George Gerbner

This four-volume reference work covers all aspects of communications - individual and institutional, cultural and technical, practical and theoretical - throughout the world. It examines the communication aspects of numerous disciplines including science, literature, mathematics and religion.

"Rarely have two writers spoken so candidly about the intersection where the lives they live meets the art they practice. That these two writers happen to be Kurt Vonnegut and Lee Stringer make this a historic and joyous occasion." "The setting was a bookstore in New York City, the date Thursday, October 1, 1998. Before a crowd of several hundred, Vonnegut and Stringer took up humanity, writing, salvation, art, and the challenge of living from day to day." "A book for Vonnegut fans, Stringer fans, and anyone interested in why the simple act of writing things down can be more important than the amount of memory in our computers, Like Shaking Hands with God is filled with surprises."--BOOK JACKET.

Summary:From acclaimed author Derrick Jensen comes a prescient, thought-provoking collection of interviews with 10 leading writers, philosophers, teachers, and activists who argue against society's belief that corporations and governments know what is best for the future, instead choosing to help acknowledge the values we know in our hearts are right, and inspire within us the courage to act on them. Among those who share their wisdom here are acclaimed sociologist Stanley Aronowitz, who shows that science is but one lens for discovering knowledge; Luis Rodriguez, poet and peacemaker, who suggests embracing gang members as people instead of stereotypes; Judith Herman, who offers a deeper understanding of the psychology of abusers; Paul Stamets, who reveals the power of fungi that is often ignored; and writer Richard Drinnon, who reminds us that our spiritual paths need not be narrowed by the limiting mythologies of Western civilization. Reaching toward a common goal of harmony with the world surrounding us all, these diverse voices articulate different yet shared visions of activism

Hidden from public sight and mind today are invisible crises that threaten our democracy and existence even more than the crises we know about - or think we know about. These invisible crises include the promotion of practices that drug, hurt, poison, and kill thousands every day; cults of violence that desensitize, terrorize, and brutalize; the growing siege mentality of our cities; widening resource gaps and the most glaring inequalities in the industrial world; the costly neglect of vital institutions such as public education and the arts; and media-assisted make-believe image politics corrupting the electorial process. The contributors to this volume - exploring such unattended crises, analyzing why they are hidden, and focusing on the increasing concentration of culture-power that keeps them from view - maintain that a profound general crisis of social vision, public communication, and representative government underlies all of the invisible crises.

Based on papers discussed at a symposium held at the Annenberg School of Communications, University of Pennsylvania, in March 1972

Conference papers from a symposium held at the Philip Morris Manufacting Center, Richmond, Virginia, Spring 1981.