Media has the power the change the world. In this book, the author demonstrates the real-world changes that could be documented after certain events. For example, the book shows that there was an increase in young females wanting to learn archery after the Hunger Games movies became popular. Or that the population of sharks dropped after the movie, Jaws. The data is presented in easy-to-understand graphics.

Media does affect culture. This is well-documented in this entertaining book. I found the presentation to be nicely organized. The graphics helped the reader understand what was presented in the text. They were not dry and boring graphics either. They are colorful and jump off the page.

This was a good look at how we are affected by the media we consume. I think it would be a good book to use in a classroom to introduce students to these concepts and help them be more savvy consumers of media.

Engaging and insightful. A recommended purchase for collections where pop culture and psych titles are popular.

I found the subject very fascinating, anyone who has ever watched a movie or Television show has felt a variety of emotions. The author Hickey delves deeper in this topic with charts and data .

This book would make a good book for any film studies or anyone interested in film and

just reviewed You Are What You Watch by Walter Hickey. #YouAreWhatYouWatch #NetGalley

Pop culture - how much do you consume in a day? Walt Hickey knows. Well he knows the amount of time the "typical" American spends watching television/movies/reading/writing - about 3 hours and 22 minutes a day. If you want to find out what all our media consumption does for and to us not to mention the world, dive in with Walt and find out!

In You Are What You Watch, Walt Hickey does several deep dives into pop culture. He opens with a chapter on how movies, television and other parts of pop culture affects our bodies and shapes what we do. the next chapter looks at how social media, movies, television and books capture our attention and keep us coming back for more. Two chapters guides us into the twisted mirror-scape where movies, television, and other aspects of pop culture reflect us as we are and how we change ourselves to reflect what we see in pop culture. Of course there is a chapter on the role money plays in shaping pop culture and how pop culture shapes money making opportunities. The final three chapters examine the empires created by pop culture (yes, Disney is part of the focus, but so is the United Kingdom!), what culture does to survive and thrive, and how stories and the creation of stories shape their creators.

So, if you ready to find out how pop culture has shaped the world in the past (can you name which movie led to a world-wide decline in sharks) and into the future, pick up Walt Hickey's You Are What You Watch, read it, and explore the whole spectrum of pop culture!

The formatting of the book was inconducive to the platforms I could read it on - a Kindle doc would've been massively helpful here. I still plan to buy the book when it is released to finish reading, as the content is quite interesting and provides a quantitative look at some of our most fascinating cultural inquiries.

You Are What You Watch will be published on October 24, 2023. Workman Publishing provided an early galley for review.

From a very young age, I have always been a consumer of television and movies. It has always been a constant in my life. Back before the days of cable TV when we only had three major networks, I could tell you what was on each channel on every given night. Yes, I even subscribed to TV Guide. So, this title spoke to me the moment I saw it earlier this year.

As a data journalist, Hickey has a fascination for the numbers. In examples of mapping data to runtimes, he presents charts that show at what moments viewers react and in what ways. The reader is then treated to the science behind focus (of both concentration and actual eye movement). The breakdown is fascinating and easy to follow. This kind of analysis could come off dry and boring, but Hickey is able to keep everything lighter and flowing.

Beyond the math and science, Hickey also talks about the psychology in how what we consume effects us and how, in turn, that effects the world around us. The media can inspire careers, spark interest in topics, and even influence travel plans. The chapter on theme parks and specialty stores was also very interesting.

This one is strongly recommended for those who are into pop culture and how people interface with it.

The subject matter is what made it a must-read for me. I'm obsessed with how media affects us and learning about the way it infiltrates all aspects of our lives. It's perfect for a wide audience because the vast majority of us have a base knowledge of tv and movies. While there are references to specific pop culture media, it's not mentioned in a way where you have to have seen it to understand. This book kept surprising me as it talked about various movies, shows, and even live entertainment. The writing is witty, casual, and has the perfect amount of humor. I personally liked how the author had sections within the chapter because I always had a good stopping point and it helped my brain to switch topics every now and then. The transitions between the sections were flowed well and made sense.

The chart, graph, and infographic game was strong in this book. They are so visually appealing with small photographs and great color schemes. It made for an interesting read and it broke up chunks of reading (again, good for my brain). My only qualm with this is that sometimes the graphs were placed before the author discusses them in the text. I would have to skip the graphic, read ahead, then go back two pages to have context for the graphic. This was cumbersome reading it as an ebook in Adobe Publisher where the user interface is not great. It probably wouldn't be so bad in a physical format. Another main issue I had was with the placement of the graphics, because a lot of the time, it cut a sentence in half (the ebook format didn't help). I think there could have been more strategic layout choices that would've made the reading experience easier.

This is a very personal opinion, but I hate that the text is in a double column format on each page. It felt like it took twice as long to get through because it felt like I had to read a page twice from top to bottom.

In the back, there is a bibliography and extra blank pages where I assume photo credits, author's note, and/or more may appear.

Hickey has written an accessible and fun media studies book about how we are influenced by what we consume, for better and for worse. Casual readers will appreciate the graphics heavy approach to sharing information and academic readers will find plenty of sourced material to sink their teeth into. You'll leave with plenty of anecdotes to share at your next party too!

You Are What You Watch
By Walter Hickey
Pub date: October 31, 2023
Workman
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Interesting read. Data heavy. I did like the color graphics. I was able to skip sections I was not interested in, like Star Wars. I would have liked more emphasis on music and books,
Overall, an enjoyable read.
4 stars

Sometimes a book hits you at the right time. I’ve been getting pretty angry with the state of crappy art being made for crappy reasons and along comes a book that explains why that crap is being made and why I love what I love. This is not really a book for everyone. It is data heavy and sometimes I had to read things a few times, because I’m dumb with numbers, but in the end, a statistical and scientific book that is a love letter to art is just about perfect.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

This was definitely an interesting read! Lots of data (and colourful graphics). Well researched and well laid out. I was able to skip over entire sections that did not interest me (WWE etc).

I "knew" that TV shows and movies (along with music and books) influenced us but this book presented the data to back the theories.. Everything from names, toys, pets, sports we play, university attendance - all linked to the culture we consume.

It was not as deep as I would have liked and I am more of a music and book fan so I would have liked more on those areas and less on Star Wars.

Overall it was an enjoyable and entertaining read. Thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Wasn't as much of a deep-dive as I had hoped, but I enjoyed the reporting and data collection of TV watching (one of my favorite hobbies!) It is rare that people take television seriously, putting pop culture on the pedestal it deserves. I loved how much thought went into how culture affects our every day, and while it wasn't anything particularly ground-breaking, it was still a good ride.