Comments on things mean a lot: The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone

Wow, I must have missed Vasilly's review of th...

2012-01-30T02:03:58.875Z

Wow, I must have missed Vasilly's review of this one. Sounds like powerful stuff, and I like how you relate it back to blogging.

This sounds excellent. Thank you for the recommend...

2012-01-29T21:01:27.274Z

This sounds excellent. Thank you for the recommendation!

I first read about this at Natasha's blog. I r...

2012-01-29T04:21:49.105Z

I first read about this at Natasha's blog. I really like the illustrations--reminds me of the simple yet impactful illustrations of Satrapi. Have my eye out for this one!

I HAVE to check this one out! Thank you, thank yo...

2012-01-27T15:22:58.435Z

I HAVE to check this one out! Thank you, thank you, thank you for reviewing it and sharing it with us. :)

I have to admit that when you introduced this, I w...

2012-01-27T04:55:42.318Z

I have to admit that when you introduced this, I was a little skeptical. A graphic novel about the media? Hmmm. But you make it sound so interesting! I'm definitely looking forward to reading this.

I actually bought this for someone for Christmas -...

2012-01-27T01:27:24.695Z

I actually bought this for someone for Christmas -- now I have to wait and see if I can borrow it. It sounds so smart! I love the doughnut analogy. I wish everyone who consumed media was actually aware of how it's filtered to them.

This really does sound fascinating. I've ofte...

2012-01-26T21:01:05.315Z

This really does sound fascinating. I've often pondered how "real" things are and how much is based on things that the media is telling us. I've definitely got to read this book and would love for my son to read it too!

It's interesting to know that the biases in me...

2012-01-26T20:45:44.169Z

It's interesting to know that the biases in media aren't what you'd expect - I'd never heard of most of the ones you mentioned and am intrigued! I think I should remember more often that the news isn't objective. I like the doughnut idea too. It sounds like a fascinating book.

I think there is virtually no way for one to be to...

2012-01-26T20:33:32.088Z

I think there is virtually no way for one to be totally unaffected by the media, though some may really try. Having kids really influenced me about this topic, as I have tried to raise them without the influences of the media that they are constantly surrounded by, but it can be hard at times. We pretty much don't ever turn on the T.V. at our house, and that's something that the kids don't object to, but what they see in other places does indeed affect them. This was an incredible review today, Ana, and I would really like to read this one and see where I fall in the spectrum.

This sounds like a fantastic read. I've never ...

2012-01-26T19:17:53.718Z

This sounds like a fantastic read. I've never read graphic non-fiction before, and I think this is a great first book in this category for me. Funny to read about this book right now - my eight y.o. recently discovered Garfield, both books and tv episodes, and just last week, was howling over an episode titled "If you heard it on TV, it must be true".

This sounds fantastic and like something I probabl...

2012-01-26T17:10:34.505Z

This sounds fantastic and like something I probably need to read! It's the sort of topic I could stand to read and know more about.

This is a perfect example of how graphic novels ar...

2012-01-26T16:44:34.170Z

This is a perfect example of how graphic novels are serious stuff. I am off to see if I can get my hands on it.

Debi: I could say the same to you re: so many book...

2012-01-26T15:40:43.661Z

Debi: I could say the same to you re: so many books :P

Clare: Yes! I thought that was a really powerful way to finish the book.

Kathy: Or don't even turn it off, but make sure that's not your sole source of information.

Vasilly: It's one I'll be coming back to for sure.

Jodie: Her tone isn't finger-pointy at all, which I really appreciated, but at the same time it's pretty impossible to put this book down and not think about how sketchy newspapers go that far because there IS an appetite for that sort of thing and they know it - and over a long period of time we've rewarded unethical behaviour with our money.

Beth F: There's a fascinating section on fact checking, and how pieces of information that were pretty much made up are endlessly spread by people who quote one another in a loop.

Fascinating. It always astounds me at how quickly ...

2012-01-26T15:16:57.291Z

Fascinating. It always astounds me at how quickly the public accepts as truth anything that this touted by the mass media. It's always important to stay aware.

Especially relevant in the UK right now with the L...

2012-01-26T15:14:25.077Z

Especially relevant in the UK right now with the Levenson Inquiry and phone tapping.

I am so happy that you enjoyed this! The Influenci...

2012-01-26T14:56:40.044Z

I am so happy that you enjoyed this! The Influencing Machine is such a fascinating book. It's a book that once you read it, you immediately want to re-read it.

This sounds fascinating! I think it's importa...

2012-01-26T14:28:43.928Z

This sounds fascinating! I think it's important for us to be informed media consumers - I know people who will complain about what's on TV and when I tell them to turn it off, they always give me a funny look.

I'm so glad you liked this—I thought this woul...

2012-01-26T13:52:40.548Z

I'm so glad you liked this—I thought this would be something you enjoy.

And it's good for me to reconsider Gladstone's parting words. It's so easy to feel like we don't have agency against big institutions like the media, but we do, and it's important that we don't give up.

Another incredibly fascinating book I'd never ...

2012-01-26T11:25:11.797Z

Another incredibly fascinating book I'd never heard of until you introduced it to me!