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!}