Moderator - The Art of the Prank

March 26, 2007January 15, 2019

Art of the Prank Bookstore

Below is a list of books and films about topics covered on The Art of the Prank. If you click on the name of the item you will be able to purchase it from Amazon.com or other booksellers such as RE/Search Publications.

The Activist Cookbook, by Andrew Boyd, United for a Fair Economy, 1997

The Arts of Deception: Playing with Fraud in the Age of Barnum, by James W. Cook, Harvard University Press, 2001

At the Edge of Art, by Joline Blais and Jon Ippolito, Thames & Hudson, 2006

Big Book of Hoaxes: True Tales of the Greatest Lies Ever Told!, by Carl Sifakis, DC Comics, 1996

Campaigning for Hearts and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in Political Ads Work, by Ted Brader, University of Chicago Press, 2006

The Chalice and the Blade, by Riane Eisler, Peter Smith Publisher, 1994

Comments on The Society of The Spectacle by Guy Debord, Verso, New Ed edition, 1998

Consciousness Explained, by Daniel C. Dennett, Penguin Books Ltd, 1993

Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole, by Benjamin R. Barber, W. W. Norton, 2007

The Demon Haunted World: Science As a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, Ballantine Books, 1997

The Diamond Age, by Neal Stephenson, Spectra, 2000

Don’t Believe It!: How Lies Become News, by Alexandra Kitty, The Disinformation Company, 2005

Encyclopedia of Hoaxes, by Gordon Stein, Gale Research Inc., 1993

Essays on the Blurring of Life and Art, by Allan Kaprow, University of California Press, 2003

Other Books by Allan Kaprow

Fakes, Frauds & Other Malarkey, by Kathryn Lindskoog and Patrick Wynne, Zondervan Publishing House, 1992

The Fame Formula, by Mark Borkowski, Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd, 2008

Fiona: Mysteries & Curiosities Of Literary Fraud & Folly, by W. J. Elvin III, CreateSpace, 2008

Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov, Doubleday, 1982

Future Active: Media Activism and the Internet, by Graham Meikle, Routledge, 2002

Growing Artificial Societies: Social Science from the Bottom Up by Joshua M. Epstein and Robert L. Axtell, The MIT Press, 1996

Happy Mutant Handbook: Mischievous Fun for Higher Primates, by Carla Sinclair, Gareth Branwyn, Mark Frauenfelder, Riverhead Trade, 1995

Herzog on Herzog by Werner Herzog, Paul Cronin (editor), Faber & Faber, 2003

Hey, Kidz! Buy This Book: A Radical Primer on Corporate and Governmental Propaganda and Artistic Activism for Short People by Anne Elizabeth Moore, Soft Skull Press, 2004

Hippo Eats Dwarf: A Field Guide to Hoaxes and Other B.S. by Alex Boese, Harvest Books, 2006

Hoaxes, by Curtis MacDougall, Dover Publications; 2nd Edition, 1958

Hoaxes and Deception: Library of Curious and Unusual Facts, Time Life Books, 1991

Hoaxes, Humbugs and Spectacles: Astonishing Photographs of Smelt Wrestlers, Human Projectiles, Giant Hailstones, Contortionists, Elephant Impersonat, by Mark Sloane, Villard, 1990

How a satirical editor became a Yippie conspirator in ten easy years

How a satirical editor became a Yippe conspirator in ten easy years, by Paul Krassner, Putman, 1971

How To Draw a Bunny (2002), DVD, by John W. Walter, Palm Pictures, 2004

Impropaganda: The Art of the Publicity Stunt, by Mark Borkowski

Jamming the Media, by Gareth Branwyn, Chronicle Books, 1997

Jay’s Journal of Anomalies: Conjurers, Cheats, Hustlers, Hoaxsters, Pranksters, Jokesters, Impostors, Pretenders, Sideshow Showmen, Armless Calligraphers, Mechanical Marvels, Popular Entertainments, by Ricky Jay, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2001

The King in Yellow, by Robert W. Chambers, Wildside Press, 2005

Making the News: A Guide for Activists and Nonprofits, by Jason Salzman, Perseus Books Group, 2003

Media Hoaxes, by Fred Fedler, 1989

Media Virus!, by Douglas Rushkoff, Ballantine Books, 1996

Media Wizards: A Behind the Scenes Look at Media Manipulations, by Catherine Gourley, 21st Century, 1999

The Messenger’s Motives: Ethical Probelms of the News Media, 2nd Edition, by John L. Hulteng, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1985

Metamagical Themas, by Douglas R. Hofstadter, Basic Books, 1996

Mischief Marketing: How the Rich, Famous, & Successful Really Got Their Careers and Businesses Going, by Ray Simon, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary, 2000

The Modern Con Man: How to Get Something for Nothing, by Todd Robbins, Bloomsbury, 2008

Modern Primitives, RE/Search Publications

Modern Primitives, by V. Vale, RE/Search Publications, 1989

The Moral Animal, by Robert Wright, Abacus, 2004

More Scams from the Great Beyond!: How to Make Even More Money Off the Creationism, Evolution, Environmentalism, Fringe Politics, Weird Science, the Occult, and Other Strange Beliefs, by Peter Huston, Paladin Press, 2002

Mount Analogue, by Rene Daumal, Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd, 2005

Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet Of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology, by Lawrence Weschler, Vintage, 1996

The Museum of Hoaxes, by Alex Boese, Orion, 2004

No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs, by Naomi Klein, Picador, 2002

OurSpace: Resisting the Corporate Control of Culture, by Christine Harold, University of Minnesota Press, 2007

Pranks!, RE/Search Publications, 1987

Pranks! 2, RE/Search Publications, 2006

Publicity Stunt, by Candice Jacobson Fuhrman, Chronicle Books. 1989

Radical Melbourne 2: The Enemy Within, by Jeff Sparrow and Jill Sparrow, Vulgar Press, 2004

The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins, Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 2006

The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord (Author), Ken Knabb (Translator), AKPress; New edition, 2006

Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson, Goldmann, 2002

Spite, Malice and Revenge: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Even (3 Diabolical Volumes in 1), by M. Nelson Chunder and George Hayduke, Random House Value Publishing, 1988

Spook Country, by William Gibson, Putnam Adult (August 7, 2007), Putnam Adult, 2007

Stories of hoaxes in the name of science, by Irving Adler, Collier Books, 1962

The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution, by John Brockman, Touchstone, 1996

Trespass: A History Of Uncommissioned Urban Art, by Carlo McCormick (Author), Marc Schiller (Author), Sara Schiller (Author), Ethel Seno (Editor), 2010

True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society, by Farhad Manjoo, Wiley, 2008

Unmarketable: Brandalism, Copyfighting, Mocketing, and the Erosion of Integrity , by Anne Elizabeth Moore, New Press, 2007

U-Turn: What If You Woke Up One Morning and Realized You Were Living the Wrong Life?, by Bruce Grierson, Bloomsbury, 2007

Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time, by Michael Shermer, Owl Books; 2nd Rev edition, 2002

The Wolf Files: Adventures in Weird News, by Buck Wolf, Globe Pequot, 2003

The Zen of Zombie: Better Living Through the Undead, by Scott Kenemore, Skyhorse Publishing, 2007

More Coming!

March 26, 2007January 15, 2019

A Practical Guide To Critical Thinking by Greg R. Haskins

An excellent reference for anyone who professes to believe in anything.

The full article is on the skepdic.com Web site and is full of models, charts and graphs. It is well worth the read. -JS

Introduction

There have been many definitions of critical thinking. From a practical perspective, it may be defined as:

A process by which we use our knowledge and intelligence to effectively arrive at the most reasonable and justifiable positions on issues, and which endeavors to identify and overcome the numerous hindrances to rational thinking.

Not everyone values the need for critical thinking. Often, being methodically objective is viewed as cold, sterile, and worst of all, boring. To those who say “Have faith and let your feelings guide you to the truth,” or “Don”t let facts get in the way of an inspiring or interesting story,” these words will probably not resonate. But for those who truly understand and appreciate the importance of critical thinking, this paper, including the attached tables, can become a useful reference for daily life. Continue reading “A Practical Guide To Critical Thinking by Greg R. Haskins”

March 25, 2007January 15, 2019

Jobs Expands His i-Empire

Here’s a funny spoof about Apple arrogance, courtesy MadTV.

March 25, 2007January 15, 2019

God’s dupes by Sam Harris

This article from the LA Times, March 15, 2007 is so incisive and deserving of attention, I hope everyone reads it! Sam Harris is the author of “The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason” and “Letter to a Christian Nation.” -JS

Moderate believers give cover to religious fanatics — and are every bit as delusional.

Pete Stark, a California Democrat, appears to be the first congressman in U.S. history to acknowledge that he doesn’t believe in God. In a country in which 83% of the population thinks that the Bible is the literal or “inspired” word of the creator of the universe, this took political courage.

Of course, one can imagine that Cicero’s handlers in the 1st century BC lost some sleep when he likened the traditional accounts of the Greco-Roman gods to the “dreams of madmen” and to the “insane mythology of Egypt.”

Mythology is where all gods go to die, and it seems that Stark has secured a place in American history simply by admitting that a fresh grave should be dug for the God of Abraham “” the jealous, genocidal, priggish and self-contradictory tyrant of the Bible and the Koran. Continue reading “God’s dupes by Sam Harris”

March 21, 2007January 15, 2019

Culture Jamming Defined

Here’s a workable definition of Culture Jamming from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -JS

Culture jamming is the act of transforming existing mass media to produce commentary about itself, using the original medium’s communication method. It is a form of public activism which is generally in opposition to commercialism, and the vectors of corporate image. The aim of culture jamming is to create a contrast between corporate or mass media images and the realities or perceived negative side of the corporation or media. This is done symbolically, with the “detournement” of pop iconography.

It is based on the idea that advertising is little more than propaganda for established interests, and that there is a lack of an available means for alternative expression in industrialized nations. Proponents see culture jamming as a resistance movement to the hegemony of popular culture, based on the ideas of “guerrilla communication”.

Culture jamming’s intent differs from that of artistic appropriation (which is done for art’s sake) and vandalism (where destruction or defacement is the primary goal), although its results are not always so easily distinguishable. See the rest at Wikipedia…