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A review by jochem_wessel
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman
3.0
Amusing Ourselves to Death is a truly interesting read that has been relevant for decades on end.
Astonishingly, this book was published in 1985. Even though Postman's focus is on TV, most (if not all) of the book is easily applicable to the current state of the world where computers and smartphones play an important role in our lives.
More than any book I've ever read, Postman managed to make me think about things I've never thought about before. Besides this, he also shines a new light from a different perspective on multiple subjects almost everyone has thought about before e.g. screentime.
Unfortunately, the book does have its downsides. The biggest one is the fact that Postman's writing can be incredibly repetitive. Every chapter repeats the same statement time after time, to the point where a good chunk of the text is predictable and uninteresting.
Another downside is the large focus on America. Most of the book is about the American population and the culture surrounding TV. To make matters worse, Postman is strategically selective in his history; completely ignoring the existence of Native Americans and slaves when talking about literacy.
I would still recommend this book to anyone looking to gain new perspectives on the image culture dominating our day-to-day lives. Despite the large downsides, the points made in this book are invaluable and have completely changed my perspective on media usage.
Astonishingly, this book was published in 1985. Even though Postman's focus is on TV, most (if not all) of the book is easily applicable to the current state of the world where computers and smartphones play an important role in our lives.
More than any book I've ever read, Postman managed to make me think about things I've never thought about before. Besides this, he also shines a new light from a different perspective on multiple subjects almost everyone has thought about before e.g. screentime.
Unfortunately, the book does have its downsides. The biggest one is the fact that Postman's writing can be incredibly repetitive. Every chapter repeats the same statement time after time, to the point where a good chunk of the text is predictable and uninteresting.
Another downside is the large focus on America. Most of the book is about the American population and the culture surrounding TV. To make matters worse, Postman is strategically selective in his history; completely ignoring the existence of Native Americans and slaves when talking about literacy.
I would still recommend this book to anyone looking to gain new perspectives on the image culture dominating our day-to-day lives. Despite the large downsides, the points made in this book are invaluable and have completely changed my perspective on media usage.