Team Rodent : How Disney Devours the World
Author: Carl Hiaasen
List Price: $9.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0345422805
Publisher: Ballantine Books (05 May, 1998)
Sales Rank: 39,413
Average Customer Rating: 3.34 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Hiaasen Attacks Apple Pie
First of all I must admit that if I heard that Carl Hiaasen had edited the Dubuque, Iowa telephone book, I would rush out and buy it. I enjoy him because I love his humor, and because I share his environmental concerns. As a retired senior executive of a large corporation, I also have no illusions about the goals of business. We need gadflies, and Carl's buzzing about can only bring issues to the surface to be thought about and discussed. Disagree with him you may, but I see nothing wrong in presenting facts about the power and plasticity of the Disney world. Many folks want their big brother provided sanitized entertainment, and will evidently brook no criticism of the source of their pleasure. For myself I am interested to find out how yet another big business manipulates local governments and the press. It's fascinating to read how devoted fans will pay 25 to 40% more for a home because its built by Mickey and his friends, while disregarding the fact that the same guys built substandard housing in Miami. The way people are mesmerized by the fantastic plastic world of Disney sometimes scares me. Its like some dystopic future world from a science fiction novel.I will agree that $8.95 is a lot to pay for 83 pages, but it sure is good quality Hiaasen.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Hilarious, wonderful writing, but ultimately unconvincing
After reading this book, I came out with a significantly better impression of the Disney operation than when I started. Hiaasen admits that Disney properties are managed with slick, gleaming competence, and that they give the public exactly what it wants. His issue is that Disney tries to "improve on nature"; I feel that mankind's primary mission should be to do exactly that, to try and create a better world.The incredible bitterness of his hatred for Disney surprised me, since by the end of the book, I was convinced that South Florida would be ruled either by Disney or Francis X Kingsbury, founder of the cheesy 'Amazing Kingdom of Thrills' featured in 'Native Tongue' (my favourite Hiaasen novel). And now I'm confused: Which would Hiaasen hate the least?
Incidentally, I'm not convinced Disney's vision is good, either - but at least I have to give them credit for trying. And, despite being more or less an anti-environmentalist, I really enjoy th! e quality of Hiaasen's writing, both in this book and his fiction. That's why it got a high rating from me, despite not succeeding in its basic aim.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Interesting
I found this book interesting. As a former Floridian, and a resident of Manassas, where the proposed American Adventure Park was to be built, I do understand Hiaasen's dislike of "the mouse". The essay is from a series where authors write a critical essay of some current topic. Hiaasen's was Disney. Through opinions as a native Floridian and a journalist, and real news stories about Disney, Hiaasen attempts to give readers a better look at Disney, that it isn't all it's cracked up to be.
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