Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business Paperback - 2005
by Neil Postman; Introduction by Andrew Postman
Postman takes an enlightening look at the long-term effects of mass media--how it transforms the world, and the ways in which the media onslaught can be challenged.
Summary
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 controlof our media, so that they can serve our highest goals.
Reader reviews for Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Review summary
Neil Postman's 1985 critique of television's impact on American culture has struck readers as remarkably prescient, with many viewing it as even more relevant today than when published. The book presents a compelling argument that the shift from print to visual media has fundamentally degraded public discourse in politics, news, religion, and education by prioritizing entertainment over substance. Readers were divided on the execution: some found it intellectually rigorous and thought-provoking, while others felt it was repetitive, theoretically weak, and failed to adequately acknowledge historical complexities. The book's central thesis—that Aldous Huxley's dystopia of pleasure-based distraction better describes modern America than Orwell's fear-based oppression—resonated strongly with many, particularly in light of recent political developments. However, critics questioned whether Postman adequately proved television's inherent inferiority to other media or whether he was oversimplifying a more complex cultural phenomenon driven by economics and human nature.
Readers say this book is:
prescient thought-provoking essential reading intellectually rigorous eye-opening dated repetitive pedantic insightful relevantWrite a review for this book
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From the publisher
First line
Details
- Title Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
- Author Neil Postman; Introduction by Andrew Postman
- Binding Paperback
- Edition [ Edition: Repri
- Pages 208
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Penguin Books, New York
- Publication date 2005-12-27
- Features Bibliography, Index, Table of Contents
- ISBN 9780143036531 / 014303653X
- Weight 0.35 lbs (0.16 kg)
- Dimensions 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 in (19.56 x 12.70 x 1.52 cm)
- Age range 18 to UP years
- Grade levels 13 - UP
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Themes
- Religious Orientation: Christian
- Theometrics: Secular
- Category Sociology
- Library of Congress subjects Mass media - Influence
- Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2006275381
- Dewey Decimal Code 302.234
