Amusing Ourselves to Death: A Critical Look at Entertainment in the Electronic Age

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

by Neil Postman

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1680 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	207 pages

FREE

Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death is a thought-provoking and insightful critique of the impact of entertainment on society. Postman argues that the relentless pursuit of entertainment has led to a decline in our ability to think critically and engage in meaningful discourse.

Postman begins by tracing the history of entertainment in Western culture. He shows how, in the pre-industrial era, entertainment was a relatively minor part of life. People worked hard to survive, and when they had free time, they used it to socialize, learn, and create. However, with the advent of the industrial revolution, entertainment began to take on a more central role in society.

As factories and offices replaced farms and workshops, people had more leisure time and less opportunity to engage in meaningful work. This led to a growing demand for entertainment, which was met by the development of new technologies such as radio, television, and film. These technologies made it possible to reach a mass audience with a never-before-seen intensity.

Postman argues that the rise of mass entertainment has had a number of negative consequences for society. First, it has led to a decline in our attention spans. We are now accustomed to being entertained with constant streams of images and sounds, and this has made it difficult for us to focus on anything for long periods of time. Second, mass entertainment has led to a decline in our ability to think critically. We are now more likely to accept information at face value without questioning it, and this has made us more vulnerable to manipulation by politicians and other powerful interests.

Third, mass entertainment has led to a decline in our ability to engage in meaningful discourse. We are now more likely to talk about celebrities and other trivial matters than we are to discuss important issues. This has made it difficult to build consensus on important issues and to address the challenges facing our society.

Postman concludes by calling for a return to a more balanced approach to entertainment. He argues that we need to find ways to use entertainment to enrich our lives without allowing it to control us. We need to learn to be more critical of the entertainment we consume, and we need to make time for other activities that are more intellectually and emotionally rewarding.

Amusing Ourselves to Death is a must-read for anyone who is concerned about the impact of entertainment on society. Postman's insights are both timely and timeless, and they offer a valuable perspective on the challenges we face in the 21st century.

Free Download your copy of Amusing Ourselves to Death today!

Our Book Library

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

by Neil Postman

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1680 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	207 pages

FREE