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Industry of Identity Deficit and Cannibalization of Time Matrices

by Betsy U. Chang

403 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #01-0210; ISBN 1-55212-810-5; US$24.57, C$28.26, EUR20.19, £14.13

This book is in response to (1) the reports of the killing of James Byrd Jr., 49, on a Sunday morning, June 7, 1998, and (2) the coupling of identity deficit with the industries of identity which will continue to compound social problems while disproportionately filling the coffers of commercial interests

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About the Book

About the Author

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About the Book

Because of the multifold and geometric increase in the diffusiveness of the mass media and consumer marketing over the last few decades, living in today's milieu is more a proposition of sauve qui peut or escape if you can rather than caveat emptor or buyer beware (page 169). With globalization, mass media convergence and corporate consolidation, no culture is exempt from these homogenizing and generictizing tendrils and ripples. It is not uncommon to observe that the negative sentiments held against various categories of others have been instilled, shaped and formed by mass media stereotypes or propaganda rather than based upon historical or experiential contexts, regardless of ethnic origin. Such seeding of stereotypical images once in situ are not easily dislodged or balanced but more likely to become increasingly reinforced and fortified.

Rather than advocating a singular belief in any one system, a study and understanding of no less than three are encouraged by the age of 18 or 21 as a rite of passage to majority status (page 237). This approach will increase the probability of a formation, development and maintenance of mindfulness, the sine qua non or absolute prerequisite, to sound choice-making at all times, in all places. Polymathical educational philosopgy tends to encourage exploration beyond the three standard deviations into the realm of the infinite along both wings or asymtopes of the bell-curve.

As Prof. Isaiah Berlin wrote, "the only freedom to which knowledge contributes is freedom from illusion (page 218). It seems that only our firmly clenched and gripped attachment to illusions exceeds our grasping material possessiveness. This uniquely human trait and tendency for self-inflicted wounds should be necessary and sufficient cause for teaching and cultivating self-knowledge or mindfulness throughout life leading to serenity based upon confidence in and integrity of self-identity coupled with a sense of belonging.

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About the Author

Betsy U. Chang was born in Seoul, Korea in 1954. In 1964, her family moved to Hong Kong where she attended King George V School until 1972. She holds a B.Sc. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1975) and an MBA in Finance from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois (1976). She began her career as a financial analyst with Xerox in 1976. She has subsequently worked for Wang Labs, Warner Communications, Digital Equipment, and First Pacific Telecom, in various corporate positions including long-range planning, operations auditing, management information systems, corporate and product marketing, and head of communications for Hutchison Telecom. These positions took her to diverse locations in North America and Europe as well as many Asian countries, including China, Taiwan and India. As the author of this work, she has waived all royalties in favour of a reduction in book price to the reader.

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Excerpts

Appendix 5

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Catalogue Information

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