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Rating:  -
"Back when men were bolder, and women were prettier, etc." Every generation has probably heard various versions of this kind of "it's getting worse" story. Postman names all through this book the alternatives modern life gives us when a new technology comes along. Of course this happens. The automobile took away the chance to let neighbors chat when buggying down the dirt roads, their horses lazily nibbling the grass as the time passed. But the horse buggy took away an earlier "pleasure" at the expense of the improved technology of the buggy. All this seems very obvious, and the author uses an urbane, Time-Magazine style of prose to dance around these technology-finally-creates-Technoply talks. One wonders if the creator of fire caused the first humans to not enjoy the pleasure of shivering any more.
There is truth in what the author is saying, of course, and the reader will certainly be a little more sensitized to a deflavoring of culture because of progress. Admittedly, this "urbane writing style" makes an easily-readable work, and it is a plus not having to wade through a long, strident sermon. Also, Postman gives the Left a deserved kick in the shin regarding their forgiving memory of Joseph Stalin, and their often-observed intolerance for other views.
Maybe there were just too many topics to talk about in this book. An earlier work, Amusing Ourselves to Death, is much more focused, making the author's argument easier to see. Both books can be read quickly, though, and most readers will enjoy the many facts about the origins of things which Postman sprinkles through the book.
Rating: -
Postman explains how we got to the current age, where we are surrounded by digitizing, calculating machines. Describes the consequences, making us aware of the apparent take-over of culture by the worship of numbers, statistics, and unlimited information. But the book feels long -- too many words just for the sake of a nice turn of phrase. Wastes a lot of time showing how social science is not a science (who cares -- as he points out, most people don't know what science is anyway). And his conclusion -- that the solution is some kind of secular "great books" education curriculum, is weak. His message is to be aware, and think. That's good. But if you want concise, thought-provoking criticism of "progress", read Ivan Illich instead.
To Postman's credit, he does better with a narrower focus. Try his "Amusing Ourselves to Death".
Rating: -
I agreed with much of what Postman conveyed in Technopoly but i was put-off quite a bit by some of the arguements he uses to support his claims. At times he seems to be make sweeping generalizations based on very specific, very limited data, which was painful for me to read. Other times he seems to draw conclusions that just dont follow directly from his evidence. I would recommend reading The Technological Society by Ellul instead if you're interested in this kind of thing.
Rating:  -
Neil Postman's Technopoly stands as a prophetic look at the impact of technology on a society. From the outset it is clear that Postman is not concerned with being unbiased, but rather balancing his own biases with careful self-criticing and historical presidents for his observations. This book comes as a bit of a wake up call for a society ungulfed in technology, an ironic observation given the method of this review. Postman acknowledges that it will be difficult for many readers to accept his ideology, but that it was important that they do not simply dismiss it. Technology, for Postman, is never a simple thing, and we are never able to comprehend the far reaching impact of the technologies we introduce into society. Postman gives the example of the printing press and the decline of the written tradition. While it was not an intentional effect, the value of writing has become secondary within society to technological innovation. These innovations are seen in every facet of life, for Postman, and carry many dire consequences.
While it is difficult to deny the line of reasoning used by Postman, one can see that Postman may be a bit to pessimistic in man's ability to maintain his own identity in a world of technological innovations. Postman does not seem to take into account many of the things that make us human, i.e. emotion and reason. This leaves the reader with a bleek view of the technological future, in which mankind is stripped of its very essence in favor of a machine driven society.
Overall, Postman makes important contributions to both philosophical circles, as well as social dialogue, in Technopoly, but seems to fall short in recognizing the human element at work in a technological society. I would highly recommend this book to those that do not fully understand the impact technology has on our lives, but would caution them against fully investing their minds in Postman's theories.
Rating:  -
This book starts off on some very strong premises and is a real page turner to about the half-way point, then it becomes difficult to read, as if the author ran out of compelling ideas too early on. He then spends several chapters brazenly criticizing the major establishments of technology (medical science and computers) as irresponsible, dangerous developments in western society. But Postman does conclude with a strong final chapter that challenges the reader. Overall, I'd say it was a tough read, but compelling. Any book that challenges your assumptions and world-view is significant.
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