Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"Life as it had been prior to 9/11 seemed, at least momentarily, no longer possible to ordinary Americans," begins this guide, setting forth an idea reflected back at us in popular culture through every medium of communication. Covering seven different areas of American life (Everyday Life, News and Information, Books, TV, Film, Music, and Visual Culture), this reference chronicles the impact of 9/11 in popular expression. The fear and uncertainty following that day left us wondering about our current lives, country, and relationships, and short essays within the chapters highlight responses in songs, books, and TV shows such as Sesame Street, Green Day's American Idiot, and Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. An index grants access to the topics within while a selected 9/11 print and multimedia bibliography and a "Further Reading" guide pave the way toward an expanded view of this cultural memory tragedy. BOTTOM LINE Two similar publications cover essentially the same topics and may be of interest to libraries considering this title: Jeff Birkenstein and others' Reframing 9/11: Film, Popular Culture and the "War on Terror" (Continuum, 2010) and Matthew J. Morgan and Rory Stewart's The Impact of 9/11 on the Media, Arts, and Entertainment: The Day That Changed Everything? (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009). With the upcoming tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this guide is suggested for midsized and larger public libraries, middle grade to high school libraries, and academic popular collections.-Laverne Mann, Piscataway P.L., NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Since the literature on the September 11 attacks is already vast (WorldCat lists more than 14,000 items), the need for useful reference works on this historic event is particularly compelling. This resource examines the impact of the attack on American culture in chapters on Everyday Life, News and Information, Books, Television, Film, Music, and Visual Culture. Each chapter consists of an introduction and several Spotlight Essays focusing on specific topics. The essays range in length from a few paragraphs to several pages and include both print and web references. The work concludes with selected lists of media (websites, art exhibits, fiction, etc.) and further reading. The text is enhanced with sidebars and some photographs. The editors are to be commended for including unusual topics that might pique the interest of students and general readers: greeting cards, comic books, humor, and comfort food for the recovery workers, among others. This book is a good ready-reference source for students, researchers, and general readers. Also available as an e-book.--Altschiller, Donald Copyright 2010 Booklist