The Who were one of the most memorable and influential of the 1960s British Invasion bands-memorable because of their loudness and because they destroyed instruments during performances, and influential because of their success in crafting "Power Pop" singles like "My Generation" and "I Can See for Miles," long-playing albums Live at Leeds and Who's Next, and the "rock operas" Tommy and Quadrophenia. The themes that principal songwriter Pete Townshend imparted into The Who's music drew upon the group's mostly working-class London upbringings and early Mod audiences: frustration, angst, irony, and a youthful inclination to lash out. Like some of his rock and roll contemporaries, Townshend was also affected by religious ideas coming from India and the existential dread he felt about the possibility of nuclear war. During a career that spanned three decades, The Who gave their fans and rock critics a lot to think about. The remarkable depth and breadth of The Who's music and their story as one of the most exciting and provocative rock bands over the last half-century are the subjects of the philosophical explorations in this collection.

A mirror of tomorrow, Alfonso Cuaron's visionary Children of Men (2006) was released to good reviews and poor box office but is now regarded by many as a twenty-first-century masterpiece. Its propulsive story dramatizes a dystopian future when an infertile humanity hurtles toward extinction and an African refugee holds the key to its survival. Cuaron creates a documentary of the near future when Britain's totalitarian government hunts down and cages refugees like animals as the world descends into violent chaos. In the midst of xenophobia and power abuses that have led to a permanent state of emergency, Children of Men inspires with a story of hope and political resistance. Dan Dinello explicates Children of Men's politically progressive significance in the context of today's rise of authoritarianism and white nationalism. Though topical at the time, the film now feels as if it's been torn from today's headlines. Examining the film from ideological, psychological, and philosophical perspectives, the book explores the film's connection to post-9/11 apocalyptic narratives, its evolutionary twist to the nativity story, its warning about the rise of neofascism, and its visual uniqueness as science fiction, delving into the film's gritty hyper-realistic style and the innovative filmic techniques developed by director Cuaron and his cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki. Dinello explores the film's criticism of the pathologies of a reactionary politics that normalize discriminatory hierarchies and perpetuate vast differences in privilege. Children of Men prods us to imagine an egalitarian alternative with a narrative that urges emotional identification with rebels, outcasts, and racial and ethnic outsiders.