Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show BusinessTelevision has conditioned us to tolerate visually entertaining material measured out in spoonfuls of time, to the detriment of rational public discourse and reasoned public affairs. In this eloquent, persuasive book, Neil Postman alerts us to the real and present dangers of this state of affairs, and offers compelling suggestions as to how to withstand the media onslaught. Before we hand over politics, education, religion, and journalism to the show business demands of the television age, we must recognize the ways in which the media shape our lives and the ways we can, in turn, shape them to serve out highest goals. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 11
Page 50
... community . Thus , reading is by its nature a serious business . It is also , of course , an essen- tially rational activity . From Erasmus in the sixteenth century to Elizabeth Eisen- stein Amusing Ourselves to Death 59 50.
... community . Thus , reading is by its nature a serious business . It is also , of course , an essen- tially rational activity . From Erasmus in the sixteenth century to Elizabeth Eisen- stein Amusing Ourselves to Death 59 50.
Page 116
... everything else , is presented , quite simply and without apology , as an entertain- ment . Everything that makes religion an historic , profound and sacred human activity is stripped away ; there is no Amusing Ourselves to Death 116.
... everything else , is presented , quite simply and without apology , as an entertain- ment . Everything that makes religion an historic , profound and sacred human activity is stripped away ; there is no Amusing Ourselves to Death 116.
Page 151
... and Gunter , quite the opposite conclusion is justified.3 Jacoby et al . found , for example , that only 3.5 percent of viewers were able to answer successfully twelve true / false questions concern- Teaching as an Amusing Activity 151.
... and Gunter , quite the opposite conclusion is justified.3 Jacoby et al . found , for example , that only 3.5 percent of viewers were able to answer successfully twelve true / false questions concern- Teaching as an Amusing Activity 151.
Contents
The Medium Is the Metaphor | 3 |
Media as Epistemology | 16 |
Typographic America | 30 |
Copyright | |
11 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
advertising Aldous Huxley America amusing argument audience become believe Billy Graham called celebrities Charles Finney claims classroom coherent communication conversation course created culture Diff'rent Strokes Douglas eighteenth entertainment epistemology example exposition fact Frye Huxley idea implied intellectual irrelevant Jerry Falwell Jimmy Swaggart language learning Lincoln-Douglas debates literacy Marshall McLuhan matter means medium ment merely metaphor Mimi mind movie nature newscaster newspaper nineteenth century oral Orwell Pat Robertson photograph play preachers President printed word printing press problem public discourse question radio rational readers reason religion religious Reverend Robert Schuller rock music sense serious Sesame Street show business sion social speech story symbolic tele telegraph television commercial television program television screen television show television's thing tion tradition truth typographic viewers visual Walter Ong watch writing written word York