by Nick Turse
First published 2008
Nick Turse reveals how the modern military has woven itself into American consumer culture in ways most people never notice. The Pentagon now collaborates with Hollywood studios, forms partnerships with companies like Starbucks, and influences products from iPods to Oakley sunglasses. Turse documents the military's recruitment strategies that target young people through MySpace and tap into popular culture. He explores bizarre defense projects including weaponized animals and examines corporate tie-ins with WWE and NASCAR. The book traces how today's military-industrial complex operates differently from Eisenhower's era, functioning as an interconnected system that touches daily life at every turn. Turse shows readers a world where remote-controlled rats and sleepless super-soldiers represent the cutting edge of military innovation. This investigation helps readers recognize the extensive militarization of American society and understand how defense interests have become embedded in civilian spaces and commercial products.
Genres: american, military-fiction, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, social-commentary
304 pages · Hardcover · Metropolitan Books