Rating: - Useful if you knew nothing about the media beforehand
I read this book after reading Gerard Jones' _Killing Monsters_ and was disappointed. Much of the book is spent describing the intertwined homogeneous nature of mass media. However, this shouldn't be news to many people. We are supposed to be shocked and outraged that the people who are programming television "entertainment" are doing it to make money at the expense of our children. We are supposed to be surprised that shows like the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are parts of extensive, pervasive campaigns to extend brands across television, movies, toys, cereals, etc. We are supposed to be outraged that the mass media has close ties to government. Does he think we've been living in a cave?

However, Steyer distorts a grim picture to make it appear even worse than it is. Yes, Colin Powell may be friends with the chairman of AOL Time Warner, and maybe that had something to do with his son being appointed to the head of the FCC, but Steyer neglects to point out that Michael Powell served as an FCC commissioner for years beforehand, and that his father was a board member of AOL/TW until he resigned to join the Bush administration.

Furthermore, Steyer's suggestions of what parents can do lacks the specifics that would lead to action. He advocates increasing "media awareness" in our children, but doesn't suggest many sample activities that might help our children control their media intake themselves. Our children will grow in an environment where they will not be isolated from the mass media no matter what we do in our own homes. They will see and hear about terrible things, like it our not. We need to provide them with the tools to cope which they will use the rest of their lives.

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