A review by annejonas
Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide by Henry Jenkins

5.0

I can't recommend this book highly enough. Although the typos and type-setting problems made me want to tear my hair out at times, that should be blamed on NYU Press, not Jenkins. This book is really a must-read for anyone who plans to be involved in education, media, business, parenting, writing, entertainment, government, and/or pretty much any other field in the 21st century. Jenkins assessment of current trends had me nodding my head enthusiastically, feeling like my eyes had been opened. He manages cautious-optimism, charting a course through new media waters without the blinders that obscure some otherwise interesting looks into the future. Although he claims in his introduction to have gone running back to an academic press (a mistake, I think, from the clear disrespect of his work evidenced in the many type-setting errors), Jenkins writing is incredibly easy to read, and he offers an incredibly smooth entry-way into topics that might otherwise seem obscure. To top it off, the whole thing is fun and enjoyable. What more can you ask for?

I should say that I don't think this book covers everything - I'm sure Jenkins would never claim that it does. There are many areas he leaves unexplored, sometimes only gesturing to them. In particular, he is clear from the beginning that much of the book revolves around early adopters, and because of this the relationship of more marginalized populations to these trends is under-examined, however, I think Jenkins sets good ground to jump off from, especially in his chapters on education and democracy.