Understanding Media: (Routledge Classics) [Paperback]

Marshall McLuhan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0415253977 | ISBN-13: 978-0415253970 | Edition: 2

When Marshall McLuhan first coined the phrases "global village" and "the medium is the message" in 1964, no-one could have predicted today's information-dependent planet. No-one, that is, except for a handful of science fiction writers and Marshall McLuhan. Understanding Media was written twenty years before the PC revolution and thirty years before the rise of the Internet. Yet McLuhan's insights into our engagement with a variety of media led to a complete rethinking of our entire society. He believed that the message of electronic media foretold the end of humanity as it was known. In 1964, this looked like the paranoid babblings of a madman. In our twenty-first century digital world, the madman looks quite sane. Understanding Media: the most important book ever written on communication. Ignore its message at your peril.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'McLuhan sings of the furthest reaches of electronic culture, when computer technology has replaced language with instant nonverbal communication.' - Wired

About the Author

Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) Communications theorist, born in Canada. He is known as the original "high guru" of media culture and appeared in Woody Allen's Annie Hall as himself.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 2 edition (September 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415253977
• ISBN-13: 978-0415253970
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,771,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for McLuhan, four stars for this edition, December 17, 2007

By 

Steward Willons (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Understanding Media: (Routledge Classics) (Paperback)

Marshall McLuhan is such an interesting figure. His oracular commentary on media is so much more than the "sci-fi nerdiness" that some 21st century critics accuse him of. If anything, his ideas are even more applicable today with new mediums such as the Internet. He's far more than a 60s craze - he's still worth reading.

Since most will probably already have an opinion or familiarity with his work, I'll restrict my comments to this particular edition.

This is part of the Routledge Classics series of small, slightly pricey editions. I say they're pricey because they're little paperbacks that tend to cost around $20, but then again, they aren't printed domestically. McLuhan, of course, wrote in English, so there's nothing in the way of translation to mention. I think the main difference between this Routledge edition and others such the Gingko Press edition is the lack of commentary. If you're looking some some editorial comments, critique, or other such features, you're better off elsewhere. The Routledge edition is just what McLuhan wrote - nothing extra.

***** - Five stars for McLuhan

**** - Four stars for this edition