Signs of Life in the U.S.A. by Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon seeks to teach critical thinking and writing skills using what is called the popular culture analysis approach based on using a semiotic methodology. This means looking for and recognizing the various signs and interpreting the symbolism and meaning of the signs. Using pop culture as a subject to develop writing skills in college students became popular and accepted in the 1980s. The theory is that the student is already an expert on some aspects of pop culture, whether it is dress, hairstyles, music, television, movies or whatever. Let the student write about something that he/she knows about in order to develop the critical thinking skills that are required for successful analysis and writing. The students find that many topics do not require as much research as they think.

The book teaches the student how to approach a writing problem in terms of selecting a topic and how to approach the problem of writing an essay. The book looks at the different areas of popular culture and shows the student how to approach each, including what questions the student should be asking and why. Throughout the book, there are sample essays, with the good points explained and emphasized along with a large collection of pictures and visual aids as well as classroom assignments given in boxes. The purpose of the boxed items is to help develop the student's thinking skills so the student learns how to approach a problem.

Each section has the first part of the chapter written by the authors explaining the purpose of that chapter, or window. This leading section is then followed by a readings section that has a selection of articles by various authors that explore the different aspects of the chapter subject. Each selection is followed by sections entitled "Reading the Text" and "Reading the Signs", which consist of questions and exercises to help the student absorb and understand the information given in the selection. Some of these selections may be photographs that the student has to analyze since there is one in each window. There is also a "Reading the Text" and "Reading the Signs" section for the pictures.

The Editor's Notes in the back of the book are a good accompaniment for teaching. It is also good for the student since it explains some of the concepts in greater detail than the reading selections. It also includes topics for student discussion as well as various assignment suggestions to enhance the development of critical thinking skills and writing skills.

Both students and teachers will find this book valuable in that it enhances the learning experience for the student. This book shows all of the examples and methods required for the student to analyze pop culture and use it as the subject of writing assignments. The approach teaches the students what to look for and what questions to ask for the different forms of pop culture.