Tony Kelso has produced an extremely impressive book. Written in an accessible language and sophisticated in its analysis, he takes us from the first advertisers, patent medicine salesman, all the way to contemporary digital advertising, showing us the historical and institutional connections that link them. At the same time, he demonstrates how as a cultural form advertising stands at the nexus of identity, ideology and the environmental catastrophe that threatens to engulf us and the planet. Written for a general audience as well as the college classroom, Kelso has performed a difficult maneuver, producing a work that makes us think deeply about the social impact of our everyday lives and decisions. Highly recommended.

Sut Jhally, Professor of Communication, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Founder and Executive Director, Media Education Foundation

Written as only a true insider can, this comprehensive and engaging overview is an important introduction to advertising as profession, as a form of communication, and as a cultural force.

Mara Einstein, PhD

An important contribution to the literature of advertising criticism. Kelso’s experiences as an ad man as well as a media critic enrich and enliven his perspective. With remarkable thoroughness and insight, he exposes advertising’s role in promoting a corporate ideology that threatens our culture, our democracy, and our environment. Written in a lucid and engaging style, this book transforms our knowledge and experience of the water in which we all swim.

Jean Kilbourne, Author of Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel