Social Control falls within social psychology, which is the branch of knowledge that deals with the psychic interplay between man and his environment. In Ross' terms, one of these branches, social ascendency, deals with the domination of society over the individual. Another, individual ascendency, embraces such topics as invention, leadership, the role of great men, and deals with the domination of the individual over society.

Social ascendency is divided into social infl uence-- mob mind, fashion, convention, custom, public opinion, and the like--and social control. Th e...

Cartoonist Edward Ross uses comics to illuminate the ideas behind our favorite movies. In Filmish, Ross's cartoon alter ego guides readers through the annals of cinematic history, introducing some of the strange and fascinating concepts at work in the movies. Each chapter focuses on a particular theme--the body, architecture, language--and explores an eclectic mix of cinematic triumphs, from A Tripto the Moon to Top Gun. Like other bestselling nonfiction graphic novels such as Scott McCloud's...