Arthur Asa Berger is the author of more than 100 scholarly articles and more than 70 books on media, popular culture, semiotics and humour. He has written numerous articles on humour which have been published in journals in America and other countries, together with several books on the same subject including: 'Li'L Abner: A Study in American Satire' (his PhD dissertation); 'An Anatomy of Humor'; 'The Art of Comedy Writing'; 'Blind Men and Elephants: Perspectives on Humor'; 'The Genius of the Jewish Joke'; and 'Jewish Jester'.He taught Comedy Writing and Sitcom Writing in the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department at San Francisco State University for a number of years. Arthur was also elected into the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Communication Hall of Fame. His teaching career spans continents; from teaching at the University of Milan, by way of a Fulbright to Italy in 1963, to later teaching as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Argentina and Belarus. In addition, he has also lectured in countries such as Iran, France, Germany, Vietnam and China, to name a few. In line with this, many of his books have been translated into nine languages including Chinese and Turkish.
"Arthur Asa Berger has done it again. He has written a book that is a philosophical treatise in ontology, a semiotic analysis of the objects and events of everyday life, and a practical guide to the meaning and logic of our unconscious activities, seamlessly uniting all these threads into a masterpiece of purveyance of life's meaning. And he does all this in user-friendly language, explaining and practically illustrating profound ideas from philosophy, semiotics, and cultural analysis in an enjoyable way, as well as critiquing them when they need to be critiqued, making the book truly a great ""read."" Marcel Danesi Professor Emeritus, Anthropology University of Toronto Drawing from influential theories like semiotics, this invaluable book delves into the power and mechanism of choices we make. It offers practical insights into decision-making, shedding light on the pivotal role of choice in our society, culture, and personal lives, where some choices we make shape our destinies. Dr. Yoshiko Okuyama Professor, Japanese Department of Languages University of Hawaii at Hilo Professor Berger has an excellent knowledge of the most important studies in this field and uses them extensively in his book. He explores the phenomenon of ""choice"" from different perspectives -semiotic, psychoanalytic, sociological, political, etc. [and] analyses these standpoints with numerous concrete examples. The style of the book is quite attractive. Professor Berger adheres to readability requirements and writes with a wonderful sense of humour. [He] is also an inpired cartoonist who illustrated the book with many cartoons. This is also good with regard to the book's attractiveness and readability. [He] has also written a glossary of key terms relating to the main topics of the book. [...] the book is a serious scientific achievement [and] very readable [...] Dr. Christo Kaftandjiev Professor, Faculty of Journalism Sofia University, Bulgaria"