Mediated

“A fine roar of a lecture about how the American mind is shaped by (too much) media.” —Washington Post Book World

In this utterly original look at our modern “culture of performance,” Thomas de Zengotita shows how media are creating self-reflective environments, custom made for each of us. From Princess Diana's funeral to the prospect of mass terror, from oral sex in the Oval Office to cowboy politics in distant lands, from high school cliques to marital therapy, from blogs to reality TV to the Weather Channel, Mediated takes us on an original and astonishing tour of every department of our media-saturated society. The implications are personal and far-reaching at the same time.

“A spectacular widescreen critique of contemporary American culture.”—Christian Science Monitor

“Reading Thomas de Zengotita's Mediated is like spending time with a wild, wired friend—the kind who keeps you up late and lures you outside of your comfort zone with a speed rap full of brilliant notions.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

“A brilliant reflection of postmodern culture and our peculiar, performing, contemporary selves and the media that make and reflect us. It's a great read, and you'll never feel the same way about your kids, your friends, or yourself again.”—Frances Fox Piven, author of Challenging Authority