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''Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business'' By NeilPostman, ISBN: 0140094385

From Amazon's page:

'''Synopsis'''

Postman takes an enlightening look at the long-term effects of mass media--how it transforms our world, and the ways in which the media onslaught can be challenged. 

'''Reviews'''

Reviewer: tagishsimon from Alnwick, UK March 23, 2000
 
I buy into the Postman thesis and find the general lack of media literacy in contemporary society a little scary. Okay, granted, those of us that post reviews to Amazon possibly spend a little more time than the mean in thinking about the media we consume. I would wish more people to read books like this, and such things as the book TheManufacturingOfConsent by NoamChomsky. However, as media thesis are not for everyone, could I plug the musical version of the book (kind of) - Roger Water's album Amused to Death, which seems to cover much the same ground. 

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I'm reminded of the movie-in-a-novel InfiniteJest (in InfiniteJest by DavidFosterWallace), which is said to be so entertaining that people will continue to watch it repeatedly while slowly starving to death.
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CategoryBook