In this widely researched history of communication and information technologies, from the printing press to
the Internet, Brian Winston argues that the development of new media forms, from the telegraph and the telephone
to computers, satellites, and virtual reality, is the product of a constant play-off between social necessity and
suppression: the unwritten law by which new technologies are introduced into society only insofar as their disruptive
potential is limited. Winston's monograph asks difficult questions: How are new media born? How do they change?
Moreover, how do they change us? He concludes that the information Revolution is not revolutionary. Current technologies
are merely elaborating a process of change begun much earlier, and historical study of these alterations offers
many insights into the potential effects of today's latest developments.
--American Association for History and Computing Prize for the Best Book of 1998
Winston's notes should not be missed; they contain historical nuggets and comment on the main text. A valuable
history illuminated with a unique and insightful model applicable to other fields. Highly recommended as a replacement
for the earlier volume.
--Choice, 3/99
Routledge N. Y. Web Site
March, 2000
Summary
How are media born? How do they change? And how do they change us?
Media Technology and Society offers a comprehensive account of the history of communications technologies,
from the printing press to the internet. Brian Winston argues that the development of new media, from the telegraph
and the telephone to computers, satellite and virtual reality, is the product of a constant play-off between social
necessity and suppression: the unwritten law by which new technologies are introduced into society only insofar
as their disruptive potential is limited. Winston's fascinating account examines the role played by individuals
such as Alexander Graham Bell, Gugliemo Marconi, John Logie Baird, Boris Rozing and Charles Babbage, and challenges
the popular myth of the present-day "information revolution."
