A review by raven_reads0409
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman

5.0

I’ve been looking for a source that has a view on anti intellectualism, and this was the perfect book. Although some of postman’s takes are a bit limited (mostly due to this book being published in the 80s), he really altered my perspective on how my mind has changed due to technology. I believe that there is an art form when it comes to film and tv(cinematography), but I agree that tv is mostly there for our mindless entertainment. It’s crazy that this book came out in 1985 and 2023 is filled with the events of book banning, mindless scrolling on social media, and risky advancements in ai. The reason for laugh tracks on tv shows and thousands of ads and commercials have a whole new meaning to me now. Each chapter holds a lot of important value to the reader. His examples make a lot of sense and the irony of some them is very intentional. I think that a lot of people can benefit from this book.

“Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other.”