The Electronic Word: Democracy, Technology, and the Arts (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In this essay, first published in 1989, I tried to suggest the broad spectrum of changes brought by electronic text..." (more)
Key Phrases: rhetorical paideia, motival structure, architectonic rhetoric, New York, Kenneth Burke, Running Fence (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this heady glimpse at an electronic universe, UCLA English professor Lanham contends that the digitized text of the computer screen offers a richer, more complex perceptual field than the printed book. He further claims that interactive electronic text creates a playful, creative medium akin to the rhetoric of the ancient Greeks. In Lanham's scenario, rhetoric was an open-ended pattern of Western education that was supplanted by Newtonian thought and the printed book. These academic essays grandiosely maintain that digitized technology can democratize higher education, open up the arts to a full range of human talent and foster a convergence between the "two cultures" of science and the humanities. Lanham surveys interactive novels, video-and-text programs for business and government, electronic textbooks and common ground between the computer and the aesthetics of futurism, dada and postmodern visual art. And, yes, the book is available in electronic form; as the first in the Chicago Expanded Book series, there will be a hypertext edition, shipped on 1.4 MB high-density floppy disks ($19.95 *
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Lanham, UCLA English professor and author of nine books, turns his attention to the impact of electronic text upon rhetorical discourse and humanities education. This collection of ten essays, a mixture of new and revised contributions, successfully presents a cohesive and engaging overview of the challenges introduced by electronic publishing upon traditional models of research, instruction, and even the nature of academic departments. Writing in a pleasant, readable manner that is scholarly and witty, Lanham takes a more optimistic and realistic approach to this subject than many other humanists. Reflecting this attitude, the publisher is simultaneously publishing an electronic hypertext edition not seen by this reviewer. Recommended for academic collections.
- Robin P. Peek, GSLIS, Simmons Coll., Boston
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226468852
• ISBN-13: 978-0226468853
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #168,102 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thoughtful and elegant, May 7, 1999

By	G. DeCandido "LadyHawk" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

He describes the transformation of idea and language in the electronic age with grace and wit and joy. For everyone of us who has greeted the information age with something less than wholehearted enthusiasm, I recommend Lanham's deeply thoughtful, elegant philosophy.