The Essential McLuhan [Paperback]

Eric McLuhan (Author), Frank Zingrone (Editor), Marshall McLuhan (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0465019951 | ISBN-13: 978-0465019953 | Publication Date: July 12, 1996 | Edition: 1st

Marshall McLuhan’s insights are fresher and more applicable today than when he first announced them to a startled world. A whole new generation is turning to his work to understand a global village made real by the information superhighway and the overwhelming challenge of electronic transformation.“Before anyone could perceive the electric form of the information revolution, McLuhan was publishing brilliant explanations of the perceptual changes being experienced by the users of mass media. He seemed futuristic to some and an enemy of print and literacy to others. He was, in reality, a deeply literate man of astonishing prescience. Tom Wolfe suggested aloud that McLuhan’s work was as important culturally as that of Darwin or Freud. Agreement and scoffing ensued. Increasingly Wolfe’s wonder seems justified.”From the IntroductionHere in one volume, are McLuhan’s key ideas, drawn from his books, articles, correspondence, and published speeches. This book is the essential archive of his constantly surprising vision.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Given the profound influence that the writings and teachings of Marshall McLuhan have had in the Information Age, it is surprising how few people have read anything more than context-free excerpts printed in indecipherable day-glo fonts over a background guaranteed to induce vertigo. But once you actually get around to reading McLuhan's ideas about the Global Village, the history of print, and the rise of digital media, you realize that behind the hype he did indeed make many substantive and influential contributions.

Surprisingly, most of McLuhan's seminal books are still out of print (as of 1996). Luckily, this collection of articles and excerpts from his most important books is a comprehensive and accessible overview of the musings of the "Patron Saint of the Digerati". It includes substantial passages from my favorite McLuhan book The Gutenberg Galaxy (a brilliantly provocative academic treatise about the history and consequences of writing and printing), as well as many articles and interviews you wouldn't find in any of his previously published books anyway.

The main weaknesses of this volume are that it does not include excerpts from the hyper-kinetic and image-packed "The Medium is the Massage" -- his main contribution to pop culture of the late '60s -- and that the sources of each passage are noted only in an appendix. It would have been nice if sources were noted at the beginning or end of each linear text, and I hope this is addressed in future editions. Other than these minor editorial quibbles, this book is highly recommended.

About the Author

Eric McLuhan, Ph.D., is the author of Laws of Media and The City as Classroom (both with Marshall McLuhan) and a forthcoming book on James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. He has taught at the University of Toronto, York University, Wisconsin State University, and other colleges. Frank Zingrone, Ph.D., is professor of communication at York University in Toronto. He has also taught at MIT and SUNY (Buffalo). He is an information scientist, poet, former associate editor of the Canadian Journal of Communication and a widely published media investigator. Eric McLuhan, Ph.D., is the author of Laws of Media and The City as Classroom (both with Marshall McLuhan) and a forthcoming book on James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. He has taught at the University of Toronto, York University, Wisconsin State University, and other colleges. Frank Zingrone, Ph.D., is professor of communication at York University in Toronto. He has also taught at MIT and SUNY (Buffalo). He is an information scientist, poet, former associate editor of the Canadian Journal of Communication and a widely published media investigator. Eric McLuhan, Ph.D., is the author of Laws of Media and The City as Classroom (both with Marshall McLuhan) and a forthcoming book on James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. He has taught at the University of Toronto, York University, Wisconsin State University, and other colleges. Frank Zingrone, Ph.D., is professor of communication at York University in Toronto. He has also taught at MIT and SUNY (Buffalo). He is an information scientist, poet, former associate editor of the Canadian Journal of Communication and a widely published media investigator.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1st edition (July 12, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465019951
• ISBN-13: 978-0465019953
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding McLuhan is essential to understanding media, March 18, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Essential McLuhan (Paperback)

McLuhan was not the first to open up the field of media study with the focus on the media rather than content. But he was the first to see that ALL human artifacts create their own context of effects, and McLuhan remains unsurpassed in the breadth and depth of his understanding. No field of human endeavor goes unaffected by media environments, and this generous collection is well suited to the serious inquirer, whether new to McLuhan or revisiting him with the onset of the latest manifestations of the electronic age--the web and internet

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars McLuhan 101, March 3, 2006

By 

J. Merritt - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Essential McLuhan (Paperback)

Measuring the impact of Marshall McLuhan on media studies is akin to measuring the impact of media on man. Modern man's entire scope of understanding is impacted by and funneled through media forms, and the field of media study is almost entirely funneled through the groundbreaking work of Marshall McLuhan. He may not be the least appreciated genius of the 20th century, but he is at least among the most niche-appreciated; for a man whose theories have practical, everyday applications for just about every human on the planet, he is rarely discussed outside the circle of communication and media students, academics, and researchers.

That's where a compilation like this one can come in very handy. For the new McLuhan reader, this generous collection offers enlightening snippets from nearly all of his major works, as well as some informative profile pieces. It's a great introduction to McLuhan specifically, and to media studies in general, and should nicely pique the interest for further study.

5.0 out of 5 stars One Satisfied Customer, September 5, 2011

By 

Witold K. Urbanowicz "Jazz Head" (NYC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Essential McLuhan (Paperback)

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