Böcker av Justin Lewis

Notable events, surprising nuggets and entertaining coincidences from music history - the perfect companion for any fan of popular music

Notable events, surprising nuggets and entertaining coincidences from music history - the perfect companion for any fan of popular music

ENEDICT CUMBERBATCH has played detective and monster, barrister and scientist, politician and painter, comic and spy. Still only in his thirties, he has become one of Britain's foremost acting talents, excelling in theatre, television, radio and cinema. With a string of starring and supporting roles, he has portrayed contemporary icons, historic...

Is polling a process that brings "e;science"e; into the study of society? Or are polls crude instruments that tell us little about the way people actually think? The role of public opinion polls in government and mass media has gained increasing importance with each new election or poll taken. Here Lewis presents a new look at an old tradition, the first study of opinion polls using an interdisciplinary approach combining cultural studies, sociology, political science, and mass communication. Rather than dismissing polls, he considers them to be a significant form of representation in contemporary culture; he explores how the media report on polls and, in turn, how publicized results influence the way people respond to polls. Lewis argues that the media tend to exclude the more progressive side of popular opinion from public debate. While the media's influence is limited, it works strategically to maintain the power of pro-corporate political elites.

Included in the Sunday Times' 100 Makers of the 21st Century as 'the next Sir Laurence Olivier', Benedict's star is only set to shine brighter as he join luminaries Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Day-Lewis and Anthony Hopkins as one of Britain's most defining actors. This is his illuminating biography.

Olly Murs may have finished in second place on television's The X Factor in 2009, but the heart-throb singer has since become one of British pop's winners. The cheeky chappie with the tight trousers and the porkpie hat has sold out concert tours, released bestselling albums and enjoyed a string of hits including 'Please Don't Let Me Go'.