News and Media Books

"Mediamorphosis" by Roger Fidler is a breath-taking, sweeping overview of communications technologies and their impact on the media through the millenia and in the years to come. The treatment is academic and scholarly, with numerous case studies of the interaction between various media forms. Major principles guiding the evolution and evaluation of media technologies are illustrated.

Ten chapters cover a wide range of issues including media evolution and convergence, media traits, digital technologies, Internet publishing, socio-political forces of control, new media experiments, virtual reality, user interactivity, and future trends. A list of acronyms and abbreviations is also included. Cited works feature "InfoCulture" by Steven Lubar, "The Story of Language" by Mario Pei, "Brainframes" by Derrick de Kerckhove, "The Control Revolution" by James Beniger, and "The Gutenberg Elegies" by Sven Birkerts.

Roger Fidler (rfidler@saed.kent.edu) is a well-known electronic publishing visionary and practitioner. He has worked in the newspaper business for more than 34 years. He was the director of the Knight-Ridder Information Design Laboratory, founder of the PressLink online service for newspapers, and a key member of the Knight-Ridder Viewtron videotex service. Roger is currently a professional in residence at Kent State University. He is also quite active on the international conference circuit, and is a captivating speaker.

Mediamorphosis, a term coined by Fidler in 1990, refers to the transformation of communication media, usually brought about by the complex interplay of perceived needs, competitive and political pressures, and social and technological innovations. Instead of studying each form separately, mediamorphosis "encourages us to examine all forms as members of an interdependent system, and to note the similarities and relationships that exist among past, present and emerging forms," Fidler begins.

According to Paul Saffo of the California-based Institute for the Future, new ideas take about three decades to fully seep into a culture. There are three stages of diffusion, marked by phases of excitement, penetration and standardisation.

The rate of adoption of a new technology in a society, according to media scholar Everett Rogers, is determined by factors like its perceived relative advantage, compatibility with existing technologies, overall complexity, reliability, and direct observability. Additional influences, according to British academic Brian Winston, come from accelerators and brakes such as socio-economic forces and political motivation. Fidler illustrates the interplay between these various factors in the manner in which FM radio at first floundered for about thirty years before dethroning AM radio in North America within a spurt of adoption of 10 years.

Based on these perspectives and his own personal insights, Fidler identifies six principles of mediamorphosis - coexistence and coevolution of media forms, gradual metamorphosis of new media forms from old ones, propagation of dominant traits in media forms, survival of media forms and enterprises in a changing environment, merits and needs for adopting new media, and delays from proof of concept to widespread adoption of new media.

Fidler then classifies media forms into three domains: interpersonal, broadcast, and document (including newspapers and Web pages). He sketches the evolution of each of these forms of media through history. These media domains differ in flow and control of content, presentation, and reception constraints.

According to Fidler, there are three great mediamorphoses in human communication: spoken language, written language, and the digital language. Spoken language led to social group formation, complex problem solving skills, and the development of "broadcast" forms like storytelling and ritual performance - which in turn divided society into performers, gatekeepers, and audiences. Written language ushered in the development of portable documents, mechanical printing, and mass media.

Digital language - unlike spoken and written - enables communication between machines, and mediated communication between humans. In digital language, according to MIT's Nicholas Negroponte, human distinctions between text, images and sounds are irrelevant - they are all represented as bits. We are in the earliest stages of such transformations, says Fidler - but we can already see "how computer networks using digital language are greatly extending human interactions throughout the world."

Three chapters cover technological and cultural contexts of the third mediamorphosis, as well as case studies of successes and failures of new media technologies like online services. The third mediamorphosis was marked by the invention of electricity, the convergence of telegraphy and photography, electro-mechanical and electronic technologies, computers, and networks. "The linking of tens of millions of individual minds through the Internet and other telecommunications systems may, indeed, be accelerating the cross impacts of emerging technologies and the development of new media," says Fidler.

Accompanying socio-political forces in the U.S. over the last century have been competition between various media organisations, changes in government regulation, and increasing competition for existing advertising revenues. In such a context, early incarnations of online services like the TV-based Viewtron failed due to unrealistic expectations, misunderstood customer needs, and inertia on the part of the investors. Interactive TV, too, failed to take off as a mass market medium.

"Generally overlooked were the traits of the interpersonal domain - two-way, participatory, unscheduled, and unmediated," Fidler explains. "Electronic mail services that combine text, graphics, voice and video will be integral to nearly all emerging forms of digital media," he predicts.

Three chapters sketch out projected scenarios of mediamorphosis in the interpersonal, broadcast, and document domains in the year 2010. "The Internet and consumer online networks will meld with telephone and satellite/cable-TV systems to form a seamless, global computer-mediated communication service," says Fidler. Software agents will act as personal librarians and researchers, users will interact in virtual reality systems, and concerns will arise about social fragmentation and individual privacy.

Broadcasters will use the Web to broadcast to growing numbers of cybercommunities. Ethical issues will be raised over the use of sophisticated morphing technologies and the role of parental control. "There is, however, one fusion that does seem all but certain - the melding of video and film," Fidler predicts.

Newspapers represent the "most complex as well as the most immediately challenged form within the document domain," says Fidler. They are challenged by the trend towards online publishing as well as public perceptions of waste and environmental problems. Portable digital tablets are already beginning to emerge in the form of personal gadgets like the Apple Newton and Sharp Zaurus. In the future, news may be distributed through "a global network of electronic newsstands similar to automated teller machines," according to Fidler.

"Despite the present fascination with the apparently limitless amounts of information that can be found in cyberspace, I am convinced that manageable, branded packages of information that provide an editorial context and have a clear beginning and end will continue to be preferred by most people," says Fidler.

The last chapter addresses some of the promises and challenges posed to media, audiences, educators and governments by technologies like the Internet. "Governments are worrying that they will lose control over sensitive information and will be unable to monitor financial transactions across state and national borders. Parents worry that their children might be exposed to hard-core pornogrpahy and accosted by pedophiles. Already there are growing concerns that African Americans and Hispanics may be left out of the electronic loop," says Fidler. Though these are serious concerns, the truth is that "societies have always been affected and transformed by new forms of media," with mixed outcomes.

"As the age of digital communication bursts forth, I believe the most valued characteristics of future mainstream media are likely to be their credibility and connections to the communities they serve," Fidler concludes.

In sum, "Mediamorphosis" is a valuable, insightful piece of work for media analysts and practitioners. A list of online resources and discussion lists would have rounded off the material perfectly. There is also lit

Fidler's book covers a lot of territory: he divides all of human history into three mediamorphoses, the first being speech, the second printed speech, and the third electronic speech. Along the way he covers such varied topics as the three types of communication (interpersonal, broadcast, and print), why interactive TV didn't work, implications for the future of print, and scenarios for how we will deal with information in our digital future.

He's also written for a wide audience: he defines even basic terms like _personal computer_ and _mouse_ but also challenges the reader with detailed visions of new media and new lifestyles built around it. Some of the information is easily skimmed, some needs to be carefully examined and considered.

Finally, he presents some interesting historical accounts of the effect of the Gutenberg printing press, early radio and television, and early interactive television. I recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about media's place in society and society's place in the media.

Roger Fidler shows in a clear style what new media is all about: the interpersonal domain, the broadcast domain and the document domain. He also tries to learn from the mistakes of the past especially from the Videotex experiments in 1976-86. Read it!

This is clearly the most intensive and scholarly book on the future path for newspapers. Newspapers are not dead. But Fidler shows that cyberspace and technology will dramatically change the role of traditional newspapers during our next generation.

I reall like this book its not real but it is nice to read it .

This is a great book teaching you some great family values. read to find out what happens in the book!

This book is the best! It reaminds me kinda of my self because i have two older sisters and two younger sisters. My mom just had twins 1 boy 1 girl but little Mairead always cries or sleeps. So every 1 here at home always calls me Lucy. And Brothers are not a help. Beleve me with 10 kids in my family i know what it feels like being the middle. And i know why she doesnt like it! Read to find out. I think you'll enjoy the book

I think that this book is very good, its not only funny, but it allso kind of tells you in some way that you can always count on your family and friends, it eaven asks you to please help people who nead it, they will always thank you for it.

Especially when Mothers are involved . . . And Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger have accumulated inspirational stories which prove it! You will laugh and you will cry as you read through the pages of a book that manages to portray in human words the intensity of a mother's love for her children, and the power of the prayers of a mother for her offspring.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a mother--and everyone who has ever had one. A book you will read, want to pass on to everyone you know, and never forget! A wonderful addition to the 'Miracle' series by authors who always seem to find the stories that touch our hearts the most.

Sounds like a sappy book to a guy, but being one I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it after my wife finished it. Each story is inspirational, heart warming, and causes us to contemplate and evaluate a mother's love from a truly new perspective.

This wonderful book is deceptively simple to read but it delivers great impact and causes deep thinking. Nothing wrong with a `positive-feel-good' book based on so many truths. A heartfelt Highly Recommended five stars is my way of thanking the wonderful Steigers.

The many fascinating stories in this book illustrate what I have known for years, that there is a very strong psychic connection between mother and child. I can tell one of my own. Back when I was five years old, I suffered a near-fatal accident. I lay between life and death for three full days. No one, including the doctors, knew if I would awaken from my comatose state or not. On night three, my weary mother finally left my bedside at the hospital and went home to get some sleep. About three that morning, while wide awake, she heard me calling to her from the hallway outside her bedroom. "I'm okay, mommy! Don't worry." The phone rang a few minutes later. It was my dad telling her that I had just awakened and was calling for her. That was 1955 and, ever since, we have been able to finish each other's sentences. The true, documented stories Sherry Hansen Steiger has collected are even more compelling than my own. The book is fascinating reading and will convince even the skeptic that there is a very real psychic bond between mother and child that cannot be explained by early twentieth-century physics.

The psychic bond between mother and child has been generally recognized by mankind since deepest prehistory, but rarely has it been examined with as much insight and well-written tenderness as Brad Steiger has given us in his latest and arguably finest work. Readers have long been aware of his extraordinary powers of investigation in a variety of paranormal subjects, but seldom have he and his lovely wife, Sherry, composed anything as effecting as "Miracles of a Mother's Love". Their skill as writers is demonstrated by an ability here to address the psychic aspects of the maternal instinct in clear, dramatic language while avoiding the pitfalls of sentimentality. Whatever doubts the skeptic may have had about this phenomenon before examining their new book will be disspelled after considering the abundant anecdotal materials marshalled between its pages. I felt honored when Brad asked me to contribute my own little account last year. But I did not imagine at the time that he and Sherry would have been able to so beautifully synthesize such a wide variety of materials into so coherant and eminently credible a presentation. The metaphysical link between mothers and their children both describe not only validates that unseen, powerful link as nothing else in the literature: By validating such a spiritual relationship, they provide firm ground for the credibility of additional psychic phenomena. The true-life stories Brad and Sherry share with us simultaneously touch our minds and hearts, by instilling a sense or wonder that irresistably leads on to further considerations about the nature of the human soul, while touching our instinctual capacity for human compassion, as most dearly expressed in our mother's love. "Miracles of a Mother's Love" is, of course, the ideal gift for this or any other Mother's Day. But you'll never go wrong with this book at any other time of the year!

9 out of the 16 essays are about the Black Madonna. There is one essay on Lilith, one on Kali, and one on the Morrigan. There is a poem by Clarissa Pinkola Estes about Guadalupe. There is an essay on Mary Magdalene. A further two are from the christian perspective.This book is a mix of the religious and the jungian. It has essays by artists, pschoanalysts and priests. It works. The most valuble essay for me was "The Dark Irish Goddess Morrigan" by Sylvia Brinton Perera--it was worth the price of the book.Despite the fact that this book is skewed a bit toward the chirstian perspective--i still enjoyed reading it.The authors were most interesting when they spoke of their own spiritual and psychological journeys in relation to the Dark Feminine.

Words cannot express the value of this book.
This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the dark feminine and the psychology of the feminine. The book consists of essays, written by different authors, mainly about their personal experiences and their introduction to the dark feminine. This book provides information about the goddesses, which is not easy to find in other books.
While reading this book, I was drowned to places, stories and tales that transformed my learning into pleasure. This is one of the books that effects the mind, but also fills the heart, the boundary between science and religion.

I am always leery of male authors writing about the
dark feminine.

One of the best books I have read on the subject.

Dr. Gustafson has brought together a wonderful collection of essays on the dark feminine by a wide spectrum of noted authorities. There are also some great photographs. Anyone interested in Analytical Psychology, mythology, religion, ecology and the Shadow will love this book.

This is a great book for kids who are learning how to read as the words are small and the pictures are so captivating. All the pictures are illustrated in 2-D clay. Even if you don't have kids in school, this book is great for the Barbara Reid collector as it is well illustrated and worth the buy to have in your collection. I've noticed that her books can be there one minute and then out-of-print the next, so it's better to buy it now before it disappears!

As an ESL teacher, I use this book every year. The pictures are just amazing (I'd like to see the real clay pieces) and the poem appeals to young children. There is enough new vocabulary to make it a worthwhile educational endeavor and yet the predictability helps the students to quickly memorize the poem. Years later, they often ask me to read it to them again.

My child is now a teenager. I'd lent her original copy of The New Baby Calf to someone, and realized I was saddened by not having a copy of this lovely book in the house any more, so I bought this partly for old time's sake, and partly because Barbara Reid's illustrations are so rich and cleverly detailed, it's a pleasure just to sit and look at them from time to time. What she's done with clay is like nothing I've ever seen. The text is also sweet. Her work is much enjoyed by adults and children. Also check out the Zoe books, Subway Mouse, and others.

I've been reading this book since I was young and still immensely enjoy it, mostly because of the illustations. Edith Chase uses a different kind of medium for the pictures...clay! The blended colors and textures are eye-catching and witty...very appropiate for children of all ages.

The text is actually a rhyme written by a different author before the whole book came together. I'm pretty sure Edith Chase rewrote it, though. The rhythm of the words make them fun play for your voice.

The story itself is about a cute calf and his loving mother living on a farm. The calf nurses, eats, runs, plays, and grows...children can definitely relate to this book.

This is a must read book for anyone who is the least bit interested in how the Internet and shows like Jon Stewart's and Stephen Colbert are changing the political landscape.

The book also reminded me of a PBS special with the men and women from the old Your Show Of Shows (Mel Brooks included) from the early 50's where Mr. Brooks make the astute observation that when TV was new the only people who could afford the sets, were by and larger better educated and thus better paid. And because of this the viewer wanted shows that were mature thinking, and whose humor was the type that left something to the viewers imagination. Yet, as more and more people could afford a television set, things changed, and humor had to be more direct and less cerebral.

This is why shows like those Jon Stewart (The Daily Report) and The Colbert Report, remind me of early television and a more discerning viewer. I also read The Onion, and I did listen on occasion to Air America, but as the author notes, it became a tad tiring and less thought provoking because its seemed to want to mimic someone like Rush Limbaugh. I do agree with the author who touches upon the concern that progressive media be it television, radio or print, needs to also appeal to the blue colour listener.

It saddens me that so many progressives still see blue colour as being less educated and lower paid. But that's just my view. I consider myself blue color since I live in a rural area, live in less than someone in suburbia, and dropped out of college. Yet, being blue color doesn't mean I don't like political humor that is thought provoking, or isn't issue oriented.


I also like the book because it makes the reader see that television shows like Stewart's and Colberts, also allow humor that some people avoid, which does indeed make a person think! And the author is also VERY fair when it comes to critical observations of people like Michael Moore.

Mass media has always played a pivotal role in the transformation of the American political scene, whether it was in the form of FDR's fireside radio chats or JFK's natural charisma trouncing Nixon with his five-o'clock shadow in their televised debates. Theodore Hamm, founding editor of the NY-based arts and political monthly, the Brooklyn Rail, takes a sharp and concise look at the latest trends in media where satirical cable programs, vituperative documentaries and the all-encompassing blogosphere have become the prevalent media forms seizing the attention of Americans away from the more traditional news sources. In a scant 208 pages, the author paints a fresh picture of the new millennium as we witness a revitalized progressive movement unapologetically responding to the mainstream network conglomerates intent on endorsing the Bush administration's worldview.

As Hamm appropriately describes the alternative media as blue, there is no doubt there is a liberal bias to much of the coverage. One can read about it in the tweaking satire of the Onion or watch on TV the serpent's tooth wit of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Even more instantaneous news coverage can be found on highly trafficked sites like MoveOn and the Daily Kos. On the big screen, Michael Moore has been enjoying commercial success with Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko, both polarizing documentaries exposing the moral ambiguity of the Washington politicos. What Hamm does so well in his book is coalesce these various outlets into a cohesive chronicle of the new progressive media starting with the individuals who managed to combine irreverent humor with shrewdly pointed observations - Moore, Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Markos Moulitsas, Joan Blades and Wes Boyd of MoveOn. Most have become household names thanks to their innovative approaches, and Hamm makes their stories smart, entertaining reading.

Theodore Hamm has a keen, concise take on contemporary media. With wit and absolute clarity he brings alive the intricacies of bringing politics alive. A must for media analysis: professional or academic.

This is definitely an entertaining and informative book about the rise of the new liberal media. The author's sympathies lie with Michael Moore, MoveOn and the liberal blogs, but he doesn't hesitate to disagree with these groups--especially when they seem to be too close to the Democratic leadership. At the same time, he shows how the New Blue Media have shaken up the party. His accounts of the Dean campaign, first for president and then for the chair of Democratic National Committee, as well as the Ned Lamont campaign and the George Allen "Macaca" incident, are all very lively.

The author is less critical of The Onion, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, but he nevertheless shows how valuable their voices are. They are asking the critical questions about the war in Iraq and many other issues that the mainstream media ignore. The writing is sharp and the author often shows biting wit, as when he writes that "the Bush Administration's response to Hurricane Katrina was--naturally--disastrous" (p. 19). The author has little sympathy for anybody who supported the Iraq War, which means that fans of Bush and the Clintons won't like the book. Those coming of age in the era of Obama and Stephen Colbert will.

My boys ages 4 and 6&1/2 LOVE this book. The words are simple, fun to read, and build confidence. From a parent's perspective, I don't mind reading this book over and over again. I enjoy it that much! The illustrations depicting bats, funny-looking spiders, and the famous, pretty in pink, Master's fuzzy pink slippers, add the perfect touch to Igor's not-so-good-looking features. From an author to author point of view, I'm truly blown away that the author who wrote this is so young! What a great inspiration! Great job!

Leticia Araujo Perez, author of Making Your Record: Courtroom Guidebook for Attorneys and Law Students,

My 9 year old is learning disabled. He has the conceptual ability to follow Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but his reading ability isn't even up to The Cat in the Hat. So far, A New Brain for Igor is the only book he's ever read independently without prompting! It's the only book I've ever found that's at both his reading level and his thinking level! Write more!!!

First of all: Teddy O'Connor is my son so, of course, I may be a tiny bit prejudiced. BUT: This is a very funny book! It started out as a fifth grade writing assignment that sat in his drawer for a few years before he re-wrote it. It's a take-off on the Frankenstine legend, up-dated with Hawaiian shirts, pet guinea pigs and furry slippers. Bill Basso's drawings are full of color and life. Your beginning reader will get a real kick out of this book.

This is a wonderful book. Igor is a very lovable character and the illustrations are cute. My Kindergartener took the book to bed with him at night!

This is a very strong book fitting all the characteristics into one great story that fits the star wars mold beautifully. I only gave this book an 8 because I though it lacked some explanation of some important features in this book.

My 3 year old loves this book. He carries it around with him, spending at least 20 minutes a day looking at the pictures asking me to read it to him. The art work in this book really brings the characters to life. I highly recommend this book for children and Star Wars Collectors.

The final book in this special edition Golden Books series of the first STAR WARS trilogy. RETURN OF THE JEDI finishes the saga begun in A NEW HOPE and continued in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Like the other two books in the series, this book successfully condenses the plot of the movie into a small children's book. Contains some great pictures. Alas, there is no mention of the speeder-bike chase and there are no pictures of the Sarlacc. That's about the only negative aspect of this book. If you've read the first two, this one is a must.

This children's book is a great introduction to STAR WARS. The book successfully compacts most of the important plots of the movie. It also contains some great pictures to go along with the words. A few of the words are difficult for real-young, youngsters to understand, but other than that, that's the only drawback.

What an excellent guide to photagraphy, with excellent pictures as well. As I started to look at this book I saw talent on first hand. The way each picture supported a different figure of photography. I hope to see more books like this one and 'Capturing the Night With Your Camera' soon.

This one is better than most of the books in its category, although by far is not one of those "most complete guides". Good writing style, Real life examples. Type of camera, film and exposure settings are listed next most of the example pictures. What this book has that others don't, is a pretty good overview of digital input and output(especially printers and scanners), and how it's related to "film" photography. Highly recommended for beginners.

The author of this contemporaray photo manual is not caught up in the technology, rather he uses a common sense approach to new technology. The book starts off with the thought process and preaches conventional rules of pictorial composition, instead of the technical jargon that so many books of this type contain. One has to go no further than the book's introduction to realize that Carucci bridges the gap between art and technique. As for the images, I forgot for a moment that this was an instructional manual. The artwork is first rate. That's not to say that the writing is less than clear and informative. I especially liked the child/statue composite. I recommend this book to anyone interested in digital photography.

This book addresses a realistic approach to the current world of photography. It's not just digital cameras and computers: it's film, illumination and composition. Carucci feels that certain ideas are necessary to produce a good image regardless of the technology. The book is well written, though it seems that some of the passages, especially at the chapter beginnings, are a bit too creative. The book doesn't read like a textbook. Instead it's friendly, especially to the newbie. His introduction is poignant and the images are incredible. The kid turned into a statue is both shocking and wonderful.

The book really gives you an insight as to what goes on in the Zoo and how some of the animals live. It is informative and entertaining. Very easy to read and the author keeps your attention.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Thank you!

I still remember my parents reading the original "A View from the Zoo" to us at the dinner table following the meal...and that was almost 20 years ago! With a different story/animal each chapter, this book contains humorous stories about a zookeeper for the San Diego Zoo that will make you laugh all the way through. Then at the end of each chapter are Christian lessons to be learned from the animals.

I'm now purchasing this book to read to my own son at our dinner table. I can't wait to read the first chapter!

Our son, who is 13, likes the information presented in this book about experiences with all kinds of animals. He finds the devotional comments at each chapter end interesting and thought-provoking.

THis is the most funny and cool book for even kids! You'll love it!!!!!