"Amusing Ourselves to Death" by: Neil Postman

 Age: 16+

Description:  What happens when media and politics become forms of entertainment? As our world begins to look more and more like Orwell's 1984, Neil's Postman's essential guide to the modern media is more relevant than ever.

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 control of our media, so that they can serve our highest goals.

 

My Rating: 4/5

This book was very, very insightful! I feel as though this topic is not discussed very much and I found this book to be very refreshing and convicting at the same time. The reason it is 4 stars instead of 5 is because I feel as though the author could have been a little more optimistic. Yes, I understand media can be extremely scary, but there is a lot of good that has come from it as well.

Things to be aware of in "Amusing Ourselves to Death":

Language:
- 2 forms of "stupid"
- 1 "hell" (in a quotation)
- 1 "d**n"

Romantic Content:
- Sex is mentioned

Additional Notes:
- Beer is mentioned

 

Links to the book: Amazon and Goodreads.


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