SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT

Name: SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT
Author: Fredric Wertham
ISBN: 978-1-59683-000-4

by Fredric Wertham ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 22, 1954

In any case, this is an alarmed and alarming record, which probably will not reach the level where it is most needed except...

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Part of this material may be familiar to some readers—from its appearance in magazine media and the subsequent argument it aroused—for, from intensive examination over many years, it provides an overwhelming onslaught against the comics.

And while the defense may contend that all these sins cannot be laid at this particular door—the evidence here which is based on substantial case histories certainly establishes the consangunuty between the comics and delinquency as they condition habits of hate, prejudice, violence, sexual provocation and perversion, and of course—illiteracy. From the various types of comics—to the advertising they contain—to the manufacturers—to their dispersal overseas—and to the failure of legislation here, this concludes with "homicide at home"—and the dangers of televiolence, which is probably an even stronger issue today since television has to some extent replaced the comics.

In any case, this is an alarmed and alarming record, which probably will not reach the level where it is most needed except through professionals, teachers, social workers, etc.

Pub Date: April 22, 1954

ISBN: 978-1-59683-000-4

Page Count: 448

Publisher: Rinehart

Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1954

Categories:

CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | GENERAL CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES

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HOW TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM

by Bari Weiss ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2019

A forceful, necessarily provocative call to action for the preservation and protection of American Jewish freedom.

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Known for her often contentious perspectives, New York Times opinion writer Weiss battles societal Jewish intolerance through lucid prose and a linear playbook of remedies.

While she was vividly aware of anti-Semitism throughout her life, the reality of the problem hit home when an active shooter stormed a Pittsburgh synagogue where her family regularly met for morning services and where she became a bat mitzvah years earlier. The massacre that ensued there further spurred her outrage and passionate activism. She writes that European Jews face a three-pronged threat in contemporary society, where physical, moral, and political fears of mounting violence are putting their general safety in jeopardy. She believes that Americans live in an era when “the lunatic fringe has gone mainstream” and Jews have been forced to become “a people apart.” With palpable frustration, she adroitly assesses the origins of anti-Semitism and how its prevalence is increasing through more discreet portals such as internet self-radicalization. Furthermore, the erosion of civility and tolerance and the demonization of minorities continue via the “casual racism” of political figures like Donald Trump. Following densely political discourses on Zionism and radical Islam, the author offers a list of bullet-point solutions focused on using behavioral and personal action items—individual accountability, active involvement, building community, loving neighbors, etc.—to help stem the tide of anti-Semitism. Weiss sounds a clarion call to Jewish readers who share her growing angst as well as non-Jewish Americans who wish to arm themselves with the knowledge and intellectual tools to combat marginalization and defuse and disavow trends of dehumanizing behavior. “Call it out,” she writes. “Especially when it’s hard.” At the core of the text is the author’s concern for the health and safety of American citizens, and she encourages anyone “who loves freedom and seeks to protect it” to join with her in vigorous activism.

A forceful, necessarily provocative call to action for the preservation and protection of American Jewish freedom.

Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-593-13605-8

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: Aug. 22, 2019

Categories:

GENERAL CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | ETHNICITY & RACE

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THE VIRTUES OF AGING

by Jimmy Carter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 26, 1998

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A heartfelt if somewhat unsurprising view of old age by the former president. Carter (Living Faith, 1996, etc.) succinctly evaluates the evolution and current status of federal policies concerning the elderly (including a balanced appraisal of the difficulties facing the Social Security system). He also meditates, while drawing heavily on autobiographical anecdotes, on the possibilities for exploration and intellectual and spiritual growth in old age. There are few lightning bolts to dazzle in his prescriptions (cultivate family ties; pursue the restorative pleasures of hobbies and socially minded activities). Yet the warmth and frankness of Carter’s remarks prove disarming. Given its brevity, the work is more of a call to senior citizens to reconsider how best to live life than it is a guide to any of the details involved.