"Patricia Bradley has a unique way of looking at American media - whether it be broadcasting, vaudeville, or silent film - within a culture building context. Her forte is rejecting standard professional history and analyzing media as a cultural artifact and force intermixed with politics. Bradley examines media content and production within celebrated American values such as the entrepreneurial impulse. This book is a must read for those who want a greater understanding of culture without the usual jargon that accompanies such works. Bradley is a gifted scholar and writer." - Jean Folkerts, Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill