Counterknowledge - How We Surrender to Conspiracy Theories, Quack Medicine, Bogus Science and Fake History

We are being overwhelmed by dangerous nonsense. From 9/11 conspiracy theories to Holocaust denial, from creationism to unorthodox medicine, there is now an epidemic of demonstrably untrue descriptions of the world. For Damian Thompson, these unproven theories and spurious claims are forms of 'counterknowledge'; spread not least by the internet, they are creating a global generation of misguided adherents who repeat these untruths and lend them credence.

Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World

A fascinating inside look at the Net Generation, Grown Up Digital is inspired by a $4 million private research study. New York Times bestselling author Don Tapscott has surveyed more than 11,000 young people. Instead of a bunch of spoiled “screenagers” with short attention spans and zero social skills, he discovered a remarkably bright community which has developed revolutionary new ways of thinking, interacting, working, and socializing.

The Daybreak Boys: Essays on the Literature of the Beat Generation

Gregory Stephenson teaches in the Department of English at the University of Copenhagen. He has written extensively on contemporary American and English literature, including critical studies of Gregory Corso, Robert Sheckley, J.G. Ballard and Robert Stone.

Women of the Beat Generation: The Writers, Artists and Muses at the Heart of a Revolution

This a good addition to the true beat fan's bookshelf. The histories of the women who took part in the beat movement and the excellent photos are worth the price alone. But you may find yourself surprised by the quality of some of the work. I ended up reading "Door Wide Open" by Joyce Johnson after finishing this book and enjoyed it immensely. The section on Denise Levertov is great as well.

The Inheritors: An Extravagant Story

In the novel, the metaphor of the "fourth dimension" is used to explain a societal shift from a generation of people who have traditional values of interdependence, being overtaken by a modern generation who believe in expediency, callously using political power to bring down the old order. Its narrator is an aspiring writer who himself makes a similar transition at a personal level only to feel he has lost everything.