Media and the American Mind: From Morse to McLuhan

by Daniel Czitrom

In a fascinating and comprehensive intellectual history of modern communication in America, Daniel Czitrom examines the continuing contradictions between the progressive possibilities that new communications technologies offer and their use as instruments of domination and exploitation.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Cultural

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[MM · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books in media history -- combining social, cultural, intellectual and even institutional histories of media technology (i.e. telegraph, cinema, radio).

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually took a media history class with Czitrom while I was at Mount Holyoke (having utterly no idea how famous he was at the time I was doing so) so I didn't read this until it was just assigned for my Media History class, and since I read the whole thing I'm counting it towards this year's books. I find the set up of the book a little odd, I liked the first half of media histories more compelling than the second half, but I'm also more familiar with communication history than some other people would be. Either way, I think it's a book for people who are very interested in these communication technologies.

[Cole Stratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although quite dense, it offers a great history of modern communication, from a technological as well as sociocultural perspective.