Thomas de Zengotita

I'm not a postmodern-theory wonk, but I'm going to guess that there's aren't any paradigm-busting breakthroughs in "Mediated." Its author, Thomas de Zengotita, more or less admits this when, early on, he lists his influences for the reader. "Mediated" isn't so much a book about media as a survival guide for a wold that is increasingly dominated by it. It's not the artistic quality or usefulness of modern media that interests de Zengotita as much as the enormous quantity we consume. We're exposed to so many different representations, he argues, that it's become impossible to stem the flood and the term "real" has more or less lost its meaning. He can, on occasion, be a keen and thoughtful observer and makes a convincing case that the the "over-mediation" of our environment has challenged age-old concepts that our ancestors took more or less for granted. His voice – in stark contrast to most books of this type – is warm and personable, though readers that do not necessarily agree with his points may find him a bit smug. Still, this informality can also work against him, too, making his essays a bit diffuse and overlong, and it sometimes seems that he's working a bit too hard to find the dark side of generally beneficial technologies. As I neared the end of the book, I also noted a strong strain of wistfulness in de Zengotita's writing. I'm not sure whether this slightly mournful tone suggests a social or political conservatism or just a bent for what Susan Jacoby has called "cultural conservationism," but it's clear that the author fears that our overexposure to media is robbing us of something distinctly human. I know I'm writing this on a personal computer hooked up to a gigantic transcontinental information network, but there are days, dear reader, when I can't help agreeing with the guy. In any case, this is a fun, thought-provoking place to start for readers wanting to know to preserve their sanity in a world inundated by ever-shifting images.… (més)