No Logo, by Naomi Klein
Review
"Klein undertakes an arduous journey to the centre of a post-national planet: part sociological thesis, part design history, No Logo's message is entirely engrossing and emphatic. -- GQ
"Articulate, entertaining and illuminating." -- The Globe and Mail
"Klein's [writing] is as seductive as the ad campaigns she dissects." -- The New York Times Book Review
"Positively seethes with intelligent anger." -- The Observer
"Powerful and passionate." -- National Post
From School Library Journal
In this examination of the style and substance of "branded life," a young Canadian journalist presents her thesis in a highly entertaining style. In chapters such as "Alt.everything: The Youth Market and the Marketing of Cool," Klein shows how advertising exploits teens (17 is the optimum age) and points out marketing tactics and trends. As the advertising industry has evolved to become a major shaper of culture, a sea change in corporate climate has transformed companies from producers of products to purveyors of image and dreams. Brand names such as Gap, Nike, or Tommy Hilfiger have come to have "talismanic power" for many in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. However, the author reveals the disturbing economic realities underlying the production of these magic products-often through the stories of the young people who work to produce them. The final chapters describe individual and community activities in the arts, politics, and courts in the pursuit of human rights and other values. For readers who want to know more about what lies behind street demonstrations recently in the news, or for those who are ready to rise above being manipulated, this title provides an excellent model of how to think critically about contemporary culture.
Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
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