Book excerpt: Through rigorous research and analytic methods, this groundbreaking book convincingly explains the phenomenon of the large-scale political mobilization of modern gun culture in the United States. The success of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the figurehead of gun culture, is due to an enormous mobilization effect caused by negative media coverage. Not only have national media systematically treated the NRA negatively compared to similar interest groups, but the NRA has directly benefited from this coverage in terms of membership mobilization. The National Rifle Association and the Media argues that if it were not for negative coverage, gun culture in the United States would not be where it is today.