The Medium is the Massage

Another book I got in Berlin is The Medium is the Massage by Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore. It is one of four books in a Penguin (Modern Classic) series on design. The idea behind the book is that technological mediums are themselves messages and not necessarily the content they carrying. This is from the stand point that in the modern world people are constantly over-stimulated by technology. This over stimulation is reshaping society, the world and individual experience. I believe the book was written in the late 60's and the ideas are kind of prophetic considering the way the world is today but the design and layout of the book are the most interesting things. The design of each page is very different and layed out in a way that inforces what the content of that page is. A few examples:
It's pocket size and not expensive at all. I think it's worth the read, the ideas aren't very extreme and it's not a stance against technology. The layout turns reading into a puzzle and in some parts you even have to relearn how to read. It's fun and short and gives you some things to think about so give it a try. I plan on getting the other three books in the series: Design as Art, Ways of Seeing, and On Photography. In time...