Poe Marshall T. A History of Communications: Media and Society from the Evolution of Speech to the Internet

Cambridge University Press, 2011. — 351 p. — ISBN 9780511990892, 0521179440.A History of Communications advances a theory of media that explains the origins and impact of different forms of communication - speech, writing, print, electronic devices and the Internet - on human history in the long term. New media are «pulled» into widespread use by broad historical trends and these media, once in widespread use, «push» social institutions and beliefs in predictable directions. This view allows us to see for the first time what is truly new about the Internet, what is not, and where it is taking us.Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction: media causes and media effects. Marshall Mcluhan.
The mentalists, the marxists, and the matrixists. Harold Innis.
Why media arise.
What media do.
Medium attributes.
Medium attributes. Right arrow network attributes.
Right arrow social practices and values.
Homo loquens: humanity in the age of speech.
Why we talk.
What talking did.
Accessibility.
Privacy.
Fidelity.
Volume.
Velocity.
Range.
Persistence.
Searchability.
Homo scriptor: humanity in the age of manuscripts.
Why we write.
Writing before writing.
«Pulling» writing into existence.
Writing and human nature.
What manuscripts did.
Accessibility.
Privacy.
Fidelity.
Volume.
Velocity.
Range.
Persistence.
Searchability.
Homo lector: humanity in the age of print.
Why we print.
Printing before printing.
«Pulling» print into existence.
Printing and human nature.
What print did.
Accessibility.
Privacy.
Fidelity.
Volume.
Velocity.
Range.
Persistence.
Searchability.
Homo videns: humanity in the age of audiovisual media.
Why we watch and listen.
Audiovisual media before audiovisual media.
«Pulling» the audiovisual media into existence.
Audiovisual media and human nature.
What audiovisual media did.
Accessibility.
Privacy.
Fidelity.
Volume.
Velocity.
Range.
Persistence.
Searchability.
Homo somnians: humanity in the age of the internet.
Why we surf.
The internet before the internet.
«Pulling» the internet into existence.
Human nature and the internet.
What the internet did (and is doing).
Accessibility.
Privacy.
Fidelity.
Volume.
Velocity.
Range.
Persistence.
Searchability.
Conclusion: the media and human well-being.
The media and material well-being.
Media and sensory well-being.
Media and spiritual well-being.
Notes.
Introduction: media causes and media effects.
Homo loquens.
Homo scriptor.
Homo lector.
Homo videns.
Homo somnians.
Conclusion: the media and human well-being.
Index.