Neil Postman (1931�2003) was chairman of the Department of Communication Arts at New York University and founder
of its Media Ecology program. He wrote more than twenty books.
Summary
The prophetic landmark work exploring the corrosive effects of electronic media on a democratic society
Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman's groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on
our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century.
Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media--from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs--it
has taken on even greater significance. Amusing Ourselves to Death is a prophetic look at what happens when politics,
journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands of entertainment. It is also a blueprint
for regaining controlof our media, so that they can serve our highest goals.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part I
1. The Medium Is the Metaphor
2. Media as Epistemology
3. Typographic America
4. The Typographic Mind
5. The Peek-a-Boo World
Part II
6. The Age of Show Business
7. "Now...This"
8. Shuffle Off to Bethlehem
9. Reach Out and Elect Someone
10. Teaching as an Amusing Activity
11. The Huxleyan Warning
