Description
Book SynopsisHow the baby boomers learned about the world in their most formative years
Trade Review"[A]n entertaining as well as informative book.... Burns provides sharp analysis, explaining just how the industry exercised unprecedented power over the average American’s thoughts about news events such as the McCarthy hearings, social changes such as civil rights protests, and the roles of women and African Americans. This well-researched book contains a nice combination of serious topics and humorous anecdotes, plus an insightful bibliography. VERDICT: Reading a work by Burns is like having a delightful, intelligent conversation with a cultural expert. Highly recommended for TV history enthusiasts as well as general readers."
—Library Journal
Table of ContentsA Note to Readers
Introduction: Philo T. Farnsworth’s Discontent
Part I: The Medium
1. Damning the “Theenk”
2. The New American Family
3. The Hula Hoop and the Bomb
4. Invisible Doughnuts and Coonskin Caps
5. “Really Big Shows”
6. The Competition
Part II: The Messages
7. The First Senator
8. The Second Senator
9. The Third Senator
10. Advertising for President
11. The Mystic Knights of the Sea
12. “The Technological Equivalent of a Crucifix”
13. Sexless Objects
14. The Constant Parade
15. Serving the Sky Chief
16. The Black Sox of the Airwaves
Epilogue: The Man with a Secret
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index
