Making Connections: Communication through the Ages

Charles T. Meadow

doi:10.5771/9781461706915

Summary

Meadow takes us on a Cook's tour of communication technologies across time—the alphabet and moveable type printing, cave drawings and carrier pigeons, telephones, television and, of course, the Internet. In each case, Meadow shows how these (and other devices) are connected to each other, even as they serve to make connections between people.

Part One discusses the basics of communications, while Part Two delves into telecommunications before the days of steam and electricity. Part Three offers insight into steam, electricity, and internal combustion energy and how they revolutionized society.

Communication is the key to a productive world. For those dazzled by the pace of change in the technology or McLuhan's unorthodox but brilliant insights, Meadow's casual style and pace provide the perfect antidote.

Search publication

Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2002
Copyright Year: 2002
ISBN-Print: 978-0-8108-4234-2
ISBN-Online: 978-1-4617-0691-5
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 365
Product Type: Monograph

1. Table of Contents No access
2. List of Illustrations No access
3. Preface No access
1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. The Basic Questions No access
  3. What is Communication? No access
  4. What is Information? No access
  5. What is a Medium? No access
  6. How is Information Represented? No access
  7. Was McLuhan Right—Is the Medium the Message? No access
1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Spoken Language No access
  3. Sound-Based Technology No access
2. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Pictures and Pictorial Writing No access
  3. Alphabet No access
  4. Other Languages No access
  5. Recording Media No access
  6. The Tools of Writing No access
  7. Photography No access
  8. The Effect of Writing on Civilization No access
3. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Fire and Smoke No access
  3. Flags, Semaphores, and Body Movements No access
4. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Animals and Roads No access
  3. Muscle-Powered and Sailing Ships No access
1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Steam Power No access
  3. Wingless Aircraft No access
  4. Internal Combustion No access
2. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Beginnings No access
  3. Telegraphs Practical and Impractical No access
  4. How it Works No access
  5. Telegraphy Becomes a Business No access
  6. Crossing the Oceans No access
  7. The Industry Goes Downhill No access
3. 1. Introduction No access
  2. In the Beginning was the Word No access
  3. Sound and Electricity No access
  4. How the Telephone Works No access
  5. Telephone as a Business No access
  6. New Developments No access
1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Beginnings No access
  3. More Physics No access
  4. Wireless Telegraphy No access
  5. Radar No access
  6. Radio Broadcasting No access
  7. Social Effects of Radio Broadcasting No access
  8. Newer Technologies No access
2. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Beginnings No access
  3. Technicalities No access
  4. The Developers No access
  5. Broadcasting No access
  6. New Developments in Television No access
  7. Impact No access
3. 1. Introduction No access
  2. The Nature of the Bird No access
  3. History No access
  4. Technicalities No access
  5. Impact No access
4. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Technicalities No access
  3. Cost No access
  4. History No access
  5. Impact No access
1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. Technologies that Accompanied Major Change No access
  3. The Coming Changes No access
  4. A Review of Principles that do not Change No access
2. 14. One Hundred Dates to Remember No access
Bibliography No access Pages 337 - 352
Index No access Pages 353 - 364
About the Author No access Pages 365 - 365