Amusing Ourselves to Death

Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman’s groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century. Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media—from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs—it has taken on even greater significance. Amusing Ourselves to Death is a prophetic look at what happens when politics, journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands of entertainment. It is also a blueprint for regaining controlof our media, so that they can serve our highest goals.

尼尔・波兹曼（1931-2003），世界著名的媒体文化研究者和批评家，生前一直在纽约大学任教。他在纽约大学首创了媒体生态学专业。直到2003年，他一直是文化传播系的系主任。2003年10月波兹曼去世后，美国各大媒体发表多篇评论，高度评价波兹曼对后现代工业社会的深刻预见和尖锐批评。

波兹曼出版过20余部著作。他的主要著作包括《娱乐至死》、《童年的消逝》、《技术垄断》、《教学：一种颠覆性的活动》（合作者：查尔斯・韦恩加特纳）、《教学：一种保存性的活动》、《诚心诚意的反对》、《疯狂的谈话，愚蠢的谈话》、《如何看电视》、《建造通向18世纪的桥梁：过去怎样改变未来》。其中《娱乐至死》和《童年消逝》已译成多种文字在许多国家出版。