The Big Book of Pop Culture: A How-to Guide for Young Artists.

The Big Book of Pop Culture is a guide to the history, theory, and production of popular culture for young people. Niedzviecki, who founded the underground culture and arts magazine Broken Pencil, aims to empower and encourage young artists who may not be sure where to start.

The book is divided into two sections. The first explains pop culture: what makes it “popular”; how it arose; and how it relates to the larger contexts of media, advertising, and consumption. The second section looks at creativity in different forms and media: zines, books, comics, films, videos, music, radio, television, and the Internet. Each of these major sections includes suggestions for further research and specific projects. The book includes black-and-white illustrations and photos throughout, interviews with an assortment of academics and artists from the world of pop culture, sidebars on interesting pop-culture phenomena, and profiles on particular projects. With such a variety of content, the book is accessible, engaging, and designed to appeal to both artistic newcomers and DIY veterans.

The work’s greatest strengths are its author’s first-hand knowledge of the subject matter, his enthusiasm, and the wide variety of projects and media he features. Older readers may find the tone a little condescending, particularly in the first section where Niedzviecki tends to over generalize. Nonetheless, this book is an excellent introduction to cultural production made accessible to young people. Recommended.