Rating: 
Summary: coercive tactics presenting coercive tactics
Review: i first read this book last year and it blew my mind. since then i have read alot of political authors including but not limited to noam chomsky, morris berman, howard zinn, al frankin, micheal moore etc. and i recently reread this book. i was rather dissapointed the second time.
coercion is a rather elementary look at manipulation compared to other cultural and media analysts but it cant be denied that rushkoff presents the basic facts that millions still dont even recognize or even seem to care about their manipulation. His basic argument "why we listen to what they say" is a beuatiful yet huanting line which is relevant in our everday lives, and yet the majority of us dont even question it. it is imperative that we understand all different forms of maniplulation and or take action to subverse the medias teaching.i reccomend, if you would like to get more in depth, read any of the authors listed above.
Rating:
Summary: coercive tactics presenting coercive tactics
Review: i first read this book last year and it blew my mind. since then i have read alot of political authors including but not limited to noam chomsky, morris berman, howard zinn, al frankin, micheal moore etc. and i recently reread this book. i was rather dissapointed the second time.
coercion is a rather elementary look at manipulation compared to other cultural and media analysts but it cant be denied that rushkoff presents the basic facts that millions still dont even recognize or even seem to care about their manipulation. His basic argument "why we listen to what they say" is a beuatiful yet huanting line which is relevant in our everday lives, and yet the majority of us dont even question it. it is imperative that we understand all different forms of maniplulation and or take action to subverse the medias teaching. i reccomend, if you would like to get more in depth, read any of the authors listed above.
Rating: 
Summary: Fast compelling reading
Review: I had been waiting for a long time for this book to come out in paper back. So, when I found it at one of those large, chain bookstores, I happily took it off the shelf and sat down in an overstuffed chair, ready to savor it a few minutes before I took it home. Well.... I read lots of it, more than I intended, since it's fast, compelling reading. And what I read so convinced me that I was being manipulated to buy... that I lept up from my overstuffed chair, put the book back on the shelf and left the store feeling relieved that I had escaped coercion of unseen forces that were causing me to shop against my will. I showed them. Or did I? Ok... all vignettes meant to illustrate meta-awareness aside, marketing techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated and it's in every consumers best interest to become forewarned. This book does an excellent job of that, I think. But the balancing message that we are rational creatures who can mitigate this "coercion" through some self awareness and self control (and not the internet or other constructs) must be kept in mind when reading this book. Otherwise, the more sensitive (paraonid) amongst us will become so distressed at the pervasiveness of consumeristic manipulation that they will see an ad campaign behind every tree and how good will that be for for our corporate mental health?
Rating:
Summary: A Life Changing Experience
Review: I know that may seem like a lot.. but trust me.. for a twenty-something kid that always knew these things exsisted, but never truly understood how and why.. this book changed my life. I feel better prepared to handle the world around me, and I now have the ability to better control my life and not let it spin out of control by being sucked into the social nonsense spun by advertisers and media heads. This book should be on the reading list of every communications class in every school and college in the country.
Rating:
Summary: Despite what it seams like, its not dissing the Coercives
Review: I know, this could become the book that people read in order to understand and look into the belly of the beast, advertising and Madison Avenue. Well, I guess you can read into it that way, but the truth is, Rushkoff is very sympathetic and if nothing else does not believe this coercion is a grand conspiracy -- it seems to him that its pretty pell mell and spontaneous. Insidious and clever, yes; but, nefarious? No!
Rating:
Summary: Successful Re-focus of Media Virus
Review: I read Coercion first, and its a good thing. I read Media Virus second and see some overlap, but its not a bad thing. This is not an example of either/or but both. Get both books. They are amazing foil for the entire 90s. I know more about the people behind the PR and the Madison Avenue mistique than I ever believed. If you enjoy memetics and if you believe that there are Genes and there are Memes, you should check out this book. If you are a paranoid, then you might consider this book to be an excellent portal into the lack of conspiracy there is and that there are but a few geniuses in this game and that they don't DO anything to "us" but they play a game of Memetics Judo with us, and we are completely vulnerable. And if you don't know what I am on about, then you NEED to read this book. Or come to memes.org AND read this book.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: I really enjoyed the boo
Rating:
Summary: I am only through Chapter 1 -- mind blowing!
Review: I received this book as a gift on 9/9/99 and it took me until this time to get into it. I am an avid Memetics fiend and host memes.org and now I am realising that this is only part of the equasion: its also about corcion techniques and NLP -- and this book makes it so approachable and isn't too paranoid or rabble-rousing -- its an intelligent thoughtful look inside the minds of the corporate golems.
Rating:
Summary: Well researched and insightful--highly recommended
Review: I think Rushkoff is dead on, particularly in regard to the Internet's failure to live up to its potential. After all, here I am conversing on a commerce website, because Amazon has figured out a way to tie my basic human need to share my opinions with generating book sales. I think Rushkoff accurately predicts a world where consumers will still have free choice, but the spectrum of choices will become much narrower. It will be interesting to see what it will be like to eat in a restaurant in a foreign country twenty years from now. Perhaps the need to actually choose and order your food will seem as quaint and antiquated as the lack of ice cubes in soda is today.
Rating:
Summary: Great bathroom read!
Review: I thought this book was easy, entertaining and scintillating. It's also highly relevant in this uncertain time, e.g. www.disinfo.com's article on how TV acts as an opiate for the mind.
| 
