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Rating: 
Summary: A great book - but not Goth For Dummies
Review: Given that there is so much about Goth that some people don't appreciate, and a high proportion of that is explained here, you should find the temptation to buy this hard to ignore, so go for it. Although it is an academic work, it isn't the work of a verbal diarrhoea expert, but a sensible Goth who has a weighty task to complete.From the academic perspective Paul Hodkinson attempts to disprove post-modern claims that media and commerce break down substantive cultural groupings. It covers UK Goth from the mid to late 90's, concentrating on the Birmingham, Plymouth and Leeds area, where 72 interviews were conducted, with over a hundred people completing a Whitby questionnaire. Although an insider, he has the ability to stand back, and show an overview. As well as examining what Goth means to participants of the scene, Paul asks how strong the sense of the individual is, how consumerism is demonstrated, and the negative or positive aspects involved. He establishes the sense of belonging, as well as the contradiction of open-mindedness set against the occasional feelings of superiority. He covers many areas including shared identity and the chosen elements to Subcultures (Identity, Commitment, Consistent distinctiveness, Autonomy) and the emergence and development of Style, as well as online community. It isn't warts and all, but there are a few minor skin rashes, as he gets interesting responses/admissions from people in his study. He may often write in a way which anyone hoping for a jolly read will not find easy, but anyone seeking some depth with find their faith amply rewarded. He examines the substance, so if you're interested in more than the surface this will be of great interest.
Rating: 
Summary: insta-goth, apperantly.
Review: i don't even need to read this book to know how disgustingly inaccurate it is. any book claiming to be about the goth subculture that puts some vinyl fetish babe with fake hair on the cover is wildly mistaken.
buy some aquanet and an alien sex fiend album insead.
Rating:
Summary: I know the author
Review: I haven't read this book but I know the author and his work. I attended a conference that Paul organized. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met in academia. He is also amazingly Goth. He is tall, thin, pale has long jet black hair and an enormous lip piercing. He wears "respectable" clothing on campus but every bit of it is black or dark grey. Anyway, as dark as he is still a working scholar writing as a working scholar primarily for other working scholars. So reality check people. This is an ACADEMIC BOOK. Don't expect it to be a how to be a Goth book, or a book exponding some particular Gothic style over any other, or a Goth expose. If that's what you want buy another book! I am giving it five stars because I know both his theory and methodology and they are first rate.
Rating:
Summary: Read with an open mind
Review: I rated this book so high because in my opinion the author did an exellent job at explaining different sides of goth culture.There is much more to goth culture than clothing and music and hopefully those that read this will see that it is a lifestyle that is not chosen but rather born and developed into reguardless of wether one chooses to label oneself.It is a beautiful way of viewing the world.
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Summary: Mick Mercer is the man!!
Review: if Mick says its good, then I will indeed pick up this lovely book "Hey Mick! love your books!" anyway Mr. Mercer was right, people just don't understand how goth is simply apart of our everyday lives. In our soggy Count Chocula breakfest cereals, To some who are even obsessed as to declair that simply, "Everyday is Halloween!" Myself being one of them. also,...another good book to pick up is 'Gothic: four hundred years of excess, horror, evil and ruin' by Richard Davenport-Hines. It's a good book that explains our gothic history. Oh!, and also pick up '21st century Goth' by the awsome and funny author Mick Mercer.(hah! the hook ups!)
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Summary: The Thesis on Goth Subculture in Sociology
Review: If you are an academic and like reading other people's doctoral dissertations or small cheap books they wrote after receiving their degree, then this is the book for you! If you are a person who is trying to find out more about the Goth subculture along with other dark cultures that seem to be embodied in it, then avoid this book. I found this book to be very poorly written, non-explanatory and extremely dull and boring! You can see on the cover that the original photograph of the couple was in color, but why he chose to make all the photographs in the book in black and white, other than to save money (cheap, cheap, cheap!), I'll never know. Most of the basis of Goth culture revolves around dark or black clothing and fashion with oftentimes splashes of color here and there. This book is not worth the read!
Rating:
Summary: Ha ha ha...
Review: This book and any other book like this is just bloody hilarious. ... Why anyone needs a book to figure out how to be goth I will never know. Also things like this are so superficial, Goth is a type of music , and typically a style of clothing...that's all you really need to know. And do you really want to be goth so bad you need a BOOK?..., if you want to be Goth just go buy some Christian Death and Sisters of Mercy albums, get some fishnets, tight black pants, eyeliner, hair dye, nail polish, and combat boots. There's really nothing else you need to know, and nobody ... needs a book to know further knowledge.and as far as the 'real' meaning of Goth...who really cares?Its a type of music and a style and lets just leave it at that!
Rating:
Summary: A work for academic readers only
Review: This book reads like a PhD dissertation and focuses on making reference after reference to dozens of other academic articles and books, much like a college research paper. I wonder if these 5 star reviews are from sociology professors because this is very dry reading and I can't imagine a casual reader being interested in reading this book at all.
Rating:
Summary: Informative, clearly written, essential.
Review: This is a good book to start with for those who'd like to get to the heart of Goth, its basic origins, the basic meaning of the style of dress, manners, code of ethics, culture, and so forth. It should be remembered, however, that since this books details the original background of Goth, it is focused primarily on the U.K., so if you're expecting an Americanised version of Goth, you're in no such luck here. All in all, a good, informative book to start out with that is written in a clear, precise style. After this, you can say you have learned the very rudimentary meaning of Goth, and all that it entails, which is important, I think, to know, especially if you're musically inclined to the Gothic movement or culture in any way, shape, or form.
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