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888kell888's review against another edition
4.5
I decided to read this book because I knew that I was on social media too much. It was affecting the way I processed and interacted with the world around me. Everything became either a meme reference I saw online or nothing -- I skipped past it because the video was "too long".
Like Postman predicted, I had never gone into depth at school as to how deeply the printing press and written word had shaped society. Living while the age of technology has shaped society has been a little frightening even to myself, someone born of this age.
Incredibly relevant, amusing ourselves to death is a must read in an age where people now willing count their steps/miles with their phone, can tweet at their politicans, and never leave their phones at home.
Like Postman predicted, I had never gone into depth at school as to how deeply the printing press and written word had shaped society. Living while the age of technology has shaped society has been a little frightening even to myself, someone born of this age.
Incredibly relevant, amusing ourselves to death is a must read in an age where people now willing count their steps/miles with their phone, can tweet at their politicans, and never leave their phones at home.
catalystcafe's review against another edition
challenging
sad
fast-paced
3.75
We have lost the art of learning, and the age of documentaries and easily consumable content has hurt the common man’s ability to reason and politic as he once did. There is a striking image of people at the Gettysburg address being well versed in our country’s history and societal focuses, vs in the time the book was written the following of image politicians. We see this even more so than before this book was written (in the age of television) that disinformation is rampant with sensationalized news for what people will latch onto without knowing the facts.
danitrieskey's review against another edition
5.0
The medium is not only the message but is also the metaphor. Reading this book triggered my Communication Studies. What I enjoyed about this book is that it is more relevant today than it was over 25 years ago. I don't see Postman devaluing TV and its ilk. He argues that it has a place as entertainment but we are right to be concerned when social pillars such as education, politics, religion and news are simplified into the equivalent of media Happy Meals. As we find ourselves living more of a Huxleyan's Brave New World, I enjoyed this quote: "For in the end, he was trying to tell us what afflicted the people in 'Brave New World' was not that they were laughing instead of thinking, but that they did not know what they were laughing about and why they had stopped thinking."
— Neil Postman
— Neil Postman
hoyalawya's review against another edition
4.0
While some of the references are dated, the book rings more true than ever. I wish there was an updated version!
petercounter's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced