"Book of the Year 2000" - AmericanReview.net.
"One of the most incisive critiques of television and its cultural impact I've read in years. Mr. Scheuer makes his case with a precision and clarity that will resound with anyone who's ever wondered ... how we managed to let our national political discourse become an incomprehensible blur of sound bites and 30-second campaign spots."
"Breaks new intellectual ground... lively and invigorating... a delicious writing style... deeply incisive."
"Valuable ... I found thinking about...Jeffrey Scheuer's argument more stimulating and enjoyable than simply nodding along with a number of other books. And in making his case he offers anumber of incidental insights that are original and ring true. When Scheuer is talking about TV, he's completely convincing, and capable of coming up with new insights into an often-explored topic., [adding] many new wrinkles."
"Strongly argued ...a fresh perspective... a compelling examination and valuable read for anyone who watches TV."
"A deeper, more provocative analysis ... [written] in a clear, non-academic style ... [an] intriguing hypothesis ... The Sound Bite Society is impassioned criticism that will get an argument going about where television and liberalism [are] headed."
"Scheuer's unusual, provocative analysis goes beyond the usual description of TV's shortcomings as infotainment ... [a] brilliant analysis of TV grammar and how it prohibits complex discourse. Required reading for all communication and political science collections, all levels."
"A new 'must read' book ... Sound Bite is an intellectual bungie jump off a suspension bridge. It's a bold, fresh, creative, thought-provoking book ... It's beside the point that Scheuer ultimately splatters all over the pavement due to some miscalculations of the bungie cord length. The freefall is exhilarating and worth it!"
"Thought-provoking"
"[Scheuer's] argument is fascinating and challenging ... Scheuer does us all a service in pointing out the counterintuitive reality that television has been ... the 'handmaiden' of conservatism ... an important book, especially for an election year."
"Jeffrey Scheuer, a levelheaded and knowledgeable critic of the mediascape... convincingly shows us how certain modes of television exactly mirror the conservative agenda ... "
"Exceptional...Unusually well-argued and supported."
"An insightful but profoundly unsettling volume."
"Provocative" - Pierre Gilly, Lo Tidningen (Sweden), May 19, 2000.
"Argued with compelling and infuriating insight."
"Provocative" - The Hindu (largest newspaper in India), Madras, Oct. 8, 2000.
"Scheuer aims to intrigue and provoke and he does [so] on every page."
"An incisive and original argument."
"A powerful and interesting argument. Scheuer paints a fascinating picture."
"A powerful and thoughtful argument."
"Thoughtful and provocative."
"The Sound Bite Society delighted me as a true intellectual discourse, an
essay in the realm of ideas. It challenged me and taught me."
"Insightful ...a striking and profound critique of television ... a truly
masterful treatment ... excellent and well worth all the critical praise it has
received. Scheuer has the rare ability to blend difficult analytic and
theoretical content with an inspiring and rhythmic literary style. The
result ...is a book that is philosophically rich, culturally enlightening, and
a joy to read."
Other reviews and discussions have appeared in: Virginia Quarterly Review; Le
Monde Diplomatique (Paris); Ha'aretz (Tel-Aviv); Medien Tenor (Germany);
Arbetet (Sweden).
THE SOUND BITE SOCIETY was personally selected by Ralph Nader for "Ralph's
Picks" in the Public Citizen newsletter. It was also selected as one of "Polly's Picks" by Polly Gossett, the book review editor of the Charlotte Observer, and a "Reader's Choice" in the Jerusalem Post, October 2001.
Click here to see additional reviews of The Sound Bite Society.
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