Entertaining an Elephant is the heartwarming story of a burned-out teacher struggling though his fifteenth year of teaching. Through a set of unexpected... events, this teacher becomes re-inspired with both his profession and his own life. Woven into this short novel are quotes from world-renown spiritual and philosophical writers who suggest ways for us to face the tough challenges of today's world. Already in its 16th printing, the book is a favorite among educators and parents. Priced to sell in bulk, administrators and instructors often use the novel as a book study with faculties or in schools of education. Here's what people are saying about Entertaining an Elephant: Powerful! Super! Splendid! Explosive! A thousand thanks! - Cora Miles, Principal, White Plains, NY It should be on every educator's recommended reading list. - Nel Noddings, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Education, Stanford University I bought a copy for every teacher at my school. What a wonderful book! - Sandra Farmer, Principal, Rocky Mount, NC I couldn't put it down. I loved it! - Inga Smith, Ohio Teacher of the Year A poignant story about teaching only love that will open up your heart to how important it is to let go, to be open-minded, and to forgive others and ourselves. - Gerald Jampolsky, M.D., Author of Love is Letting Go of Fear This novel touched me. - Peter Elbow, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA Entertaining an Elephant is wonderful. I loved it! - Carol Jago, Editor, California English, Pacific Palisades, CA *****If you love this book, check out the sequel, Carrying a Load of Feathers*****Half the proceeds of every sale go to charity.

In this completely revised and updated edition (including eight new chapters), Jeffrey Jones charts the evolution and maturation of political... entertainment television by examining The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Politically Incorrect/Real Time with Bill Maher, and Michael Moore's TV Nation and The Awful Truth. This volume investigates how and why these shows have been central locations for the critique of political and economic power and an important resource for citizens during numerous political crises. In an age of Truthiness, fake news and humorous political talk have proven themselves viable forms of alternative reporting and critical means for ascertaining truth, and in the process, questioning the legitimacy of news media's role as the primary mediator of political life. The book also addresses the persistent claims that these programs have cynical effects and create misinformed young citizens, demonstrating instead how such programming provides for an informed, active, and meaningful citizenship. The new edition takes account of the many changes that have occurred in television and political culture since Entertaining Politics' initial release.

In the first edition of the Bancroft Prize-winning Entertaining Satan, John Putnam Demos presented an entirely new perspective on American witchcraft.... By investigating the surviving historical documents of over a hundred actual witchcraft cases, he vividly recreated the world of New England during the witchcraft trials and brought to light fascinating information on the role of witchcraft in early American culture. Now Demos has revisited his original work and updated it to illustrate why these early Americans' strange views on witchcraft still matter to us today. He provides a new preface that puts forth a broader overview of witchcraft and looks at its place around the world--from ancient times right up to the present.

Can politics be combined with entertainment? Can political involvement and participation be fun? Politics and popular culture are converging all the... time, whether it’s in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s election as governor of California or in political television dramas and movies like The West Wing and Dave. This book encourages readers to think about how links between entertainment and politics have the potential to rejuvenate citizenship, endorse civic values, and sustain civic commitment. Instead of discarding the popular as irrelevant or dangerous to the democratic process, Liesbet van Zoonen shows us the possibilities for increasing political knowledge and participation through the arenas of politics and popular music, political “soaps,” political television dramas, and politicians as celebrities. A first-rate starting point for debate, Entertaining the Citizen will stimulate and entertain students and general readers alike.

In this survey of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American drama, Tice L. Miller examines American plays written before a canon was established in... American dramatic literature and provides analyses central to the culture that produced them. Entertaining the Nation: American Drama in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries evaluates plays in the early years of the republic, reveals shifts in taste from the classical to the contemporary in the 1840s and 1850s, and considers the increasing influence of realism at the end of the nineteenth century.Miller explores the relationship between American drama and societal issues during this period. While never completely shedding its English roots, says Miller, the American drama addressed issues important on this side of the Atlantic such as egalitarianism, republicanism, immigration, slavery, the West, Wall Street, and the Civil War.In considering the theme of egalitarianism, the volume notes Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation in 1831 that equality was more important to Americans than liberty. Also addressed is the Yankee character, which became a staple in American comedy for much of the nineteenth century.Miller analyzes several English plays and notes how David Garrick’s reforms in London were carried over to the colonies. Garrick faced an increasingly middle-class public, offers Miller, and had to make adjustments to plays and to his repertory to draw an audience.The volume also looks at the shift in drama that paralleled the one in political power from the aristocrats who founded the nation to Jacksonian democrats. Miller traces how the proliferation of newspapers developed a demand for plays that reflected contemporary society and details how playwrights scrambled to put those symbols of the outside world on stage to appeal to the public. Steamships and trains, slavery and adaptations of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and French influences are presented as popular subjects during that time.Entertaining the Nation effectively outlines the civilizing force of drama in the establishment and development of the nation, ameliorating differences among the various theatergoing classes, and provides a microcosm of the changes on and off the stage in America during these two centuries.

This anthology introduces readers to Tsarist Russia's emerging popular and commercial urban culture and the individuals and groups that produced and... consumed it. The selections translated here illustrate in colorful detail how the experiences and the composition of Russian society and culture evolved from the late eighteenth century through the 1917 revolution, in response to economic, technological, and political changes. Fortunetelling and etiquette manuals, thieves' tales, children's literature, popular songs, war stories, women's novels, satires of life in America, and vaudeville skits are just a few of the genres represented.

The second edition of this innovative textbook introduces students to the ways that society shapes our many forms of entertainment and in turn, how... entertainment shapes society. Entertainment and Society examines a broad range of types of entertainment that we enjoy in our daily lives – covering new areas like sports, video games, gambling, theme parks, travel, and shopping, as well as traditional entertainment media such as film, television, and print. A primary emphasis is placed on the impact of technological and cultural convergence on innovation and the influence of contemporary entertainment. The authors begin with a general overview of the study of entertainment, introducing readers to various ways of understanding leisure and play, and then go on to trace a brief history of the development of entertainment from its live forms through mediated technology. Subsequent chapters review a broad range of theories and research and provide focused discussions of the relationship between entertainment and key societal factors including economics and commerce, culture, law, politics, ethics, advocacy and technology. The authors conclude by highlighting innovations and emerging trends in live and mediated entertainment and exploring their implications for the future. The new edition features updated examples and pedagogical features throughout including text boxes, case studies, student activities, questions for discussion, and suggestions for further reading.

The entertainment industry is one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy and is in fact becoming one of most prominent globally as well, in movies,... music, television programming, advertising, broadcasting, cable, casino gambling and wagering, publishing performing arts, sports, theme parks, and toys and games. The eighth edition of Entertainment Industry Economics differs from its predecessors by inclusion of a new section on the legal aspects and limitations common to all such "experience" industries, reference to the emerging field of the psychology of entertainment, partial restructuring and expansion of the music chapter, enhancement of the section on advertising, and broadening of the coverage in the gaming and wagering chapter. The result is a comprehensive, up-to-date reference guide on the economics, financing, production, and marketing of entertainment in the United States and overseas. Investors, business executives, accountants, lawyers, arts administrators, and general readers will find that this book offers an invaluable guide to how entertainment industries operate.

In this newly revised book, Harold L. Vogel examines the business economics of the major entertainment enterprises: movies, music, television... programming, broadcasting, cable, casino gambling and wagering, publishing, performing arts, sports, theme parks, and toys and games. The seventh edition has been further revised and broadened and differs from its predecessors by restructuring and repositioning the previous Internet chapter, including new material on the economics of networks and advertising, adding a new section on policy implications, and further expanding the section on recent theoretical work pertaining to box-office behaviour. The result is a comprehensive up-to-date reference guide on the economics, financing, production, and marketing of entertainment in the United States and overseas. Investors, business executives, accountants, lawyers, arts administrators, and general readers will find that the book offers an invaluable guide to how entertainment industries operate.

The entertainment industry is a multi-billion dollar business that showcases the work, services, talent, and creativity of a cross-section of the... international workforce. The modern entertainment industry is the convergence of the business of music, books, movies, television, radio, Internet, video games, theater, fashion, sports, art, merchandising, copyright, trademarks, and contracts. Employment opportunities abound in this vibrant, eclectic and exciting universe – open to anyone willing to learn and work diligently with creative enthusiasm. To be on the cutting edge of this ever-changing industry, one must possess an in-depth knowledge of the many areas that converge to form modern show business. Entertainment lovers of all ages will enjoy this engaging overview of an evolving industry; from its basic and traditional roots to today’s exciting technological innovations that rapidly and constantly influence the entertainment we enjoy. Experience a fascinating and enthralling odyssey while exploring dozens of artistic disciplines that can lead to success in the international entertainment field. A spotlight shines on a variety of business options, specific endeavors, crucial information, general knowledge, detailed advice, and the art of negotiating entertainment agreements. Discover the different types of jobs and careers available in the entertainment industry and the effective tools used to produce & market products. Learn the fundamental and essential provisions of publishing & intellectual property, including! deal-making and standard contracts used by professionals in the entertainment industry. ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY is the second in a series of books dealing with the entertainment business by author, musician, radio host, entertainment lawyer, and historian Mark Vinet. It offers an in-depth study and detailed analysis of the diverse, colorful, and creative art forms that fill the leisure and recreational time of North Americans. This book contains the author’s personal entertainment industry rules, tenets, advice, principles, opinions, philosophies, and concepts developed over a thirty-year career in show business as an artist, musician, writer, performer, businessman, manager, and entertainment/copyright lawyer.

Introducing a historical perspective in the music, radio, television, and motion picture industries, this book contains interrelated chapters that... clearly and concisely expose readers to various legal issues among the segments of the entertainment industry. It shows that an appreciation of the extremely creative individuals that comprise the industry will be helpful if you choose entertainment law as a career. After a short overview of the American legal system, this book covers agents and managers, entertainment contracts, constitutional issues, administrative regulation, antitrust regulation, intellectual property issues, live performance issues, music and music publishing issues, and legal issues in television and motion pictures. An excellent reference and informational book for anyone involved in sports and/or entertainment law, including paralegals, legal assistants, and talent managers.

From 1919 to 1927, Jack Dempsey was the heavyweight champion of the world. With his fierce good looks and matchless dedication to the kill, he was a... fighter perfectly suited to the Roaring '20s. In A Flame of Pure Fire, award-winning and renowned sports writer Roger Kahn, a personal friend of Dempsey's, tells the extraordinary story of a man and a country growing to maturity in a blaze of strength and exuberance. With passion and precision, Kahn not only chronicles the thrilling, brutal bouts of the "Manassa Mauler" but also illustrates how the wild and raucous 1920s shaped Dempsey, and how the champ, in turn, left an indelible mark on sports and American history. An accomplished and insightful observation on how sports can measure a society's evolution, Roger Kahn finds the heart of America in the story of the most famous athlete of his time, the man John Lardner once called "a flame of pure fire, at last a hero."

This unique Entertainment Law casebook emphasizes the business aspects of the entertainment industry, especially its economic risks. Although important... cases are included, the book provides numerous excerpts from trade publications, such as Variety, to teach the practical aspects of entertainment law. Such material is more interesting to read, more current, and more directly relevant to the practice of entertainment law.The book contains a hypothetical that runs throughout, covering a fictional client pursuing deals in all branches of the entertainment industry - music, film, television, theater, book publishing and the Internet. Students are provided opportunities to develop relevant practical drafting and negotiating skills.A separately purchased Document Supplement provides a wide selection of contracts from which to choose for class discussion, and an abundance of material from which instructors can devise numerous hypotheticals in addition to the ones provided in the casebook.