2006, ISBN: 9780262032582

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UsedGood. The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine m… Mehr…

UsedGood. The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials., 0, Little, Brown. Very Good. Paperback. 2006. 288 pages. <br>The economy [isn't] a bunch of rather dull statist ics with names like GDP (gross domestic product), notes Tim Harfo rd, columnist and regular guest on NPR's Marketplace, economics i s about who gets what and why. In this acclaimed and riveting boo k-part expos? part user's manual-the astute and entertaining colu mnist from the Financial Times demystifies the ways in which mone y works in the world. From why the coffee in your cup costs so mu ch to why efficiency is not necessarily the answer to ensuring a fair society, from improving health care to curing crosstown traf fic-all the dirty little secrets of dollars and cents are delight fully revealed by The Undercover Economist. A rare specimen: a b ook on economics that will enthrall its readers . . . It brings t he power of economics to life. -Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of Fre akonomics A playful guide to the economics of everyday life, and as such is something of an elder sibling to Steven Levitt's wild child, the hugely successful Freakonomics. -The Economist A tou r de force . . . If you need to be convinced of the everrelevant and fascinating nature of economics, read this insightful and wit ty book. -Jagdish Bhagwati, author of In Defense of Globalization This is a book to savor. -The New York Times Harford writes li ke a dream. From his book I found out why there's a Starbucks on every corner [and] how not to get duped in an auction. Reading Th e Undercover Economist is like spending an ordinary day wearing X -ray goggles. -David Bodanis, author of Electric Universe Much w it and wisdom. -The Houston Chronicle From Publishers Weekly Nat tily packaged-the cover sports a Roy Lichtensteinesque image of a n economist in Dick Tracy garb-and cleverly written, this book ap plies basic economic theory to such modern phenomena as Starbucks ' pricing system and Microsoft's stock values. While the concepts explored are those encountered in Microeconomics 101, Harford gr acefully explains abstruse ideas like pricing along the demand cu rve and game theory using real world examples without relying on graphs or jargon. The book addresses free market economic theory, but Harford is not a complete apologist for capitalism; he shows how companies from to Whole Foods to Starbucks have g ouged consumers through guerrilla pricing techniques and explains the high rents in London (it has more to do with agriculture tha n one might think). Harford comes down soft on Chinese sweatshops , acknowledging conditions in factories are terrible, but sweatsh ops are better than the horrors that came before them, and a step on the road to something better. Perhaps, but Harford doesn't qu estion whether communism or a capitalist-style industrial revolut ion are the only two choices available in modern economies. That aside, the book is unequaled in its accessibility and ability to show how free market economic forces affect readers' day-to-day. Copyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevie r Inc. All rights reserved. From Bookmarks Magazine Harford expo ses the dark underbelly of capitalism in Undercover Economist. Co mpared with Steven Levitt's and Stephen J. Dubner's popular Freak onomics (*** July/Aug 2005), the book uses simple, playful exampl es (written in plain English) to elucidate complex economic theor ies. Critics agree that the book will grip readers interested in understanding free-market forces but disagree about Harford's app roach. Some thought the author mastered the small ideas while kee ping in sight the larger context of globalization; others faulted Harford for failing to criticize certain economic theories and t o ground his arguments in political, organizational structures. E ither way, his case studies-some entertaining, others indicative of times to come-will make you think twice about that cup of coff ee. Copyright ? 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. Editorial Re views From Publishers Weekly Nattily packaged-the cover sports a Roy Lichtensteinesque image of an economist in Dick Tracy garb-a nd cleverly written, this book applies basic economic theory to s uch modern phenomena as Starbucks' pricing system and Microsoft's stock values. While the concepts explored are those encountered in Microeconomics 101, Harford gracefully explains abstruse ideas like pricing along the demand curve and game theory using real w orld examples without relying on graphs or jargon. The book addre sses free market economic theory, but Harford is not a complete a pologist for capitalism; he shows how companies from t o Whole Foods to Starbucks have gouged consumers through guerrill a pricing techniques and explains the high rents in London (it ha s more to do with agriculture than one might think). Harford come s down soft on Chinese sweatshops, acknowledging conditions in fa ctories are terrible, but sweatshops are better than the horrors that came before them, and a step on the road to something better . Perhaps, but Harford doesn't question whether communism or a ca pitalist-style industrial revolution are the only two choices ava ilable in modern economies. That aside, the book is unequaled in its accessibility and ability to show how free market economic fo rces affect readers' day-to-day. Copyright ? Reed Business Inform ation, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Fro m the Back Cover The Undercover Economist is a rare specimen: a b ook on economics that will enthrall its readers. Beautifully writ ten and argued, it brings the power of economics to life. This bo ok should be required reading for every elected official, busines s leader, and university student. --Steven D. Levitt, author of F reakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everyt hing Harford writes like a dream--and is also one of the leadin g economic thinkers of his generation. From his book I found out why there's a Starbucks on every corner, what Bob Geldof needs to learn to make development aid work properly, and how not to get duped in an auction. Reading The Undercover Economist is like spe nding an ordinary day wearing X-ray goggles. --David Bodanis, aut hor of E=mc2 and Electric Universe If you need to be convinced of the ever-relevant and fascinating nature of economics, read th is insightful and witty book by Tim Harford. Using one interestin g example after another, The Undercover Economist demonstrates ho w economic reasoning -- often esoteric and dull, but totally acce ssible in Harford's hands -- helps illuminate the world around us . Indeed, Harford's book is a tour de force. --Jagdish Bhagwati, author of In Defense of Globalization As Tim Harford demonstrat es brilliantly in this enjoyable book, the powerful underlying id eas of economics can, in the hands of the right person, illuminat e every aspect of the world we inhabit. --Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator, Financial Times, and auth or of Why Globalization Works Most people think economists are boring, opinionated and wrong. Tim Harford is often right, always opinionated, but never boring. He shows how economics can be use d to illuminate our everyday lives. Whether you want an explanati on of the price of a cup of coffee or of poverty in the third wor ld, Harford has it all. --John Kay, author of Culture and Prosper ity: The Truth About Markets About the Author Tim Harford is an editorial writer at the Financial Times, where he also writes th e newspaper's Dear Economist column and The Undercover Economist column, which also appears in Slate. He lives in London. About t he Author Tim Harford is an editorial writer at the Financial Tim es, where he also writes the newspaper's Dear Economist column an d The Undercover Economist column, which also appears in Slate. H e lives in London. Review Required reading. -Steven Levitt, auth or of Freakonomics A playful guide to the economics of everyday life, and as such. . . something of an elder sibling to Steven Le vitt's wild child, the hugely successful Freakonomics. -The Econo mist A book to savor. -The New York Times The Undercover Econom ist is a book you must pick up if you want a fresh perspective on how basic ideas in economics can help in answering the most comp lex and perplexing questions about the world around us. -Business Today [Harford] is in every sense consumer-friendly. His chapte rs come in bite-size sections, with wacky sub-headings. His style is breezy and no-nonsense. . . . The Undercover Economistis part primer, part consciousness raiser, part self-help manual. --Time s Literary Supplement Anyone mystified by how the world works wi ll benefit from this book - especially anyone confused about why good intentions don't, necessarily, translate into good results. -The Daily Telegraph (UK) Harford writes like a dream - and is a lso one of the leading economic thinkers of his generation. From his book I found out why there's a Starbucks on every corner, wha t Bob Geldof needs to learn to make development aid work properly , and how not to get duped in an auction. Reading The Undercover Economist is like spending an ordinary day wearing X-ray goggles. -David Bodanis, author of E=mc2 and Electric Universe Popular e conomics is not an oxymoron, and here is the proof. This book, by the Financial Times columnist Tim Harford, is as lively and witt y an introduction to the supposedly 'dismal science' as you are l ikely to read. -The Times From AudioFile This delightful behind- the-scenes look at basic economics should be required listening f or anyone who's looked up at a Starbucks menu and asked, Why am I paying four dollars for a cup of coffee? Robert McKenzie reads w ith an educated English accent that entertains as well as enchant s, and he makes a point to be both clear and challenging in his d elivery. The author's take on money is laugh-out-loud funny, and listeners who tune in for the entertainment value will find thems elves educated in the ways of the economic world. Magnificently w ritten and read, this book solves some of the mysteries of everyd ay life with wit and style. R.O. ? AudioFile 2006, Portland, Main e-- Copyright ? AudioFile, Portland, Maine Excerpt. ? Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. One Who Pays for Your Coffee ? The long commute on public transportation is a commonplace exp erience of life in major cities around the world, whether you liv e in New York, Tokyo, Antwerp, or Prague. Commuting dispiritingly combines the universal and the particular. The particular, becau se each commuter is a rat in his own unique maze: timing the run from the shower to the station turnstiles; learning the timetable s and the correct end of the platform to speed up the transfer be tween different trains; trading off the disadvantages of standing room only on the first train home against a seat on the last one . Yet commutes also produce common patterns-bottlenecks and rush hours-that are exploited by entrepreneurs the world over. My comm ute in Washington, D.C., is not the same as yours in London, New York, or Hong Kong, but it will look surprisingly familiar. Farr agut West is the Metro station ideally positioned to serve the Wo rld Bank, International Monetary Fund, and even the White House. Every morning, sleep-deprived, irritable travelers surface from F arragut West into the International Square plaza, and they are no t easily turned aside from their paths. They want to get out of t he noise and bustle, around the shuffling tourists, and to their desks just slightly before their bosses. They do not welcome deto urs. But there is a place of peace and bounty that can tempt them to tarry for a couple of minutes. In this oasis, rare delights a re served with smiles by attractive and exotic men and women-toda y, a charming barista whose name badge reads Maria. I am thinking , of course, of Starbucks. The caf?is placed, inescapably, at the exit to International Square. This is no quirk of Farragut West: the first storefront you will pass on your way out of the nearby Farragut North Metro is-another Starbucks. You find such conveni ently located coffee shops all over the planet and catering to th e same desperate commuters. The coffee shop within ten yards of t he exit from Washington's Dupont Circle Metro station is called C osi. New York's Penn Station boasts Seattle Coffee Roasters just by the exit to Eighth Avenue. Commuters through Shinjuku Station, Tokyo, can enjoy a Starbucks without leaving the station concour se. In London's Waterloo station, it is the AMT kiosk that guards the exit onto the south bank of the Thames. At $2.55 a tall cap puccino from Starbucks is hardly cheap. But of course, I can affo rd it. Like many of the people stopping at that caf? I earn the p rice of that coffee every few minutes. None of us care to waste o ur time trying to save a few pennies by searching out a cheaper c offee at 8:30 in the morning. There is a huge demand for the most convenient coffee possible-in Waterloo Station, for example, sev enty-four million people pass through each year. That makes the l ocation of the coffee bar crucial. The position of the Starbucks caf?at Farragut West is advantageous, not just because it's loca ted on an efficient route from the platforms to the station exit, but because there are no other coffee bars on that route. It's h ardly a surprise that they do a roaring trade. If you buy as muc h coffee as I do you may have come to the conclusion that somebod y is getting filthy rich out of all this. If the occasional gripe s in the newspapers are correct, the coffee in that cappuccino co sts pennies. Of course, the newspapers don't tell us the whole st ory: there's milk, electricity, cost of the paper cups-and the co st of paying Maria to smile at grouchy customers all day long. Bu t after you add all that up you still get something a lot less th an the price of a cup of coffee. According to economics professor Brian McManus, markups on coffee are around 150 percent-it costs forty cents to make a one-dollar cup of drip coffee and costs le ss than a dollar for a small latte, which sells for $2.55. So som ebody is making a lot of money. Who? You might think that the ob vious candidate is Howard Schultz, the owner of Starbucks. But th e answer isn't as simple as that. The main reason that Starbucks can ask $2.55 for a cappuccino is that there isn't a shop next do or charging $2.00. So why is nobody next door undercutting Starbu cks? Without wishing to dismiss the achievements of Mr. Schultz, cappuccinos are not in fact complicated products. There is no sho rtage of drinkable cappuccinos (sadly, there is no shortage of un drinkable ca, Little, Brown, 2006, 3, Paul Dry Books, Incorporated. Very Good. 8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d). Paperback. 2006. 144 pages. <br>Two extraordinarily talented journalists, Michael Vitez and Tom Gralish, have captured this uniquely American pheno menon with whimsy, poignancy, and utter charm.-John Grogan, autho r of Marley & Me Rocky Stories captures the sprawling complexity of life. It's a delight.-Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down A book that is an absolute joy and an absolute blast and quintes sentially American in its hopes and dreams and sweetness.-Buzz Bi ssinger, author of Friday Night Lights and A Prayer for the City Pulitzer Prize-winners Michael Vitez and Tom Gralish of the Phil adelphia Inquirer spent a year visiting the Philadelphia Museum o f Art to capture the stories of Rocky runners, who come from all over the world to run up America's most famous steps-just as Sylv ester Stallone did in Rocky. People make the pilgrimage to mark a new beginning, to seek inspiration, to celebrate an accomplishme nt, to find the perfect backdrop for romance, or simply because t hey love the movie. As one runner says, It gives you the feeling that anything is possible. The authors have uncovered an endurin g cultural phenomenon, one that centers on Philadelphia, and yet, as Michael Vitez writes in his introduction, is a true American, and even international, rite of passage. The book includes fift y-two profiles and one hundred color photographs, together with a foreword by Sylvester Stallone, and interviews with Rocky's Acad emy Award-winning director John G. Avildsen, composer Bill Conti, and cameraman Garrett Brown. In his foreword, Sylvester Stallon e sums up his thoughts on the phenomenon: You can't borrow Superm an's cape. You can't use the Jedi laser sword. But the steps are there. The steps are accessible. And standing up there, you kind of have a piece of the Rocky pie. [C]harming photo essay of peop le who retraced Rocky's steps and felt their own exhilaration doi ng it.-San Francisco Chronicle The extent to which the Rocky myt h-that of the perennial loser who proves he's 'not just another b um from the neighborhood'-has resonated is documented in this win ning book.-Sports Illustrated I've only skimmed it, and already I'm in love with the book Rocky Stories. (It had me at the title. )...It may sound like a movie tie-in, but it's not. It's just a f ascinating testament to how the words 'Rocky' and 'underdog' are still interchangeable 30 years after the film's release.-Entertai nment Weekly's PopWatch column The Rocky steps have become a spe cial place for tourists and Philadelphians alike. Virtually every one who lives here or comes here wants to say that they ran up th e Rocky steps and saw the incredible view down the Benjamin Frank lin Parkway. When I was Mayor, the city planned 24 hours of mille nnium celebrations, one each hour. Of course we had to kick it of f at the Rocky steps and we did so with 2,000 people all dressed like Rocky running up the steps at the same time. It was awesome. -Former Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell Michael Vitez ha s been a staff writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1985. Fo r his series on end-of-life issues, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism. Tom Gralish has been at the Philadelphi a Inquirer since 1983, working as both an editor and photographer . For his photo essay on the homeless, he won both the Pulitzer P rize for Feature Photography and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. Editorial Reviews Praise for Rocky Stories Two extrao rdinarily talented journalists, Michael Vitez and Tom Gralish, ha ve captured this uniquely American phenomenon with whimsy, poigna ncy, and utter charm.-John Grogan, author of Marley & Me Rocky Stories captures the sprawling complexity of life. It's a delight .-Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down A book that is an abso lute joy and an absolute blast and quintessentially American in i ts hopes and dreams and sweetness.-Buzz Bissinger, author of Frid ay Night Lights and A Prayer for the City [C]harming photo essa y of people who retraced Rocky's steps and felt their own exhilar ation doing it.-San Francisco Chronicle The extent to which the Rocky myth-that of the perennial loser who proves he's 'not just another bum from the neighborhood'-has resonated is documented i n this winning book.-Sports Illustrated I've only skimmed it, a nd already I'm in love with the book Rocky Stories. (It had me at the title.)...It may sound like a movie tie-in, but it's not. It 's just a fascinating testament to how the words 'Rocky' and 'und erdog' are still interchangeable 30 years after the film's releas e.-Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch column The Rocky steps have become a special place for tourists and Philadelphians alike. Vir tually everyone who lives here or comes here wants to say that th ey ran up the Rocky steps and saw the incredible view down the Be njamin Franklin Parkway. When I was Mayor, the city planned 24 ho urs of millennium celebrations, one each hour. Of course we had t o kick it off at the Rocky steps and we did so with 2,000 people all dressed like Rocky running up the steps at the same time. It was awesome.-Former Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell - Fro m the Publisher ., Paul Dry Books, Incorporated, 2006, 3, The MIT Press. Good. 7 x 1.2 x 9 inches. Hardcover. 1998. 360 pages. Dj ripped at rear<br>Many parents worry about the infl uence of video games on their children's lives. The game console may help to prepare children for participation in the digital wor ld, but at the same time it socializes boys into misogyny and exc ludes girls from all but the most objectified positions. The new girls' games movement has addressed these concerns. Although many people associate video games mainly with boys, the girls games' movement has emerged from an unusual alliance between feminist ac tivists (who want to change the gendering of digital technology) and industry leaders (who want to create a girls' market for thei r games). The contributors to From Barbie to Mortal Kombat explo re how assumptions about gender, games, and technology shape the design, development, and marketing of games as industry seeks to build the girl market. They describe and analyze the games curren tly on the market and propose tactical approaches for avoiding th e stereotypes that dominate most toy store aisles. The lively mix of perspectives and voices includes those of media and technolog y scholars, educators, psychologists, developers of today's leadi ng games, industry insiders, and girl gamers. Contributors: Auro ra, Dorothy Bennett, Stephanie Bergman, Cornelia Brunner, Mary Br yson, Lee McEnany Caraher, Justine Cassell, Suzanne de Castell, N ikki Douglas, Theresa Duncan, Monica Gesue, Michelle Goulet, Patr icia Greenfield, Margaret Honey, Henry Jenkins, Cal Jones, Yasmin Kafai, Heather Kelley, Marsha Kinder, Brenda Laurel, Nancie Mart in, Aliza Sherman, Kaveri Subrahmanyam. Editorial Reviews Amazo n.com Review This book explores the complicated issue of gender i n computer games­-particularly the development of video games for girls. One side is the concern that the average computer game, b eing attractive primarily to boys, furthers the technology access gap between the genders. Yet attempts to create computer games t hat girls want to play brings about another set of concerns: shou ld games be gendered at all? And does having boys' games and girl s' games merely reinforce the way gender differences are socializ ed in play? Cassell and Jenkins have gathered the thoughts of se veral feminist and media scholars to explore the issues from mult iple perspectives, but this is not a work confined to ivory-tower theorizing. Alongside the philosophical explorations are pragmat ic investigations of the hard-nosed, real world of computer-game manufacture and sales. Particularly enlightening is a section fea turing interviews with several leading creators of games for girl s. And while all agree that it's good to be past the days when wo men in computer games were limited to scantily clad background fi gures or damsels in distress, the visions of an appropriate futur e are both diverse and well defended. There is no pretense here o f easy answers, but there are many excellent questions. --Elizabe th Lewis From Publishers Weekly In this intriguing anthology of essays, studies and interviews, voices from both academia and in dustry discuss what the experience of computer games is and shoul d be for girls. While game creators have recently discovered the young female consumer, few of these authors are happy with the of ferings, which tend to push domesticity and an obsession with loo ks. Almost all the contributors share some basic belief that the marketplace is dominated by games promoting bad values while shor tchanging values identifiable as truly feminist. As Cassell point s out, feminism in this context can mean values not pertaining ex clusively to gender. The resulting proposals for video games are filled with such buzzwords as subjective, creativity, community a nd collaboration (all good) as opposed to violent, competitive an d conquest (all bad). It is always nice to see theorists come dow n from the clouds to enter into discussions of everyday-life subj ects such as the ramifications of the Tomb Raider character Lara Croft's ample endowment. The best move of the editors is to concl ude the volume with commentary by girl gamers, many of whom worry that the contributors' solutions will underequip girls for the u gly real world. Says one: I don't want to be friends! I want to b e King! Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Pub lishers Weekly In this intriguing anthology of essays, studies an d interviews, voices from both academia and industry discuss what the experience of computer games is and should be for girls. Whi le game creators have recently discovered the young female consum er, few of these authors are happy with the offerings, which tend to push domesticity and an obsession with looks. Almost all the contributors share some basic belief that the marketplace is domi nated by games promoting bad values while shortchanging values id entifiable as truly feminist. As Cassell points out, feminism in this context can mean values not pertaining exclusively to gender . The resulting proposals for video games are filled with such bu zzwords as subjective, creativity, community and collaboration (a ll good) as opposed to violent, competitive and conquest (all bad ). It is always nice to see theorists come down from the clouds t o enter into discussions of everyday-life subjects such as the ra mifications of the Tomb Raider character Lara Croft's ample endow ment. The best move of the editors is to conclude the volume with commentary by girl gamers, many of whom worry that the contribut ors' solutions will underequip girls for the ugly real world. Say s one: I don't want to be friends! I want to be King! Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist This book bri ngs together the perspectives of feminist activists and media sch olars in a thought-provoking discussion of the gendering of video games. Until recently, women have appeared in computer games mos tly as eroticized competitors to the male protagonist, distressed maidens, or other victims or objects. Recently, the girls' games movement has taken the computer-game industry to task for the us e of these misogynistic images. Contributors discuss this issue a s well as myriad related concerns: the cultural definition of com puter games as boys' toys; girls' access to the technology and in terest in it; and the complications of creating gender-neutral pl ay space. In addition, girl gamers have a chance to discuss facto ring their interests into the development of action games. There are no simple solutions to the often troublesome relation between gender and technology, but this book's presentation of the probl ems and possibilities makes academic reading relevant again. Phil ip Herbst Review In From Barbie to Mortal Kombat, cultural theor ists, software designers, game players, media professors and deve lopmental psychologist, among others, offer thoughtful perspectiv es, in essays and interviews, on the medium's potential to enable kids to forge their own identity... The book's editors... have c reated an imaginative, original and complex volume that crystalli zes feminist dilemmas regarding the origin and persistence of gen der roles. -- Sandra Hackman, The Women's Review of Books, March 1999 In From Barbie to Mortal Kombat, cultural theorists, softwa re designers, game players, media professors and developmental ps ychologist, among others, offer thoughtful perspectives, in essay s and interviews, on the medium's potential to enable kids to for ge their own identity... The book's editors... have created an im aginative, original and complex volume that crystallizes feminist dilemmas regarding the origin and persistence of gender roles. - - Sandra Hackman, The Women's Review of Books, March 1999 It's a n unrelenting din, but this handful of women thinking seriously a bout gender and gaming agree on at least one thing: Girls need ac cess to technology early on, something boys already take for gran ted. -- Karen Eng, Wired, March 1999 The editors demonstrate tha t there is a clear link between playing computer games as young c hildren and general comfort and facility with computers(and techn ology more broadly(as older kids and adults. The volume was writt en with an academic and industrial audience in mind, but parents of daughters should pay attention to what the contributors have t o say about the ramifications of girls' limited participation wit h computer games. -- Lauren F. Winner, Books & Culture, A Christi an Review,) May/June 1999 There are no simple solutions to the o ften troublesome relation between gender and technology, but this book's presentation of the problems and possibilities makes acad emic reading relevant again. -- Philip Herbst, Booklist, October 1998 This comprehensive volume examines girlware and its discont ents from every angle... -- Margot Mifflin, Entertainment Weekly, December 11, 1998 This comprehensive volume examines girlware a nd its discontents from every angle... There's no easy answer, bu t this book does a fine job of unpacking the issues. -- Margot Mi fflin, Entertainment Weekly, December 11, 1998 Read the full rev iew for this book. From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Comp uter Games takes a critical and passionate approach to an often o verlooked aspect of digital technology -- women and the gaming in dustry. The growing fear that women (girls in particular) are fal ling through the cracks of computer literacy has prompted a numbe r of feminists, academics, and programming professionals to quest ion the role gender plays in computer games and to search out inv entive ways to promote the assimilation of women into this predom inantly male industry. As we become increasingly dependent upon t he computer, women are finding their way back into the digital wo rld, and the market is beginning to notice. This book is a coll ection of academic essays and interviews that seeks to facilitate the discovery and creation of a girlsÂ' place in a boysÂ' world. Although the tone of the essays is somewhat formal, it is still highly engaging. And it may be of particular interest to programm ers seeking to create a domain that consciously appeals to girls (as well as boys).The narrative construction of From Barbie to Mo rtal Kombat is divided into three sections, which, when taken as a whole, reveal the nature of this book to be a dialog, not an an swer. --Amy Lincicum, Dr. Dobb's Journal -- Dr. Dobb's Journal About the Author Henry Jenkins is Provost's Professor of Communic ation, Journalism and Cinematic Arts at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California. He is the coedi tor of From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games (M IT Press, 1998). About the Author Henry Jenkins is Provost's Pro fessor of Communication, Journalism and Cinematic Arts at the Ann enberg School for Communication, University of Southern Californi a. He is the coeditor of From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games (MIT Press, 1998). ., The MIT Press, 1998, 2.5<

1999, ISBN: 9780262032582

The MIT Press. Good. 7 x 1.2 x 9 inches. Hardcover. 1998. 360 pages. Dj ripped at rear<br>Many parents worry about the infl uence of video games on their children's lives. The g… Mehr…

The MIT Press. Good. 7 x 1.2 x 9 inches. Hardcover. 1998. 360 pages. Dj ripped at rear<br>Many parents worry about the infl uence of video games on their children's lives. The game console may help to prepare children for participation in the digital wor ld, but at the same time it socializes boys into misogyny and exc ludes girls from all but the most objectified positions. The new girls' games movement has addressed these concerns. Although many people associate video games mainly with boys, the girls games' movement has emerged from an unusual alliance between feminist ac tivists (who want to change the gendering of digital technology) and industry leaders (who want to create a girls' market for thei r games). The contributors to From Barbie to Mortal Kombat explo re how assumptions about gender, games, and technology shape the design, development, and marketing of games as industry seeks to build the girl market. They describe and analyze the games curren tly on the market and propose tactical approaches for avoiding th e stereotypes that dominate most toy store aisles. The lively mix of perspectives and voices includes those of media and technolog y scholars, educators, psychologists, developers of today's leadi ng games, industry insiders, and girl gamers. Contributors: Auro ra, Dorothy Bennett, Stephanie Bergman, Cornelia Brunner, Mary Br yson, Lee McEnany Caraher, Justine Cassell, Suzanne de Castell, N ikki Douglas, Theresa Duncan, Monica Gesue, Michelle Goulet, Patr icia Greenfield, Margaret Honey, Henry Jenkins, Cal Jones, Yasmin Kafai, Heather Kelley, Marsha Kinder, Brenda Laurel, Nancie Mart in, Aliza Sherman, Kaveri Subrahmanyam. Editorial Reviews Amazo n.com Review This book explores the complicated issue of gender i n computer games­-particularly the development of video games for girls. One side is the concern that the average computer game, b eing attractive primarily to boys, furthers the technology access gap between the genders. Yet attempts to create computer games t hat girls want to play brings about another set of concerns: shou ld games be gendered at all? And does having boys' games and girl s' games merely reinforce the way gender differences are socializ ed in play? Cassell and Jenkins have gathered the thoughts of se veral feminist and media scholars to explore the issues from mult iple perspectives, but this is not a work confined to ivory-tower theorizing. Alongside the philosophical explorations are pragmat ic investigations of the hard-nosed, real world of computer-game manufacture and sales. Particularly enlightening is a section fea turing interviews with several leading creators of games for girl s. And while all agree that it's good to be past the days when wo men in computer games were limited to scantily clad background fi gures or damsels in distress, the visions of an appropriate futur e are both diverse and well defended. There is no pretense here o f easy answers, but there are many excellent questions. --Elizabe th Lewis From Publishers Weekly In this intriguing anthology of essays, studies and interviews, voices from both academia and in dustry discuss what the experience of computer games is and shoul d be for girls. While game creators have recently discovered the young female consumer, few of these authors are happy with the of ferings, which tend to push domesticity and an obsession with loo ks. Almost all the contributors share some basic belief that the marketplace is dominated by games promoting bad values while shor tchanging values identifiable as truly feminist. As Cassell point s out, feminism in this context can mean values not pertaining ex clusively to gender. The resulting proposals for video games are filled with such buzzwords as subjective, creativity, community a nd collaboration (all good) as opposed to violent, competitive an d conquest (all bad). It is always nice to see theorists come dow n from the clouds to enter into discussions of everyday-life subj ects such as the ramifications of the Tomb Raider character Lara Croft's ample endowment. The best move of the editors is to concl ude the volume with commentary by girl gamers, many of whom worry that the contributors' solutions will underequip girls for the u gly real world. Says one: I don't want to be friends! I want to b e King! Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Pub lishers Weekly In this intriguing anthology of essays, studies an d interviews, voices from both academia and industry discuss what the experience of computer games is and should be for girls. Whi le game creators have recently discovered the young female consum er, few of these authors are happy with the offerings, which tend to push domesticity and an obsession with looks. Almost all the contributors share some basic belief that the marketplace is domi nated by games promoting bad values while shortchanging values id entifiable as truly feminist. As Cassell points out, feminism in this context can mean values not pertaining exclusively to gender . The resulting proposals for video games are filled with such bu zzwords as subjective, creativity, community and collaboration (a ll good) as opposed to violent, competitive and conquest (all bad ). It is always nice to see theorists come down from the clouds t o enter into discussions of everyday-life subjects such as the ra mifications of the Tomb Raider character Lara Croft's ample endow ment. The best move of the editors is to conclude the volume with commentary by girl gamers, many of whom worry that the contribut ors' solutions will underequip girls for the ugly real world. Say s one: I don't want to be friends! I want to be King! Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist This book bri ngs together the perspectives of feminist activists and media sch olars in a thought-provoking discussion of the gendering of video games. Until recently, women have appeared in computer games mos tly as eroticized competitors to the male protagonist, distressed maidens, or other victims or objects. Recently, the girls' games movement has taken the computer-game industry to task for the us e of these misogynistic images. Contributors discuss this issue a s well as myriad related concerns: the cultural definition of com puter games as boys' toys; girls' access to the technology and in terest in it; and the complications of creating gender-neutral pl ay space. In addition, girl gamers have a chance to discuss facto ring their interests into the development of action games. There are no simple solutions to the often troublesome relation between gender and technology, but this book's presentation of the probl ems and possibilities makes academic reading relevant again. Phil ip Herbst Review In From Barbie to Mortal Kombat, cultural theor ists, software designers, game players, media professors and deve lopmental psychologist, among others, offer thoughtful perspectiv es, in essays and interviews, on the medium's potential to enable kids to forge their own identity... The book's editors... have c reated an imaginative, original and complex volume that crystalli zes feminist dilemmas regarding the origin and persistence of gen der roles. -- Sandra Hackman, The Women's Review of Books, March 1999 In From Barbie to Mortal Kombat, cultural theorists, softwa re designers, game players, media professors and developmental ps ychologist, among others, offer thoughtful perspectives, in essay s and interviews, on the medium's potential to enable kids to for ge their own identity... The book's editors... have created an im aginative, original and complex volume that crystallizes feminist dilemmas regarding the origin and persistence of gender roles. - - Sandra Hackman, The Women's Review of Books, March 1999 It's a n unrelenting din, but this handful of women thinking seriously a bout gender and gaming agree on at least one thing: Girls need ac cess to technology early on, something boys already take for gran ted. -- Karen Eng, Wired, March 1999 The editors demonstrate tha t there is a clear link between playing computer games as young c hildren and general comfort and facility with computers(and techn ology more broadly(as older kids and adults. The volume was writt en with an academic and industrial audience in mind, but parents of daughters should pay attention to what the contributors have t o say about the ramifications of girls' limited participation wit h computer games. -- Lauren F. Winner, Books & Culture, A Christi an Review,) May/June 1999 There are no simple solutions to the o ften troublesome relation between gender and technology, but this book's presentation of the problems and possibilities makes acad emic reading relevant again. -- Philip Herbst, Booklist, October 1998 This comprehensive volume examines girlware and its discont ents from every angle... -- Margot Mifflin, Entertainment Weekly, December 11, 1998 This comprehensive volume examines girlware a nd its discontents from every angle... There's no easy answer, bu t this book does a fine job of unpacking the issues. -- Margot Mi fflin, Entertainment Weekly, December 11, 1998 Read the full rev iew for this book. From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Comp uter Games takes a critical and passionate approach to an often o verlooked aspect of digital technology -- women and the gaming in dustry. The growing fear that women (girls in particular) are fal ling through the cracks of computer literacy has prompted a numbe r of feminists, academics, and programming professionals to quest ion the role gender plays in computer games and to search out inv entive ways to promote the assimilation of women into this predom inantly male industry. As we become increasingly dependent upon t he computer, women are finding their way back into the digital wo rld, and the market is beginning to notice. This book is a coll ection of academic essays and interviews that seeks to facilitate the discovery and creation of a girlsÂ' place in a boysÂ' world. Although the tone of the essays is somewhat formal, it is still highly engaging. And it may be of particular interest to programm ers seeking to create a domain that consciously appeals to girls (as well as boys).The narrative construction of From Barbie to Mo rtal Kombat is divided into three sections, which, when taken as a whole, reveal the nature of this book to be a dialog, not an an swer. --Amy Lincicum, Dr. Dobb's Journal -- Dr. Dobb's Journal About the Author Henry Jenkins is Provost's Professor of Communic ation, Journalism and Cinematic Arts at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California. He is the coedi tor of From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games (M IT Press, 1998). About the Author Henry Jenkins is Provost's Pro fessor of Communication, Journalism and Cinematic Arts at the Ann enberg School for Communication, University of Southern Californi a. He is the coeditor of From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games (MIT Press, 1998). ., The MIT Press, 1998, 2.5<

2000, ISBN: 0262032589

[ED: Hardcover/gebunden], [PU: The MIT Press], Many parents worry about the influence of video games on their children's lives. The game console may help to prepare children for participa… Mehr…

[ED: Hardcover/gebunden], [PU: The MIT Press], Many parents worry about the influence of video games on their children's lives. The game console may help to prepare children for participation in the digital world, but at the same time it socializes boys into misogyny and excludes girls from all but the most objectified positions. The new "girls' games" movement has addressed these concerns. Although many people associate video games mainly with boys, the girls games' movement has emerged from an unusual alliance between feminist activists (who want to change the "gendering" of digital technology) and industry leaders (who want to create a girls' market for their games). The contributors to From Barbie® to Mortal Kombat explore how assumptions about gender, games, and technology shape the design, development, and marketing of games as industry seeks to build the girl market. They describe and analyze the games currently on the market and propose tactical approaches for avoiding the stereotypes that dominate most toy store aisles. The lively mix of perspectives and voices includes those of media and technology scholars, educators, psychologists, developers of today's leading games, industry insiders, and girl gamers., DE, [SC: 0.00], leichte Gebrauchsspuren, privates Angebot, [GW: 500g], Banküberweisung, PayPal, De internationale scheepvaart, [CT: Soziologie / Geschlechter/Gender Studies]<

2011, ISBN: 9780262032582

Gebundene Ausgabe

The MIT Press, 2011-02-24. paperback. New. 7x0x9. New Condition, Paperback book, The MIT Press, 2011-02-24, 6, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.: MIT Press, 1998. Book has 360 pages with illustrati… Mehr…

The MIT Press, 2011-02-24. paperback. New. 7x0x9. New Condition, Paperback book, The MIT Press, 2011-02-24, 6, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.: MIT Press, 1998. Book has 360 pages with illustrations. DJ has some light wear to the edge. Clean and tight. Explores how assumptions about gender, games, and technology shape the design, development, and marketing of games as industry seeks to build the girl market.. Hard Cover. Very Good+/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall., MIT Press, 1998, 3<