(Paperback)

Examines the meaning of celebrity. Drawing on a wide gallery of celebrities, from O.J. Simpson, Marilyn Munroe, David Bowie and Kurt Cobain to such notorious figures as Timothy McVeigh, Ted Bundy and the Soho bomber, David Copeland, he explores the friction between the public face of the celebrity and the celebrity's actual self.

(Paperback)

Introduces readers to a fresh cultural category. This title traces Cool's ancient origins in European, Asian, and African cultures, its prominence in the African-American jazz scene of the 1940s, and its pivotal position within the radical subcultures of the 1950s and '60s.

(Paperback)

Rather than being absorbed into a uniform modernity, indigenous people are anticipating alternative futures and appropriating global resources for their own, culturally specific needs. This book argues, controversially, that far from disappearing in the face of global capitalism, indigenous cultures today are as diverse as they ever were.

(Paperback)

The dream of a happy life has preoccupied thinkers since Plato, and in modern times it has become one of the signature tunes of our age - the rise of therapists, gurus, and the use of Prozac are familiar indicators of how ubiquitous the pursuit of happiness has become in Western culture. This book examines how this modern obsession has evolved.

(Paperback)

Animal is a timely overview of the many ways in which we live with animals. Examining novels such as Charlotte's Web, films such as Old Yeller and Babe, science and advertising, fashion and philosophy, the book evaluates the ways in which we think about animals and challenges a number of the assumptions we hold.

(Paperback)

Is Britain really perceived as a nation of poorly dressed, roast-beef-eating, snaggle-toothed xenophobes Or do the British perhaps all live in stately homes, and lead supercilious, emotionally repressed, tea-drinking lives This title probes these and other myths, conceptions and misconceptions of Britishness.

(Paperback)

Gothic images pervade contemporary culture, from popular interior decorating programmes to news stories of vampire-obsessed killers. This book seeks to analyse this trend. Why is Gothic perennially undergoing revival What is its role in modern consumer culture And is its popularity or its usefulness drawing to an end

(Paperback)

Fads constantly cycle and recycle through popular culture, each time in a slightly new incarnation. The term retro' has become the buzz word for describing such trends, but what does it mean This title explores the ambiguous cultural meanings of the term and reveals why some trends just never seem to stay dead.