Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show BusinessWhat happens when media and politics become forms of entertainment? As our world begins to look more and more like Orwell's 1984, Neil's Postman's essential guide to the modern media is more relevant than ever. "It's unlikely that Trump has ever read Amusing Ourselves to Death, but his ascent would not have surprised Postman.” -CNN Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman’s groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century. Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media—from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs—it has taken on even greater significance. Amusing Ourselves to Death is a prophetic look at what happens when politics, journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands of entertainment. It is also a blueprint for regaining control of our media, so that they can serve our highest goals. “A brilliant, powerful, and important book. This is an indictment that Postman has laid down and, so far as I can see, an irrefutable one.” –Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World |
From inside the book
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Page ii
... York University , where he founded the renowned Media Ecology program . Blessed with an unusually far - reaching mind , he authored more than twenty books , producing major works on education ( Teaching as a Subversive Activity , The ...
... York University , where he founded the renowned Media Ecology program . Blessed with an unusually far - reaching mind , he authored more than twenty books , producing major works on education ( Teaching as a Subversive Activity , The ...
Page iv
... York 10014 , U.S.A. Penguin Group ( Canada ) , 90 Eglinton Avenue East , Suite 700 , Toronto , Ontario , Canada M4P ... York Times Company for permission to reprint from " Combining TV , Books , Computers " by Edward Fiske , which ...
... York 10014 , U.S.A. Penguin Group ( Canada ) , 90 Eglinton Avenue East , Suite 700 , Toronto , Ontario , Canada M4P ... York Times Company for permission to reprint from " Combining TV , Books , Computers " by Edward Fiske , which ...
Page viii
... York University , many of whom have gone on to teach in their own college ( and occasionally high school ) courses what he argues in these pages . These fine minds are , as my father's was , of a bygone era , a different media ...
... York University , many of whom have gone on to teach in their own college ( and occasionally high school ) courses what he argues in these pages . These fine minds are , as my father's was , of a bygone era , a different media ...
Page xvi
... Dr. Postman , " he said , " it's more like ten seconds . " There's still time . Andrew Postman Brooklyn , New York November 2005 In 1985 ... If you were alert back then , Introduction to the Twentieth Anniversary Edition xvi.
... Dr. Postman , " he said , " it's more like ten seconds . " There's still time . Andrew Postman Brooklyn , New York November 2005 In 1985 ... If you were alert back then , Introduction to the Twentieth Anniversary Edition xvi.
Page xvii
... York City . David Garth is a top media consultant for political candidates . Top - rated TV shows include Dynasty , Dallas ( though it has been several years since the drama of " Who Shot J.R. ? " gripped the TV - watching nation ) ...
... York City . David Garth is a top media consultant for political candidates . Top - rated TV shows include Dynasty , Dallas ( though it has been several years since the drama of " Who Shot J.R. ? " gripped the TV - watching nation ) ...
Contents
3 | |
Media as Epistemology | 16 |
Typographic America | 30 |
The Typographic Mind | 44 |
The PeekaBoo World | 64 |
The Age of Show Business | 83 |
Now This | 99 |
Shuffle Off to Bethlehem | 114 |
Reach Out and Elect Someone | 125 |
Teaching as an Amusing Activity | 142 |
The Huxleyan Warning | 155 |
Notes | 165 |
Bibliography | 173 |
Other editions - View all
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business Neil Postman Limited preview - 2005 |
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business Neil Postman Limited preview - 2005 |
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business Neil Postman No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
advertising American Amusing answer appears argument attention audience become begin believe called century changes character claim communication continuous conversation course created culture discourse example experience expressed fact give given human idea important interest kind language largely learning least lives look matter means medium ment merely metaphor mind nature newspaper offered once opinion oral ourselves photograph play political possible present President printed printed word problem produce question rational readers reason refer religion religious remarked sense serious sion social speak speech story Street suggested symbolic taken talk telegraph television tell things thought tion tradition true truth turn understanding University viewers watch writing written wrote York