The premise of this one sounded interesting but unfortunately the actual narrative didn't work for me. I found the analysis and conclusions to be so obvious and, quite frankly, not particularly interesting. I wanted to like it but even with good narration, it didn't hold my attention.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Overall, this is a very interesting book and will keep anyone engaged who has a passing interest in how culture impacts our lives, especially from a detailed scientific perspective. I will say I was a little surprised by how in the weeds this gets into topics like how we respond physiologically to different movie genres and how that can change the chemical composition of the air around us, which might be a bit more science-heavy than the casual reader who picks this up might expect.

I do think that I would have been better served to have read the print edition and not listened to the audiobook. The narrator does a great job, but there are a lot of references made to graphs and figures that I would have preferred to have seen and not explained to me.

3.75/5

Thank you so much NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC of this audiobook!

You Are What You Watch explores the ways in which the media we consume changes everything about the way we view the world and view ourselves. This was really fun to read in tandem with Christine Rosen’s, “The Extinction of Experience”, as some of the topics touched on in that book are expanded on in this one but through a more academic lens. My only gripe while listening was that because this book is research heavy, it was hard to keep momentum. However, if you are someone who enjoys data heavy pieces of work, you will likely really enjoy this! Because I listened to the audiobook, I was not able to view the charts show in the physical copy, which there are many. With that being said, I would recommend picking up a physical rather than the audiobook if that is something you are interested in. Overall, I found Hickey’s analysis of the power of entertainment super fascinating and informative!

You Are What You Watch will be published on September 17th, 2024.

You Are What You Watch was an intriguing listen. Walter Hickey takes a positive approach around the topic of how media effects us which was an interesting spin as most discussions around this topic tend toward the negative. Parts of this book - the information about violent movies, the Warner Brothers store, and strategies around binge watching and commercial advertisements was fascinating. However, there were other parts that seemed to drag on and were much less interesting. There wasn't a steady flow, and at times, it seemed quite disjointed. I'd also love to have some reach regarding the longterm effects of some of the claims he made.

Jonathan Todd Ross was a fantastic narrator and pleasant to listen to. A couple of downfalls of listening to the audio book was being able to see any graphs or graphics and to be able to check to see if he listed references and if so, what those might be. I understand by reading other reviews that there are indeed references in the hard copy.

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in media strategies and/or effects of media but would caution against this being an exhaustive explanation with little information about long term effects.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Walter Hickey for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great book that goes deep and wide into all kinds of media consumption- from the chemical reactions in our bodies as a reaction to consuming media from fanfiction to cinematic techniques. It talks about the consumption side of it (i.e., chemical reactions) as well as the production side of it (i.e., how children's entertainment is produced to keep our fickle attention on it and yet, how there are laws preventing the misuse of it). I absolutely loved this book because it covers so many things I had no idea about in a very optimistic way that didn't leave me more cynical than I came in. There's a lot of charts in there (I love charts!!!) but I couldn't follow completely because I was reading in audio.

I really enjoyed everything about this book, from the content and flow to the engaging narrator. The author begins by saying that the book, "won't erode your ability to love what you enjoy...but rather love and appreciate them. You might love yourself more because of it." His mission was accomplished by the end.
The book opens with an presentation of empirical evidence of chemical responses in the body as audiences watch different genres of movies and links this to similar physiological responses we have when eating, so right away there's a strong feeling of consumption. How we watch movies and consume media has many of the same effects as eating food. Once that's been established, Hickey then goes on to explain the cinematic techniques used to grab the attention of audiences: why we like some things and not others, using the Star Wars prequels as effective examples, and again links this back to physiological responses in the body. He then moves on to media in pop culture and uses appropriate examples from recent years to demonstrate the impact cinema has on culture, such as baby names (Chandler and Xander), the increase in popularity of archery among women and, of course, The Rachel haircut. Later, Hickey discusses the relationship between the government, NASA, and the film industry and the impact these organizations have had using examples of both movies where they have been involved or provided opinion and movies where they have not, before talking about the film industry funding and tax evasion in the 1970's, the popularity and impact of marketing, specifically the Disney and WB stores of the 90s, and, my most favourite, nostalgia amongst Boomers and Millennials. Towards the end of the book, readers gain a better understanding of the use of commercials in streaming services and how these can actually help us retain and engage with the content we're watching. He does this using the same physiological tie-ins from earlier in the book, which makes for a cohesive argument overall. Finally, the book ends with a brief discussion of media on the global scale and looks at other countries and their impact on the industry, such as the increase in popularity of anime. Literally no stone was left unturned as Hickey touched upon the impact of cinema in all areas of culture!
Overall, this was a very well-structured and enjoyable listen/read, and while some components of it felt very similar to a Media and Culture 101 University class (that is to say, the information might not have been new), the way the information was presented and the build of the book made it successful, easy to follow and, in my opinion, accessible for a wide variety of listeners, from folks who know a bit about the subject already, to folks who might not know anything about it other than they just like movies. It had just enough of everything to keep the listener/reader engaged, from empirical experiments to sometimes quickly writing to relevant cultural references. The narrator had just enough liveliness without being over the top and I got the sense, based on their delivery, that they may have also enjoyed the content they were delivering. I would certainly recommend this audiobook! Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the chance to listen :)

I found this non-fiction audiobook informative and captivating discussion about how the media we as consumers chose to view (i.e., television, movies and books) materially impacts our phycological, mental and emotional well being. The book also explored how our communities and the countries we live in can impact or manipulate the materials we consume via media.

The audiobook referenced charts and graphics at times that I did not have access too. Which might have helped bring the entire book together to be able to reference those while listening.

Thank you Dreamscape media and Netgalley for the ALC.

This was a very interesting book about how the media we consume impacts us on a sociological level as well as physically. My only complaint is that there are a lot of charts in this book, which was difficult to keep up with in the audio format.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in media and pop culture, but would steer them towards a physical copy instead!

It isn't very often that I enthusiastically recommend a book to others while I'm still in the process of reading it. That is exactly what happened with this title. About half the way through I knew this was a title that a large contingency of my friends would find interesting if not of value. As someone who participates in both creation of artistic things and fan culture, I am in a network of connections of many people who do the same. Some of which are involved in the actual creation of one form of media or another. As such, I've read more than one book on both these matters. Never has a single volume taken this question and addressed it in such a comprehensive and broad way.

Part history, part sciences, part sociology, this book takes a hard look at the way an audience interacts with a material. It doesn't neglect to examine the science behind the production and the historical context to which influences everything from distribution to content type to reception and evolution of the way people interact with their meeting. One aspect I love is while it primarily is concerned with screen-media, there are so many nods to music both as part of a soundtrack and pop culture, performance and media based spaces, literature, even wrestling! It even examines the elements and influence of several different genres. I cannot believe how much this relatively average or short book contains.

This book provides variety, great insight, a side of humor, and a pace that feels far too fast and not slow enough at the same time. I didn't find at least one element that dragged. In what is essentially a linked essay collection? This is a true feat. If I had any wish to chance about this at all, it would be that I wish more had been presented on the role of audio and music in film and television though it does give nods to it.

Absolutely fantastic read for any fan or creator interested in today's media, how it got there, or is looking for validity in the way you consume media.

I felt like this title was misleading, and I ended up DNFing it because of that. It was a lot more scientific than sociological, which is what I anticipated. But the first chapter was about how you can tell the genre of a book based on the air of a movie theater. Not bad, just not what I was personally expecting. Hence, 3 stars.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book 3.5 stars, but rounded it up to 4 stars. I would recommend to read this book in print form and not audiobook, just because I feel like some visuals is needed for statistics. But I also don't think I would pick up a physical form of this book, so I'm glad I got to listen to it. It was very very interesting and I really liked the narrator.

Walter Hickey's “You Are What You Watch” takes a deep dive into the surprising and often hidden ways in which the entertainment industry shapes our world. The book goes beyond the typical attention grabber rhetoric, presenting a compelling case for the profound impact movies, TV shows, and even video games have on us.

While the data itself is interesting, some readers might find the organization a bit messy. The focus is heavily weighted on the sociological and economic impacts of media, with less exploration of the biological and mental health aspects (though the initial discussion on breathing was intriguing).

All in all, it’s a read highly recommended for those interested in how the media and entertainment areas work.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

When this was interesting it was interesting....but there were also a lot of slow bits.

Here Are My Thoughts in the Form of a List:
- I wish the organization of the material had been done differently. I can't pinpoint entirely what I'd want that to look like, but how it is right now felt messy. It definitely lost my attention at times

- I [selfishly] wish there had been more on the biology and mental health effects of media. The first chunk on exhalations was fascinating. But there's nothing wrong with the large focus on sociology and finance. In fact, it's probably more important to the scope of the author's thesis

- this was by far a data driven book with low commentary and data breakdown. aka, it's not a deep dive. It's a widespread overview of numerous media topics and formats. That being said, the 'narrating voice' is pleasant which helps avoid it being quite so dry

- I read this via audio so I can't comment on the graphs, but I know a lot of people had mixed feelings towards them

I went into this audiobook without expectations and was VERY pleased with what I got from it.

As usual with a journalist's writing, you should probably double check sources and ideas presented as facts; From the little bit of searching I did, this book seems to hold up (please correct me if I'm wrong though). This surprised me. Some of the data mentioned is extremely relevant to our society's relationship with the countless sources of media accessible, yet I'd never heard it before.

Walter Hickey's writing made me feel like I was getting access to information I wasn't supposed to know, like I overheard a convo I have no business being in and just want to soak up all the info you can.

If you enjoyed this book, you may also enjoy Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCullough. It's similar but not. Super helpful, I know.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Walt Hickey and publisher for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!}