This book wasn't what I thought it would be like. Mina has done her research, and the book has many examples and facts to back up her claims. However, it was a bit dry for me, and I just couldn't get into it. I ended up abandoning it after a few chapters.

*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.* ( )

This book is a very interesting subject. It is a contemporary look at how "the small media actions we take online"..." are the seeds of social change". I found the book to be put together nicely. Visually, its a nice book to have and its contents are quite informative. The topic, I felt, would be great for our youth and those interested in sociology. I donated the book after reviewing it, to a local youth center where students might get into sociology through social media. ( )

This is a scholarly look at how memes have changed the internet, and emerged as a political force, focusing primarily on the U.S. and China, although it mentions other countries as well, such as Mexico, or several Latin American countries. In China, memes have been particularly valuable, as Chinese censorship practices often make straightforward political posts difficult or impossible. The book also mentions how meme culture can work as a polarizing force, which certainly seems to be something that you see here in the U.S. Memes are uniquely suited to helping people find their tribe, which can be both a good thing, as a unifying force for like groups, and a bad thing, as once everyone is sorted into tribes, it is difficult to find common ground.

The book also elaborates on how new technologies, like AI and bots, or other internet inventions, like hashtags, have helped to shape meme culture, and how the sharing of online memes can lead to real world action. This book seems well suited to a college political science class, and I can certainly see it leading to thoughtful discussion about how memes are used, and what their potential may be from here.

This was not the book that I though it was going to be. It was a little dry, but I was able to get through it. I did want to read something outside of my normal, and this was it. It was interesting to see where certain memes came from and how much power they had to sway people into becoming social political movements. When you think something is just a funny gif or picture, sometimes there is a whole story behind it. I don't think I can look at certain memes the same again. ( )