Technology as Magic Get now

Technology as Magic
By:Richard Stivers,Peter Stirk
Published on 2001-08-01 by A&C Black

What gives the mass media, particularly advertising and television, their extraordinary power over our lives, so that even the most jaded and sophisticated among us are troubled and fascinated by their allure? The secret, according to Richard Stivers, in this brilliant new book, lies in the curious relationship between technology and magic. Stivers argues the two are now related to one another in such a way that each has taken on important characteristics of the other. His contention is that our expectations for technology have become magical to the point that they have generated a multitude of imitation technologies that function as magical practices. These imitation technologies flourish in the fields of psychology, management administration, and the mass media, and their paramount purpose in human adjustment and control. Advertising and television programs, in particular, contain the key magical rituals of our civilization.In a fascinating analysis of television programming, Stivers shows how various genres--news, sports, game shows, soap operas, sitcoms, etc.--have their distinct mythological symbols. Through dramatized information, they symbolically connect consumer goods and services to desired outcomes--the utopian goals of success, happiness, and health--thus enveloping technology, both real and imitation, in a magical cocoon.

This Book was ranked at 10 by Google Books for keyword technology.

Book ID of Technology as Magic's Books is gO12jZ_m9LYC, Book which was written byRichard Stivers,Peter Stirkhave ETAG "9SsMc/S8KwQ"

Book which was published by A&C Black since 2001-08-01 have ISBNs, ISBN 13 Code is 9780826413673 and ISBN 10 Code is 0826413676

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Don't you sort of hate how we have entered the decadent stage of Goodreads wherein perhaps fifty per cent (or more) of the opinions published by non-teenagers and non-romancers are now actually naked and unabashed within their variously effective efforts at being arch, wry, meta, parodic, confessional, and/or snarky? Don't you kind of maple (secretly, in the marrow of your gut's happy druthers) for the good ol'times of Goodreads (known then as GodFearingGoodlyReading.com) when all reviews were evenly plainspoke Do not you type of loathe how we have joined the decadent period of Goodreads wherein possibly fifty % (or more) of the reviews published by non-teenagers and non-romancers are now naked and unabashed within their variously powerful efforts at being arc, wry, meta, parodic, confessional, and/or snarky? Don't you type of wood (secretly, in the marrow of one's gut's merry druthers) for the good ol'times of Goodreads (known then as GodFearingGoodlyReading.com) when all evaluations were consistently plainspoken, just functional, unpretentious, and -- above all else -- dull, boring, boring? Do not you type of hate when persons state'do not you think in this manner or feel like that'in an attempt to goad you both psychologically and grammatically in to agreeing with them? In what of ABBA: I actually do, I actually do, I do(, I really do, I do). Properly, since the interwebs is really a earth in which the past stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the present (and with fetish porn), we are able to review days gone by in their inviolable presentness any moment we wish. Or at the least until this website finally tanks. Contemplate (won't you?) Matt Nieberle's review of Macbeth in their entirety. I have destined it with huge string and dragged it here for the perusal. (Please understand that many a sic are implied in the following reviews.) their actually complex and ridiculous! why cant we be examining like Romeo and Juliet?!?! at the very least that book is great! There you have it. Refreshingly, not just a evaluation written in one of many witch's comments or alluding to Hillary and Bill Clinton or discussing the reviewer's first period. Just a primal scream unleashed into the dark wilderness of the cosmos.Yes, Mr. Nieberle is (probably) a teenager, but I admire his power to strongarm the temptation to be clever or ironic. (Don't you?) He speaks the native language of the idk generation having an economy and an understanding that renders his convictions much more emphatic. Here's MICHAEL's review of the exact same play. You might'know'MICHAEL; he's the'Problems Architect'here at Goodreads. (A problematic title itself in so it implies that he designs problems... which can be the case, for several I know.) This book shouldn't be required reading... reading plays that that you do not want to read is awful. Reading a play kinda sucks to start with, if it absolutely was meant to be read, then it will be a novel, not just a play. On top of that the teach had us students see the play aloud (on person for every character for a few pages). None people had browse the play before. None of us wanted to learn it (I made the mistake of taking the'easy'english class for 6 years). The teacher picked students that appeared as if they weren't paying attention. All of this compounded to create me virtually hate reading classics for something such as 10 years (granted macbeth alone wasn't the problem). I also hate iambic pentameter. Pure activism there. STOP the mandatory reading of plays. It's wrong, morally and academically. And it also really can fuck up your GPA. There's no wasteful extravagance in this editorial... no fanfare, no fireworks, no linked photos of half-naked, oiled-up, big-bosomed starlets, no invented dialogues between the writer and the review-writer. It's simple and memorable. Being required to read plays is wrong, and in the event that you require anyone, under duress, to see a play then you definitely have sinned and will hell, if you believe in hell. Or even, you're likely to the DMV. I'm also tired of whatever you smug spelling snobs. You damnable fascists with your new-fangled dictionaries and your fancy-schmancy spell check. Sometimes the passionate immediacy of a message overcomes its spelling limitations. Also, in this age whenever we are taught to respect each other's differences, this indicates offensively egocentric and mean-spirited to anticipate others tokowtow for your small linguistic rules. Artsy concept is going to free of charge itself no matter how you are trying in order to shackle it. Which is the sign, Aubrey. Around my very own impression, a play Macbeth ended up being your worste peice actually written by Shakespeare, this is saying a lot considering also i read their Romeo and also Juliet. Ontop involving it can be presently amazing plot of land, improbable characters plus absolutly discusting number of ethics, Shakespeare overtly portrays Woman Macbeth as the genuine vilian from the play. Considering the girl with mearly a speech with the trunk spherical in addition to Macbeth herself is actually truely choosing the ugly violations, including killing in addition to sham, I can't realize why it is so easy to assume which Macbeth could be prepared to complete good in lieu of wicked only if the better half had been additional possitive. I do think that it have fun with can be uterally unrealistic. However the next is the actual ne additionally extremely of vintage publication reviewing. Even though succinct and also without the stealing attention desire for you to coyness as well as cuteness, Jo's review alludes to some bitterness so powerful it is inexpressible. One particular imagines some Signet Vintage Versions hacked for you to bits having pruning shears within Jo's vicinity. I detest that play. A case in point that I cannot also present you with any analogies or maybe similes regarding how much I personally detest it. An incrementally snarkier form will often have explained something like...'I detest this particular engage in like a simile I can not arise with.' Definitely not Jo. Your lover converse a new uncooked, undecorated truth unfit to get figurative language. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that. One time inside a great although, when you buy neck-deep in dandified pomo hijinks, it is an excellent wallow while in the hog dog pen you are itchin'for. Appreciate it, Jo. I love you and the futile gripping on similes in which can't strategy the bilious hate within your heart. That you are my own, as well as I am yours. Figuratively discussing, connected with course. And now and here is this evaluation: Macbeth by William Shakespeare is best literary deliver the results while in the English language language, and also anyone who disagrees is undoubtedly an asshole and a dumbhead.