Reality first appeared in the late 1980s—in the sense not of real life but rather of the TV entertainment genre inaugurated by shows such as Cops and America’s Most Wanted; the daytime gabfests of Geraldo, Oprah, and Donahue; and the tabloid news of A Current Affair. In a bracing work of cultural criticism, Eric Harvey argues that reality TV emerged in dialog with another kind of entertainment that served as its foil while borrowing its techniques: gangsta rap. Or, as legendary performers Ice Cube and Ice-T called it, “reality rap.” Reality rap and reality TV were components of a cultural revolution that redefined popular entertainment as a truth-telling medium. Reality entertainment borrowed journalistic tropes but was undiluted by the caveats and context that journalism demanded. While N.W.A.’s “Fuck tha Police” countered Cops’ vision of Black lives in America, the reality rappers who emerged in that group’s wake, such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tupac Shakur, embraced reality’s visceral tabloid sensationalism, using the media's obsession with Black criminality to collapse the distinction between image and truth. Reality TV and reality rap nurtured the world we live in now, where politics and basic facts don’t feel real until they have been translated into mass-mediated entertainment.

Need a role model for effective leadership? Hear from the ultimate leader himself, Santa Claus! The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus is a quick, fun 1-hour read written by Eric Harvey in the voice of Santa Claus and is one of the best leadership books for learning how to be a good leader at all levels. In this compelling story, you will learn how Santa Claus manages team building, employees, facilities, resources, production, customer service, and more! Learn his secret to success with this essential Ignite Reads management book and empower yourself and your team to produce significant results. Enjoy every minute of this delightful and powerful read by understanding how to: Get your team fully motivated and inspiredProduce significant and sustained resultsHelp all employees deal with the realities of changeBuild a high performance "workshop"Become a more effective and respected leaderCelebrate Q4 with this book and its multiple training solutions. Or give the perfect holiday gift from your company or employee gift from your management team! Learn how to make the most of what you have and more with this inspirational leadership book.

What is poetry? Many have tried to define and put a face to the six letter word but just like the anatomy of the human body, poetry has many layers. It lives through many life forms that are expressed verbally and non-verbally. Whether written or spoken, seen through photography or dance to graffiti on a public wall, poetry is an expression without boundaries. Two years ago, Eric Harvey and Tamara Hicks were perfect strangers. Drawn together through the ebb and flow of words, they connected and built a bond which they consider heaven made. Through emails conversations, they begin to share their life experiences through words in the form of poetry. Eventually they begin to understand that their words were God given and meant to be shared with the world. Eric and Tamara share a love and passion that is greater than the naked eye can see or the human ear can hear, their passion explodes through their writings. As you read through the words and discover metaphors in Freedom of Speech: Writing Out Loud, you will hear the echoes of love, joy, hurt, pain, forgiveness, and hope jumping off the pages through their unspoken voices of words. From community awareness to apologizing to the hurt and abandoned single women, FOS, offers a variety of poetry that every reader, no mater what age, race, gender or religion, can enjoy Freedom Of Speech: Writing Out Loud is not just another poetry book, it represent one heart of two spirit filled individuals whose passion for God, life, love and community have destined them to uncover their words and speak out loud We hope that this work will inspire, encourage and provoke the hearts and minds of our readers