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Amazing Ourselves to Death

Neil Postman’s Brave New World Revisited

Lance Strate author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Peter Lang Publishing Inc

Published:20th Mar '14

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

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Amazing Ourselves to Death cover

This insightful work revisits Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death, exploring its relevance in today's media landscape and its implications for public discourse.

In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman presents a thought-provoking critique of the impact of television on public discourse in America. He argues that the medium's inherent bias toward entertainment diminishes the seriousness of important issues, ultimately undermining the foundations of democratic culture. Through this lens, Postman warns that the trivialization of discourse can lead to a society more focused on amusement than on critical thought and civic engagement.

Lance Strate, a prominent media ecology scholar and former student of Postman, revisits these themes in a contemporary context. He integrates Postman's insights on television with a broader critique of technology's role in modern society. Strate examines how journalism, politics, religion, and education have evolved in response to the pervasive influence of media, particularly in an era dominated by cable, the Internet, and social media. This analysis not only highlights the ongoing relevance of Postman's work but also emphasizes the need for a critical examination of our current media landscape.

By contextualizing Amusing Ourselves to Death within the framework of Postman's life and the field of media ecology he pioneered, Strate invites readers to reflect on the future of communication. This book serves as a crucial reminder that our understanding of the present shapes our prospects for the future, urging us to consider how we engage with media and the implications of our choices for society as a whole.

«When Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death is brought into the classroom, or given as a gift, or handed from one reader to another, a problem is created: into what frame should we place this book? For that’s how unique it is. Lance Strate has solved that problem by writing a graceful and learned companion to Postman’s original. It doubles as a biographical sketch of a great man and his intellectual times. It is also an act of love. And if you love the book it’s about, you will be grateful for Strate’s Amazing Ourselves to Death. I am. And I highly recommend it.» (Jay Rosen, Professor of Journalism, New York University)
«Lance Strate masterfully brings to a new generation, and a new century, Neil Postman’s enligh-tening and essential insights into the ways that our uses of media reflect and reshape our society. He further shows how we can reclaim control, so we can use the ever-evolving media rather than letting them use us.» (Deborah Tannen, University Professor and Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University)
«This book, I believe, will remain a foundational text in the field of educational technology. The content presented by the author is based on validated teaching and learning theories and reliable pedagogical principles. For those who are not familiar with Postman’s body of work and that of his contemporaries, this homage is a useful compendium and foundation from which to examine emerging technologies and their impacts on culture and education.» (Diane Gayeski, Educational Technology, January/February 2015)
«When Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death is brought into the classroom, or given as a gift, or handed from one reader to another, a problem is created: into what frame should we place this book? For that’s how unique it is. Lance Strate has solved that problem by writing a graceful and learned companion to Postman’s original. It doubles as a biographical sketch of a great man and his intellectual times. It is also an act of love. And if you love the book it’s about, you will be grateful for Strate’s Amazing Ourselves to Death. I am. And I highly recommend it.» (Jay Rosen, Professor of Journalism, New York University)
«Lance Strate masterfully brings to a new generation, and a new century, Neil Postman’s enligh-tening and essential insights into the ways that our uses of media reflect and reshape our society. He further shows how we can reclaim control, so we can use the ever-evolving media rather than letting them use us.» (Deborah Tannen, University Professor and Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University)
«This book, I believe, will remain a foundational text in the field of educational technology. The content presented by the author is based on validated teaching and learning theories and reliable pedagogical principles. For those who are not familiar with Postman’s body of work and that of his contemporaries, this homage is a useful compendium and foundation from which to examine emerging technologies and their impacts on culture and education.» (Diane Gayeski, Educational Technology, January/February 2015)

ISBN: 9781433119316

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 400g

170 pages

New edition