This was a really cool subject. I will admit I have only seen one or two episodes of Breaking Bad, but I was really interested in the topic of masculinity within the show.

While this is a academic book, many of the authors are also devoted fans of the show so it is interesting to read their analysis and critiques. I enjoyed the varieties of subjects covered in the text (sociology, philosophy, business) and the lenses used to analyze Breaking Bad.

This is a good book for fans of Breaking Bad as well as those interested in gender studies applied to pop culture, especially with an emphasis in masculinity.

The book contains round table discussions and essays as well as an annotated bibliography of further reading, which is a great resource for those interested in the topic.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and was able to follow the essays even with my limited knowledge of Breaking Bad. Some of the essays were better than others, but they all gave unique insight into the show (such as the symbolism of the veggie bacon that Skyler serves Walter).

While many of the authors analyze the same episodes, the scenes they look at seem to be those most important to the series and the most revealing of masculinity, so the repetition is understandable. Each author adds their own contribution to the analysis of the scene, viewing it through their own unique lens.

An interesting read that may motivate me to give the show another try.