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1.03k reviews for:
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Neil Postman
4.03 AVERAGE
1.03k reviews for:
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Neil Postman
4.03 AVERAGE
dark
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I really appreciated the historical perspective it provided.
informative
medium-paced
A fascinating look at the impact of television on our lives.
challenging
reflective
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Super interesting. I enjoyed the comparison and contrast between Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. The evolution of media is fascinating.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Definitely some interesting things to say and certainly a fascinating look at what was to come. In the end though I'm not convinced the categories are drawn in a way I quite agree with. I think the true root cause of what Postman identifies as symptoms of a "culture of TV" is really the effects of a culture of advertising and of course it's all just further downstream from capitalism. A democracy with a truly informed and critical public cannot coexist with modern capitalism so distraction and obscuration become necessary.
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
There have been no shortage of people calling “Amusing Ourselves to Death” prophetic, but I feel as if I must repeat it once more. In this book, Postman asks questions that couldn’t be more prevalent in today’s world. Though there are a few points were I believe Postman missed the mark and his omittance of a topic or two (which, admittedly would have been a heavy task to undertake within the scope of this book) that I took personal gripes with, ultimately, Postman’s book is an excellent and informative read
informative
reflective
fast-paced
While the rhetoric can be over-the-top (and often humorous), I think Postman's argument has only strengthened in the age of social media, even if I would say it with a little more nuance.