Books on Cultural Trends

Today I went to Barnes and Noble (easily one of my favorite stores) to look for Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide by Henry Jenkins. I need to research transmedia planning...and really, any new and emerging ideas related to planning, media, culture, science, and technology. Unfortunately Barnes didn't have the book in stock so I ordered it.

I did, however, walk out with some purchases (can I ever walk out of a store without merchandise? no). I bought a magazine (Marie Claire, which surprisingly has morphed into a smart, sassy, and hip source vs. what it used to be a few years ago) and two books.

Rengen (not sure if it should be in caps or not), Renaissance Generation by Patricia Martin - The book's jacket says Martin "argues that we are on the precipice of a major cultural renaissance. Who we are and what we care about is shifting--and a new set of imperatives, products, behaviors, and ambitions is emerging." The book looks at the factors influencing the economic, social, and cultural shift and seeks to offer yet more evidence that we are a culture of and in change. I'm eager to see if Martin makes any new statements that haven't already been said...

Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes by Mark J. Penn - The author (CEO of Burson-Marstellar and chief adviser to Senator Hilary Clinton's presidential campaign) pinpoints over "70 microtrends in religion, leisure, politics, and family that change the way we live." A quick flip of the pages shows plenty of graphs and charts. It looks like each trend is supported by data, so Penn's analysis is not pure observation or gut instinct (though surely that plays a role in his findings).

I've got some reading to do...