pathway two | Presenting Postman

“At some point it becomes far from asinine to speak of the god of Technology—
in the sense that people believe technology works,
that they rely on it, that it makes promises,
that they are bereft when denied access to it,
that they are delighted when they are in its presence,
that for most people it works in mysterious ways,
that they condemn people who speak against it,
and that, in the born-again mode, they will alter their lifestyles, their schedules, their habits, and their relationships to accommodate it.

If this be not a form of religious belief, what is?”

40 years ago, Neil Postman wrote Amusing Ourselves to Death.

The pages within this second pathway, written long after this giant’s passing, are an anthology of his best ideas. Through more than a hundred passages from Postman’s three most influential works, the arc of his hope, speculation, and witness to the pain and power of a newly technological people in the late 20th century is traced to our day.

Utilize this pathway as a repository for profound and biting quotes to better understand or critique our Technopoly or simply as one later writer’s interpretation of the great media theorist’s paradigms. The reading experience you follow is up to you…

I count myself providentially lucky to have found Neil Postman.

So the best thing I can do as a writer and popularizer of brilliant work is to share the pathway for your next encounter...