ‘benefactor’ (if you can say that) of the effects of those factors, the world’s oceans.
Earle, Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society and well-respected researcher, presents the case for protecting and preserving the oceanic landscape. In her opening paragraph, she states that “many seem unaware that without the ‘blue’, there could be no green” (both literally and figuratively). The author goes into great detail about the living organisms that are sustained by the water, and the challenges that these lifeforms face from the human practices that are detrimental to their ecosystems. Fortunately, Earle offers her vast knowledge of the oceans to educate people, but also to describe solutions in which we can save not only our water-based friends, but also ourselves.
The world is celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week this week (16-22 November), and what better place to be than UW-Whitewater for such an event. The Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization student group is co-sponsoring the 2009 Wisconsin Youth Entrepreneurs’ Conference. The university was awarded a $4.7 million grant from the Economic Development Administration to fund the creation of the Whitewater Technology Park, which will provide business research and development space for the region. There is a lot of entrepreneurial activity going on right here!
The Library has been actively involved in providing support the development and integration of entrepreneurship into the curriculum. The current showcase in the library’s lobby displays just a sampling of the book titles that have been purchased on the topic, with many more to be found using HAL CAT. Also, we have plenty of online resources to aid in the research of new business development in general, like ABI/Inform and Business Source Premier.
Furthermore, if you have that entrepreneurial spirit and want to research the prospect of launching your own business, make sure to come talk to us. The aforementioned resources (plus many more) also contain industry information and market research that can be used to make a sound business decision. Not sure where to start? Just contact me (Kyle) at naffk@uww.edu – I’d be happy to talk to you about doing new business research.
No Impact Man:
The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process
by Colin Beaven
HD62.27 .S64 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Can you imagine a year without take-out food (I would flat out die from starvation), driving (I don’t really need a job) or Tide in your laundry (smelling nice is overrated)? Well, Beaven, author and electronic engineer, not only puts himself to the test of zero environmental impact, but also his family. Surprisingly, they all made it out alive and were able to write about their experiences. The author describes the trials and tribulations of the modern conveniences, such as air conditioning and toilet paper (you’ll have to read it to find out about that side of things). If you can’t get enough of him, you can check out his No Impact Project.
(The real reason that I chose to feature this book is because of its appearance and construction. The publishers printed the book on 100% postconsumer recycled paper and utilized unbleached cardboard covers. It definitely catches your eye on the shelf.)
I’m a magazine reader… or at least I have more magazine subscriptions than the number of books that I’ve read this year (it’s not a very high number). The pages are glossy, the ads are – for the most part – less annoying than pop-up windows and the articles are short enough to keep my attention.
However, the sheer volume of magazines out there can make it very difficult to keep up with all of the reading (I’m extremely behind on my GQ and Men’s Health issues). Furthermore, there’s a lot of filler that, while entertaining, gets in the way of getting to the in-depth articles on a range of current topics.
Enter Maggwire. The site provides access to articles online on everything from business news to healthy eating from some of the top popular publications, such as Vanity Fair, Esquire and Consumer Reports. But unlike other content aggregators, the site will even recommend reading for you based on your preferences. Their premium service, out in the near future, will allow you to purchase subscribers-only content directly through them.
So, combine Pandora with magazine content and you’ve got Maggwire. Take a look.
Thanks to Sharon for the link!
The Mom & Pop Store:
How the Unsung Heroes of the American
Economy Are Surviving & Thriving
By Robert Spector
HD62.27 .S64 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
The economic turbulence that our country is facing has put pressure on every corner of society, from the large corporations to the municipalities to the small businesses. Over the last several years, there has been a push to shop local, with organizations marketing to their fellow neighbors about the virtues of supporting communities. This week’s featured title puts the heart of the local economy in the spotlight in these difficult times.
Spector, business journalist and bestselling author, travels down America’s Main Streets to take the pulse of the nation’s economy and (surprisingly) finds it alive and beating quickly. The author provides snapshots of small business and localism movement around the country, from a bookstore on the West Coast to a deli on the East Coast and everywhere in between. While the present day is the main theme of the work, Spector brings in the history of independent merchants and their economic contributions to the growth of the colonial era. He also integrates his own stories of growing up with the family business.
Spent:
Sex, Evolution and Consumer Behavior
By Geoffrey Miller
HB801 .M493 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor
It seems that we’re on a Darwin kick here (next week, a book about the Darwin Awards?), but this week’s featured title also deals with evolution in a different context. Besides, with the Black Friday ads already starting to pop up here and there, dropping loads of cash is on everyone’s mind.
Miller, a professor at the University of New Mexico, applies the world of evolutionary psychology to the field of marketing with intriguing results. He seeks to prove that there is a connection between buyer behavior and our biological potential as friends and mates. The author examines the Central Six, the major dimensions of variations for human behavior, and what the purchases we make, from cars to music to video games, reveal about them. If you’d like to learn what compels you to buy those suicidal high heels or the ginormous truck, this book’s for you.
