A History of Communications: Media and Society from the Evolution of Speech to the Internet
"Based on a truly impressive range (as well as amount) of reading, arguing an original and convincing thesis, and written in a lucid and engaging style, this book deserves to reach a wide audience of students and scholars alike." - Peter Burke, University of Cambridge"The ambition and sweep of Marshall Poe's analysis of media make it different from anything else I have read on the topic. Many modern 'consumers' of media, in all its forms, have a vague sense that technological advances are altering their sense of the world in ways they can't fully appreciate in real time. Poe's book is a big advance in helping citizens understand the opportunities and problems the new media landscape offers." - James Fallows, The Atlantic"A History of Communications is clearly a labor of love, and Poe brings the historian's craft to bear on it." -Science, Christopher Kelty