Cultural Studies.

In the introduction to this massive collection, the editors write, "Cultural studies is . . . committed to the study of the entire range of a society's arts, beliefs, institutions and communicative practices," and the diversity of essays that follow does nothing to belie that statement. Indeed, one of the book's fascinations is the unlikely sources of inspiration for some of its best papers--Laura Kipnis's witty and incisive discussion of Hustler and its unique porno-aesthetic, Constance Penley's study of an unusual group of female Star Trek fans, Simon Frith on amateur rock bands in Liverpool and Milton Keynes. …