American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture, Third Edition (2005), by Maryanne Kearny Datesman, JoAnn Crandall, and Edward N. Kearny, focuses on the traditional values that have attracted people to the United States for well over 200 years and traces the effects of these values on American life.
Chapter themes include diversity, the family, education, government and politics, religion, business, and recreation. Cross-cultural activities --- from discussion topics to writing projects --- encourage high-intermediate to advanced students to compare their own values with those discussed in the readings.
British culture today is the product of a shifting combination of tradition and experimentation, national identity and regional and ethnic diversity. These distinctive tensions are expressed in a range of cultural arenas, such as art, sport, journalism, fashion, education, and race. This Companion addresses these and other major aspects of British culture, and offers a sophisticated understanding of what it means to study and think about the diverse cultural landscapes of contemporary Britain. Each contributor looks at the language through which culture is formed and expressed, the political and institutional trends that shape culture, and at the role of culture in daily life.
Gothic Realities: The Impact of Horror Fiction on Modern Culture
L. Andrew Cooper is assistant director of the Writing and Communication Program at Georgia Tech. His work has appeared in The Quarterly Review of Film and Video and Gothic Studies.
Vampyre Sanguinomicon: The Lexicon of the Living Vampire
Since the dawn of civilization the vampire has danced through the dreams and nightmares of every culture, expressed in folklore, literature, and art. Today, this fascination resonates in pop-culture, through hit television shows and movies and bestselling books. But what does it mean to be a vampire, a living and modern vampire? What many do not realize is that the Living Vampire is on a serious, lifelong spiritual path.
