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Pop Goes the Culture
11 books to slake your thirst for the latest clever insights on Star Trek, Whitney Houston, female comedians, pinball games and "the internet's boyfriend," Keanu Reeves / BY Nathalie Atkinson / April 22nd, 2022
From the year that revolutionized rock music and the pioneering women of comedy to the meaning of Keanu and long-awaited philosophical musings of a generational icon, we run down the latest books pop culture aficionados will want to read.
Obsessive Book Buyers: Zoomer editors have carefully curated our book coverage to ensure you find the perfect read. We may earn a commission on books you buy by clicking on the cover image.
1Didn’t We Almost Have It AllA decade after Whitney Houston’s untimely death, the triumph and tragedy of the superstar is explored by Gerrick, a Los Angeles-based music journalist. It’s a thoughtful appreciation that celebrates Houston’s outsized talent while reevaluating the burden she shouldered in her life and work through the lens of recent #MeToo, LGBTQ, and Black Lives Matter movements.
A decade after Whitney Houston’s untimely death, the triumph and tragedy of the superstar is explored by Gerrick, a Los Angeles-based music journalist. It’s a thoughtful appreciation that celebrates Houston’s outsized talent while reevaluating the burden she shouldered in her life and work through the lens of recent #MeToo, LGBTQ, and Black Lives Matter movements.
2In on The Joke Levy, who wrote The Castle on Sunset, the bestselling history of Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont, gives pioneering female comics such as Moms Mabley, the trailblazing Black vaudeville comedian, Minnie Pearl, Phyllis Diller, Ethel Merman and Elaine May their due. The former Oregon film critic gives a well-researched and insightful look at the women who carved the path of modern stand-up, and the gender-based obstacles that remain.
Levy, who wrote The Castle on Sunset, the bestselling history of Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont, gives pioneering female comics such as Moms Mabley, the trailblazing Black vaudeville comedian, Minnie Pearl, Phyllis Diller, Ethel Merman and Elaine May their due. The former Oregon film critic gives a well-researched and insightful look at the women who carved the path of modern stand-up, and the gender-based obstacles that remain.
3Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant There are some culture critics worth reading regardless of their subject matter and, for me, Pappademas – an alumnus of the late, great Grantland who regularly weighs in at GQ and The New York Times, is among them. Lucky for us, his current interest is deconstructing the career arc and popularity of ‘the Internet’s boyfriend’ and Canada’s favourite good guy, Keanu Reeves. (May 3)
There are some culture critics worth reading regardless of their subject matter and, for me, Pappademas – an alumnus of the late, great Grantland who regularly weighs in at GQ and The New York Times, is among them. Lucky for us, his current interest is deconstructing the career arc and popularity of ‘the Internet’s boyfriend’ and Canada’s favourite good guy, Keanu Reeves. (May 3)
4On Quality Since 1974, Pirsig’s blockbuster philosophical trip, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, has inspired generations, sold millions of copies and made its author famous. The U.S. author gave few interviews in his lifetime, even as he privately continued to think and write about the “metaphysics of quality” until his death in 2017. This posthumous collection, edited by his widow, Wendy Pirsig, gathers five decades of unpublished reflections on technology, art, ethics and life from a curious mind. (Apr. 26)
Since 1974, Pirsig’s blockbuster philosophical trip, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, has inspired generations, sold millions of copies and made its author famous. The U.S. author gave few interviews in his lifetime, even as he privately continued to think and write about the “metaphysics of quality” until his death in 2017. This posthumous collection, edited by his widow, Wendy Pirsig, gathers five decades of unpublished reflections on technology, art, ethics and life from a curious mind. (Apr. 26)
5Phasers on Stun! Star Trek commentary is a whole cottage industry of its own, but you don’t have to be a Trekkie (or even much of a fan) to appreciate this American science fiction expert’s entertaining book. Britt’s approachable history delves into the backstories and legacy of the iconic franchise, covering the original 1960s series and the powerful impact of its many iterations, not only on the genre, but on 20th-century pop culture.
Star Trek commentary is a whole cottage industry of its own, but you don’t have to be a Trekkie (or even much of a fan) to appreciate this American science fiction expert’s entertaining book. Britt’s approachable history delves into the backstories and legacy of the iconic franchise, covering the original 1960s series and the powerful impact of its many iterations, not only on the genre, but on 20th-century pop culture.
6Pinball This graphic novel traces the history of the silver ball all the way back to the French court of Louis XIV through to its golden age (and ubiquity) during the Great Depression. It uses evocative illustrative techniques, from traditional panel comics to dynamic spreads and infographics, to bring the pinball machine’s evolution, physics, graphic design, influence on gaming and overall cultural importance alive.
This graphic novel traces the history of the silver ball all the way back to the French court of Louis XIV through to its golden age (and ubiquity) during the Great Depression. It uses evocative illustrative techniques, from traditional panel comics to dynamic spreads and infographics, to bring the pinball machine’s evolution, physics, graphic design, influence on gaming and overall cultural importance alive.
7Pink Flamingos and the Yellow Pages Seventy-five short but vibrantly coloured essays by Hambly, a Canadian designer, creator of the Colour Studies blog and founder of graphic design firm Hambly & Woolley, use trivia and analysis to illuminate how colour shapes popular culture. The origin stories run the gamut from flags and tartan to the psychology behind crayon names and the colour-coding system for plastic bread tags.
Seventy-five short but vibrantly coloured essays by Hambly, a Canadian designer, creator of the Colour Studies blog and founder of graphic design firm Hambly & Woolley, use trivia and analysis to illuminate how colour shapes popular culture. The origin stories run the gamut from flags and tartan to the psychology behind crayon names and the colour-coding system for plastic bread tags.
8Pin-Ups 1972Third generation rock ’n’ roll” was a catch-phrase of early 1970s pop criticism, and Stanfield, the retired English film and media prof who wrote the book on The Who, offers thoughtful exploration of the post-British Invasion London scene – with performers and rock acts like Iggy, Bowie, Bolan, and Roxy Music – in a seminal year that arguably defined all that came next. (May 17)
Third generation rock ’n’ roll” was a catch-phrase of early 1970s pop criticism, and Stanfield, the retired English film and media prof who wrote the book on The Who, offers thoughtful exploration of the post-British Invasion London scene – with performers and rock acts like Iggy, Bowie, Bolan, and Roxy Music – in a seminal year that arguably defined all that came next. (May 17)
9Rise This is a must-have compendium of 30 years of Asian pop culture history (post-Sixteen Candles to present day) by a trio of leading culture journalists and 80 notable contributors, such as Sandra Oh and Margaret Cho. It educates on, and celebrates, representation, milestones, evolving cultural identities and meaning in music (BTS memes!), politics, food, movies and even sports.
This is a must-have compendium of 30 years of Asian pop culture history (post-Sixteen Candles to present day) by a trio of leading culture journalists and 80 notable contributors, such as Sandra Oh and Margaret Cho. It educates on, and celebrates, representation, milestones, evolving cultural identities and meaning in music (BTS memes!), politics, food, movies and even sports.
10The New Female Antihero Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, and Cersei and Daenerys from Game of Thrones, are gloriously disruptive women of 21st century television, and descendants of brassy Murphy Brown. The authors (both professors of English in Colorado) include them in this look at the liberating phenomenon of TV women who reject the status quo and embrace chaos. Smart chapters dissect the tropes of ruthless queens and unlikable “messy” women on shows like Scandal, The Americans, Homeland, Girls, Broad City and Insecure, the female-centric counterparts to Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Sopranos.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, and Cersei and Daenerys from Game of Thrones, are gloriously disruptive women of 21st century television, and descendants of brassy Murphy Brown. The authors (both professors of English in Colorado) include them in this look at the liberating phenomenon of TV women who reject the status quo and embrace chaos. Smart chapters dissect the tropes of ruthless queens and unlikable “messy” women on shows like Scandal, The Americans, Homeland, Girls, Broad City and Insecure, the female-centric counterparts to Breaking Bad, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Sopranos.
11Ticking Clock Sunday-night appointment TV gets even juicier in this tell-all by a former longtime 60 Minutes producer who spent more than 25 years at the program. He details the insecurities, rivalries and bad behaviour behind the scenes with correspondents such as Mike Wallace, Morley Safer and Ed Bradley. It’s like Mad Men, but about the investigative CBS show that has led water-cooler conversations for decades.
Sunday-night appointment TV gets even juicier in this tell-all by a former longtime 60 Minutes producer who spent more than 25 years at the program. He details the insecurities, rivalries and bad behaviour behind the scenes with correspondents such as Mike Wallace, Morley Safer and Ed Bradley. It’s like Mad Men, but about the investigative CBS show that has led water-cooler conversations for decades.