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Extraordinary Canadians: Marshall McLuhan
The importance of Marshall McLuhan and his communication theories cannot be overstated, but his written works—dense, at times even daunting— are more often cited than read. Nonetheless, his predictions have been borne out: in the early 1960s, McLuhan wrote that visual, individualistic print culture would be replaced by what he called "electronic interdependence," creating...more
Hardcover, 251 pages
Published
March 16th 2010
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Bella questa biografia del famoso massmediologo. Presenta il personaggio con una lettura attuale nei riferimenti legati alle scoperte delle neuroscienze e della psicologia, farciti da giochi di parole, tanto cari a McLuhan, anagrammati da applicazioni di Internet e schede dei suoi libri nelle prime edizioni originali in vendita sui bookstore.
Il cervello dell'uomo che ha inventato le espressioni come "Galassia Gutemberg", "Il medium è il messaggio", "Villaggio globale" era allo stesso tempo frag...more
Il cervello dell'uomo che ha inventato le espressioni come "Galassia Gutemberg", "Il medium è il messaggio", "Villaggio globale" era allo stesso tempo frag...more
Jul 20, 2011
Owen Swain
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Canadians, students of media and culture
Coupland is a excellent writer, [UPDATE: I qualify that statement with another review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...] in this volume writing about a extraordinary mind. Of the many books on Marshall Mcluhan this one is the foremost primer and for a primer it is also entertaining. This is because of Coupland's engaging writing style and his own abilities to assess and assimilate information and to make connections other people either haven't made or haven't articulated well.
My only quib...more
My only quib...more
After hearing Coupland talk about McLuhan on TTBOOK I wanted to read this right away. I also understood a lot more about Player One, his latest novel.
This work is fun and frames biographer as a kind of "determinism detective"—finding all the what-ifs and just-rights that made McLuhan into McLuhan. Growing up on the Canadian prairies, the over-ripe fruition of an ad-centric North America during his early professional career, Marshall's place on what we would now call the autism spectrum, and his...more
This work is fun and frames biographer as a kind of "determinism detective"—finding all the what-ifs and just-rights that made McLuhan into McLuhan. Growing up on the Canadian prairies, the over-ripe fruition of an ad-centric North America during his early professional career, Marshall's place on what we would now call the autism spectrum, and his...more
Feb 03, 2012
Harry Rutherford
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
biography
Pointless fact about Marshall McLuhan: he has always been oddly tangled up in my mind with Malcolm McLaren, he of the Sex Pistols and Buffalo Gals. The lingering after-effects of a youthful misunderstanding. Malcolm McLaren, in turn, gets mixed up with Malcolm McDowell.
I'm a fan of Douglas Coupland's novels—they're not all masterpieces, but they're always worth reading—and his fascination with media, pop culture and technology made him seem an intriguing person to be writing a biography of McLuh...more
I'm a fan of Douglas Coupland's novels—they're not all masterpieces, but they're always worth reading—and his fascination with media, pop culture and technology made him seem an intriguing person to be writing a biography of McLuh...more
It should go without saying that any biography that got me writing 1,000 words about its subject (see full review) probably did a decent job. And Coupland did. He writes with a casual voice that will please those fearful of biographies’ “boring” stigma. He inserts personal thoughts and anecdotes and doesn’t slow his pace in the interest of delving too deep on any particular topic. In all, he creates a strong overview, a book that will help you decide whether McLuhan is someone worth knowing more...more
Coupland's take on Marshall McLuhan is more long-form journalism than comprehensive biography, but that's no criticism. In 200 tiny-sized, large-fonted typewritten pages (many of them MapQuest directions and other gimmicky internet references) Coupland succeeds in the dual goal of convincing his reader that 1) Marshall McLuhan's intellectual legacy is formidable and misunderstood, and 2) that Coupland has the unique capacity to truly understand him. The second goal excuses Coupland's choice to c...more
[review by Maf, Marilyn Monroe’s Maltese mutt]
alliteration: m, mm’smm. see? i mean, hear? oh, but that’s not all: the subject of the review is a book about marshall mcluhan. so we get two more m’s: mm! and then, hey, media message! two more! what a string of m’s! get it? wow! no, bow wow!
here’s the most important thing you can know about marshall mcluhan, which i dug up like a bone buried in the loam of this tome [i very much regret the many artistic/autistic devices in this review, i do, i do,...more
alliteration: m, mm’smm. see? i mean, hear? oh, but that’s not all: the subject of the review is a book about marshall mcluhan. so we get two more m’s: mm! and then, hey, media message! two more! what a string of m’s! get it? wow! no, bow wow!
here’s the most important thing you can know about marshall mcluhan, which i dug up like a bone buried in the loam of this tome [i very much regret the many artistic/autistic devices in this review, i do, i do,...more
Having just read the book almost non-stop I'm currently rating this as one of the best books I have ever read. Firstly it is very well written. The author knows his subject and is able to identify key formative moments in Marshall's life and family background and even his physiology. Secondly I knew nothing of Marshall and now want to read him. Marshall wrote that "the medium is the message" in 1962. It took neuroscience another 40 years to concur, e.g. reading continuous narrative wires us diff...more
One of my favorite thinkers bio-ed by an author I also like.
It's a pretty straightforward biography/overview of McLuhan's life. Coupland writes that he thought it was important to take another look at Mcluhan's life today when the Internet is everywhere.
Coupland obviously admires Mcluhan, but he doesn't shy from some ugly things about him either. It becomes pretty clear that, for all his brilliance, Mcluhan may not have been a great guy to hang out with, unless you wanted to hear a genius/oblivi...more
It's a pretty straightforward biography/overview of McLuhan's life. Coupland writes that he thought it was important to take another look at Mcluhan's life today when the Internet is everywhere.
Coupland obviously admires Mcluhan, but he doesn't shy from some ugly things about him either. It becomes pretty clear that, for all his brilliance, Mcluhan may not have been a great guy to hang out with, unless you wanted to hear a genius/oblivi...more
"We don't know who discovered water, but we know it wasn't the fish"
MM
My dad told me that he had a class with Marshall McLuhan, back in the early 60s, at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto. When I asked him what he remembered of that class, he stated: " I remember the medium, but not the message". He did remember a cancelled seminar; a note posted on McLuhan's door that explained he had to fly to England to have breakfast with T.S. Eliot.
Flash forward several decades and I was studying...more
MM
My dad told me that he had a class with Marshall McLuhan, back in the early 60s, at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto. When I asked him what he remembered of that class, he stated: " I remember the medium, but not the message". He did remember a cancelled seminar; a note posted on McLuhan's door that explained he had to fly to England to have breakfast with T.S. Eliot.
Flash forward several decades and I was studying...more
Five things I’ve learned in the first 80 pages of Douglas Coupland’s intentionally poorly researched but ultimately charming biography of Marshall McLuhan:
1. McLuhan’s brain was fuelled by blood from the heart through TWO arteries at the base of his school, a trait mostly found in cats but not human beings
2. McLuhan developed an early obsession with G.K. Chesterton and sided with his sense of philosophical conservatism and Catholic orthodoxy.
3. McLuhan would always turn to page 69 of a book and...more
1. McLuhan’s brain was fuelled by blood from the heart through TWO arteries at the base of his school, a trait mostly found in cats but not human beings
2. McLuhan developed an early obsession with G.K. Chesterton and sided with his sense of philosophical conservatism and Catholic orthodoxy.
3. McLuhan would always turn to page 69 of a book and...more
Douglas Coupland was probably the perfect person to write this short and entertaining biography. Coupland's own work meshes very nicely with Mcluhan's and they share more than a few biographical coincidences. Mcluhan comes across as a rather fussy, conservative and self-absorbed genius who made begrudging fans of his early doubters. This was a fast and engaging look into not only Mcluhan's worldview but Coupland's as well. This made me want to read Generation X, which Coupland admits was heavily...more
What a wonderful book! You forget what a wonderful writer Douglas Coupland is, but when reading a well-researched work of non-fiction, his prowess is hard to ignore. And such a great subject. McLuhan is a fascinating, influential, difficult subject, and Coupland does a wonderful job depicting his life, his evolution in thinking, and his professional career. It's a great blend of biography and literary criticism, with a wonderful dash of insight into humanity. if that sounds overly fawning, perha...more
One of my favorite YouTube videos is a clip from a Canadian television show in 1968 featuring a debate between Norman Mailer and Marshall McLuhan. The two men, both heroes of the ’60s, could hardly be more different. Leaning forward in his chair, Mailer is pugnacious, animated, engaged. McLuhan, abstracted and smiling wanly, seems to be on autopilot. He speaks in canned riddles. “The planet is no longer nature,” he declares, to Mailer’s uncomprehending stare; “it’s now the content of an art work...more
Douglas Coupland has proven that to make a biography an exciting read, it needs an author who doesn't only know the subject in depth and master his or her works, but also feel them beyond neural aspects. one would probably has to read the previous 'serious' biographies of McLuhan to know deeper about his books and journals.
But there are some aspects you won't get from those. He rendered McLuhan's past from his autistic tendencies, his extremely wired brain, and his completely intricated relatio...more
But there are some aspects you won't get from those. He rendered McLuhan's past from his autistic tendencies, his extremely wired brain, and his completely intricated relatio...more
I'm not going to give too much away here. If you love Coupland, like I do, you won't even care if you have no interest in Marshall MacLuhan. He'll make you interested. This is the best biography I've ever read, even though it breaks most of the "rules" of a biography. The way Coupland writes this one, it's like he's a friend telling you another guy's life story. That made me really connect with the material, as it was obvious Coupland had a lot of love for the subject.
And it's a quick read, too....more
And it's a quick read, too....more
Have to confess I didn't know much about McLuhan before reading this book by Generation X author Douglas Coupland other than him being credited as being the source of two of the most well-worn, almost to the point of cliche, but still actually valid ideas regarding modern society, mass media, culture and communication of the 'Global Village' and 'the medium is the message.'
Turns out he was responsible for a few other well known concepts ('We shape our tools and afterward, our tools shape us' bei...more
Turns out he was responsible for a few other well known concepts ('We shape our tools and afterward, our tools shape us' bei...more
(http://www.opinionless.com/book-revie...)
The next medium, whatever it is – it may be the extension of consciousness – will include television as its content, not as its environment, and will transform television into an art form. A computer as a research and communication instrument could enhance retrieval obsolesce mass library organization, retrieve the individual’s encyclopedic function and flip it into a private line to speedily tailored data of a salable kind.
Marshal McLuhan – 1962
Wait, wh...more
The next medium, whatever it is – it may be the extension of consciousness – will include television as its content, not as its environment, and will transform television into an art form. A computer as a research and communication instrument could enhance retrieval obsolesce mass library organization, retrieve the individual’s encyclopedic function and flip it into a private line to speedily tailored data of a salable kind.
Marshal McLuhan – 1962
Wait, wh...more
Il libro è ben scritto. Una biografia di uno degli uomini che aveva "profetizzato" la modernità, ed in particolare l'avvento di internet. Un uomo lungimirante, visto che a cinquant'anni di distanza le sue teorie sono ancora valide.
Due stelle soltanto perchè, all'interno del testo ci sono schede anagrafiche, anagrammi, che possono distrarre dalla lettura.
Vi allego una recensione che ho scritto:
http://www.lottimista.com/2011/12/19/...
Due stelle soltanto perchè, all'interno del testo ci sono schede anagrafiche, anagrammi, che possono distrarre dalla lettura.
Vi allego una recensione che ho scritto:
http://www.lottimista.com/2011/12/19/...
By no means is this the most definitive or in-depth analysis of McLuhan's work, nor is it meant to be. It glazes over entire sections of McLuhan's work while defining complex ideas like "the medium is the message" in a breezy few paragraphs. Ultimately, this makes the book the most unexpectedly fun read, which in its own way captures the eccentricities of McLuhan, both the man and his works. It's a book not bound by conventions and gleefully takes excursions down unexpected paths (often in the f...more
This is the first time I've ever read, or heard someone I want to be like talk about someone who they took inspiration. This point of view was particularly interesting because, well, Marshall Mcluhan is dead. Coupland didn't approach it in a "I'm sad that one of my heroes is dead," of course -- he's a good writer -- but a way that was still true to his style. Something I've always thought about biographies, especially about writing them, is 'what if you piss the person off in their grave?' Coupl...more
Excellent short introduction to Marshall McLuhan the man and his most influential ideas about the impact of the medium of a media on society. Coupland's narrative style is pleasant to read and is a great starting place for those who are interested in McLuhan's life and impact but may not have the time or patience to engage McLuhan's books, which can be tangential and exploratory rather than conclusive about the ideas he discusses.
The perfect biographer for McLuhan; he breathed new life into the old man. And his footnotes and asides were alone worth the price of admission.
McLuhan really came alive for me, as did his contemporaries (I finished this book with a list of 5 others to read).
Of course, McLuhan is worth the study, as he foretold much of what we've become, with our relation to media.
McLuhan really came alive for me, as did his contemporaries (I finished this book with a list of 5 others to read).
Of course, McLuhan is worth the study, as he foretold much of what we've become, with our relation to media.
I enjoyed it but had hoped for more insight into McLuhan's work. If you're ok with it mostly focusing on McLuhan's life and what made him who he was, you'll probably really like the book, as it is very well written. It probably helps to know a fair bit about McLuhan's ideas before reading the book - that way you'll better appreciate the biographical aspects.
Coupland says McLuhan's writing is sometimes considered nearly unreadable and that was certainly my experience when I gave it a try. The surprising stuff about McLuhan in here is his devout Catholicism, his extra artery to his brain and how he's often mistaken for liking emerging electronic media when in fact he disliked it but found it interesting. Coupland overuses the phrase "tipping point" which makes a comparison between McLuhan and Gladwell spring to mine. Coupland's Generation X made a bi...more
I think this is my favourite of the 4 books that I've read in the Extraordinary Canadians series. Douglas Coupland was the ideal person to write this book. It includes weird information and additions to the text like an autism text (I scored low), and comments from the Internet.
I feel like I learned a lot about McLuhan as a person (HE TALKED A LOT), he was obsessed with Dagwood and he liked to eat steak, but not as much about his ideas. His ideas are actually a bit confusing, and I think I'd hav...more
I feel like I learned a lot about McLuhan as a person (HE TALKED A LOT), he was obsessed with Dagwood and he liked to eat steak, but not as much about his ideas. His ideas are actually a bit confusing, and I think I'd hav...more
This was a perfect, bite-sized recap of MM's life and work with the requisite but still funny post-modern touches and collage approach that I always appreciate from DC. There should be more interesting, graphic and concise summaries of people's lives and works like this and less 600 page doorstops. You know, cause us people of the future don't like to read so much anymore. Just like MM predicted.
Further proof of excellentness: I dog-eared just about every page in the book.
Further proof of excellentness: I dog-eared just about every page in the book.
I thought the last few pages were unnecessary. I also thought it should've been more kindle-friendly. (Duh, I mean, there are already links to amazon & youtube in there.) Loved the about.com & wikipedia footnotes. Also, I felt like Neal Stephenson should've been mentioned for some reason. Would give it a 3.5, really.
Excellent post-modern biography/mythology of the man with too much oxygen in his brain who saw things others couldn't and described them in ways people still argue over thirty years after his death. A joy to read, and a sorrow: Coupland's "Marshall" is that human, that accessible in this fine book.
Jan 13, 2011
Richard
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Richard by:
www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/books/review/Carr-t.html
Shelves:
non-fiction
Hmmm, at first the New York Times review,
Marshall McLuhan: Media Savant
, made me want to read this, but the last few paragraphs kinda dampened my enthusiasm. Still, a two-hundred page quick read can’t hurt too much.
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Douglas Coupland is Canadian, born on a Canadian Air Force base near Baden-Baden, Germany, on December 30, 1961. In 1965 his family moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he continues to live and work. Coupland has studied art and design in Vancouver, Canada, Milan, Italy and Sapporo, Japan. His first novel, Generation X, was published in March of 1991. Since then he has published nine novels and sever...more
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“When hit with a genius idea, people tend to say, "Well, if I sat down in a chair and really thought about it, I could have had that genius idea, too." But they didn't--and even if they'd wanted to, it could never have happened.”
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“To bring order into this jangled sphere man must find its centre" Marshall McLuhan”
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