AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH by Neil Postman (unabridged) is presented by Blackstone Audio and comes with what is perhaps the best audiobook app available (see FEATURES, below).

“A brilliant, powerful, and important book…This is a brutal indictment Postman has laid down and, so far as I can see, an irrefutable one.” (Washington Post Book World)

In this eloquent and persuasive book, Neil Postman examines the deep and broad effects of television culture on the manner in which we conduct our public affairs. He argues that the reshaping of public discourse into fast-paced visual entertainment has corrupted the very way we think.

Self-contained, this audiobook app is perfect for your commute, on a trip, or while relaxing. Based on a library-quality recording, this app was built especially for your iPhone and iPod Touch. No unreadable text, no endless scrolling on a tiny screen. The audio is of higher-than-normal quality, making for a great listening experience that will not tire your ears or grate on your nerves.

NOTICE: This app includes the exact same 5-star recording offered elsewhere at much higher prices. It was professionally recorded by Blackstone Audio’s Earphones® Award-winning narrator, Jeff Riggenbach. You are not buying yet another amateur or volunteer narration. No clicks, background noises, throat clearing, mispronunciations, tinny voices or monotones will be found here.

“This is a ‘must listen’ for anyone who hopes to understand what the new ‘information society’ might be like. A well-produced effort for serious listening.” —Library Journal

•EXPERIENCE. About 5.5 hours of narration. Created as a Folium enhancedAudio™ edition, this book includes extra functions and features not found on lesser players.

•PLAYER CONTROLS. Includes listen (play), pause, multi-speed fast forward/reverse, jump ahead/back, chapter skip, volume control, one-touch chapter- and bookmark browser. There is also a “scrub” bar that finds any point inside the chapter with just a tap.

•SLEEP TIMER. Have you ever fallen asleep watching TV or listening to a book? If so, you'll love this feature. Once set, the book will stop, place a bookmark, and allow you to jump back to where you probably began dozing.

•CLEAR & ELEGANT DESIGN. Simple, clean, intuitive, and smarter than average.

•CHAPTER TIMINGS. Always know how much time it will take to finish a chapter. Plus, the progress bar at the top of the screen shows how far into the book you’ve come.

•OFFLINE LISTENING. You are airplane-ready! Once downloaded, listen uninterrupted without threat from a lost network connection. Downloads are usually just 5-10 minutes, but depend upon your network speed.

•AUTO-BOOKMARKING. The player remembers where you stopped listening and returns to that exact spot when you open the book again.

•TELL-A-FRIEND. An easy way to recommend the book to your friends or Twitter feed.

•FEEDBACK. Share your ideas for books, functions, and features. We are very responsive to our listeners and appreciate all feedback and ideas.


RATING: Suitable for anyone interested in the art of public discourse and the impact of technology on popular culture.

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Neil Postman examines the deep and broad effects of television culture on how we conduct our public affairs and how “entertainment values” have corrupted the way we think. As politics, news, religion, education, and commerce are less often expressed in the form of the printed word, they are rapidly being reshaped to suit television. Television is a visual medium whose images are most pleasurably apprehended when they are fast-moving and dynamic, so discourse on television has little tolerance for argument or explanation. Postman argues that public discourse is being converted from exposition to entertainment.