Abdalla Akram Akram itibaren Bundarra NSW 2359, Australia
I give this book no stars because it is a chilling read into the virtual manifesto of who some have labeled as the "father of modern public relations." In this book, Bernays hails 'the engineering of consesnt,' as new and glorious process that has been enabled with the advent of new and technological innovation. With such tools, as Bernays argues, it will be easier and more necessary to augment the minds of the masses in order to seperate the realm of politics and social life. The 'engineering of consent,' which is seemingly a spin from Lippman's term 'the manufacture of consent,' is in Bernays eyes, a process that must be utilized by a specialized class of men in order to influence, control, and direct the minds of the common man. I speak in general terms because Bernays speaks in generalized terminology. This book is in agreement with Walter Lippman's "Public Opinion,' in that control of these processes is crucially reserved to specificed private enterprise in order to keep decision making out of the realm of the public. In this book as well as Lippman's, there is an underlying belief that "the common man," left to his own will is lost and bewildered, and must be controled and regimented in order to make 'proper' and 'correct' decisions. The one thing I do appreciate about this text is the title, at least in the early 20th century they were a bit more honest with their line of business.
An expertly crafted, thrilling tale of a girl forced into child combat in her post-apocalyptic society. A few things really struck me about this book. First, Collins does a good job of drawing us into the same voyeuristic mode that the book's fictional spectators enter when watching the deadly games, and once there, she toys with several "deus ex-machinas" to show we have no choice but to cheer for someone in even the most abhorrent games. There's a dark side to that, but it also shows that we are always drawn to find the best people, the ones worthy of triumph or just survival. None of the children should have been there; but once they are, we have to find the best solution. Second, I was impressed with the efficient and ruthless construction of the book's universe. Collins is obviously a student of the best fantasy worlds, and she knows how to set up one up with great economy. She does this by using images we already have of post-apocalyptic worlds and tweaking them slightly but significantly. However, the book does not contain the same amount of sheer wonder as Harry Potter, nor does it pursue any moral lessons as strongly as Watership Down. Several other books have set up the same basic premise to this one, and although Collins does everything exceedingly well, she doesn't really do anything new. Read this addictive and entertaining book for the thrill, though, because such a well-crafted story is hard to find in any genre.