Amusing Ourselves to Death
Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Ratings78
Average rating4
The proposition of the book, to study the impact of television on the population, the public discourse, the general way of expressing oneself, ... is really interesting. I must admit I never envisioned technology's impacts like this and it made me think quite a lot.
Unfortunately I think the book falls a bit short by half of it and start to repeat itself in a loop without bringing anything new to its first proposal. I would also have liked to have the author advice on the propagation of computers, smartphones and Internet, because as the book is quite old already, it misses the evolution of computers and them not just being "data treatment machines".
Still a great book to realize the impact television had on our politics, our daily life, the way we teach and envision the world. Gave me a lot to think about.
"Television has achieved the status of “meta-medium”—an instrument that directs not only our knowledge of the world, but our knowledge of ways of knowing as well."
I can only imagine what Neil Postman would say about smart phones and apps.
It's a thought provoking read. At times, Postman sounds extremely out of touch with reality. Then again, that's kind of his point – that reality is changing and not necessarily in a good way.
I appreciate him adding the caveat at the end of the book that we do not have to reach his conclusions, what is important is that we ask the questions.
I liked this book, it was short but very informative. Was recommended to me by an old college professor who was a big Frye fan. I would also recommend this book.
Foretelling and lives beyond the time it was written. I don't agree will all of the conclusions reached but it is worth a read.
The essential guide to the end times. Postman was an incisive critic of American media and society...and he inspired Roger Waters' best solo album.
A visionary. Although the whole idea could have been conveyed through an essay.
It took me five months to finish it. This book needed an editor to cut it down to 60 pages. Too long and not entertaining except for chapter 7, “Now... This.”
The before-television part could've been summarized in 20 pages at most. The whole typography chapter could've been mentioned in a half-line.
The author spent a lot of time analyzing sub-topics; it took him half the book to get into the main topic, and then he wasted it on giving many examples to support his points when just one or two examples would've been sufficient.