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leanneymu's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A really interesting argument about the ways in which popular media (primarily TV, films and video games) are growing in complexity, and in so doing, making society smarter. Compelling, but due to the fact that this books was written almost 20 years ago, it fails to discuss the explosion of social media in its pop culture analysis (because it didn't exist at the time!) As a result, it feels a little unfinished to a modern reader. I'd love an updated version with info about whether social media has an up side too.
margeryb's review against another edition
4.0
There is a lot of fear mongering about how techology and TV and whatnot is making humanity stupid, and this book counteracts those often baseless accusations and examines how generations are getting smarter along with the media we consume.
andreazak's review
3.0
I really wanted to dislike this book, but Johnson makes a decent case for value of video games, movies and tv, arguing that their increasingly complexity and depth has contributed to rising IQs, primarily, of people of average intelligence. That said, the quick read is still a bit fluffy.
provaprova's review
3.0
I thought it was very short and not in depth at all; yeah, his handful of graphs of episodes was interesting from the data visualization viewpoint, but most of his arguments, such as they were, were qualitative and hand-wavey. (What, there are no simplistic shows these days?) The best I can say is: the thesis is not *obviously* impossible or wrong a priori, but needs a heck of a lot more empirical backing.
rwaringcrane's review
2.0
This is assigned as a text for a class this term. Not great prose but an interesting concept.
rebus's review against another edition
0.25
It boggles the mind that a far right wing pinhead like Johnson could ever gotten a book deal. Of course, maybe that shouldn't surprise me at all, since the establishment does want propagandists. I'm sure that his new book demonizing pirates (they were the heroes) and celebrating colonialist white supremacists as the victims will be a hoot as well!!
This is only for the feeble minded with 3rd grading reading levels who prefer books on tape.
This is only for the feeble minded with 3rd grading reading levels who prefer books on tape.
lauribooks's review
2.0
I had to read this book to do a project for the university. I have to say that the author talks about some captivating issues and, even though the author arrives to some interesting conclussions, I don't agree with almost any of them.
I am not going to say that it was a bad book for me, because I was enterntained and I learned some new things, but I just couldn't understand why the author thinks like that some times.
I am not going to say that it was a bad book for me, because I was enterntained and I learned some new things, but I just couldn't understand why the author thinks like that some times.