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Object Lessons
Personal Stereo
Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.
When the Sony Walkman debuted in 1979, people were enthralled by the novel experience it offered: immersion in the music of their choice, anytime, anywhere. But the Walkman was also denounced as self-indulgent and antisocial-the quintessential accessory for the "me” generation.
In Personal Stereo, Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow takes us back to the birth of the device, exploring legal battles over credit for its invention, its ambivalent reception in 1980s America, and its lasting effects on social norms and public space. Ranging from postwar Japan to the present, Tuhus-Dubrow tells an illuminating story about our emotional responses to technological change.
Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.
When the Sony Walkman debuted in 1979, people were enthralled by the novel experience it offered: immersion in the music of their choice, anytime, anywhere. But the Walkman was also denounced as self-indulgent and antisocial-the quintessential accessory for the "me” generation.
In Personal Stereo, Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow takes us back to the birth of the device, exploring legal battles over credit for its invention, its ambivalent reception in 1980s America, and its lasting effects on social norms and public space. Ranging from postwar Japan to the present, Tuhus-Dubrow tells an illuminating story about our emotional responses to technological change.
Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2017
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290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 19, 2017
I love music almost as much as reading so when I saw this book I knew it was a must-read (plus the cover is fabulous). I had not encountered the Object Lessons series previously, but after reading this one I plan to seek out more of them. Personal Stereo is a quick and fascinating read that covers both the history of the Walkman and its effects on society. The Walkman’s debut occurred when I was young so I do not remember either the excitement it generated nor the consternation about its potential negative impact on society. Looking back from a time when iPhones exist, at times it was almost comical to read some of the concerns that critics voiced about the Walkman.
Personal Stereo thankfully begins long before the invention of the Walkman with a history of Sony and its founders, Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. I found this section incredibly engaging and loved learning that Sony began with a staff of eight crammed into a small office in a bombed downtown Tokyo department store in 1945. The company’s initial name was Tokyo Telecommunications Research and was later changed to Sony, derived from the Latin word for sound and a play on the English word “sonny”, a slang term meaning young boy that was common in Japan at the time. The company first began upgrading radios and then eventually produced the first tape recorder available in Japan. Next, Sony produced the transistor radio eventually earning one of its researchers the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the invention. As the saying goes “and the rest is history”.
The author also focuses on the shift from only being able to listen to music live to having music available on the radio and later records, cassettes, CDs and finally MP3 players. Again, this was not something I have ever thought twice about and was somewhat enthralled that critics could not “bear to hear a remarkably life-like human voice issuing from a box.” Music suddenly became something in the background frequently instead of the focal point. As I frequently use music to pass the time on car trips, while folding laundry and cooking dinner, and as something to just relax my mind, I was completely intrigued with the concept that recorded music caused such an uproar initially. What a sad world we would live in without easy access to music.
While there are several genesis stories for the creation of the Walkman, Sony employees generally felt the Walkman would be a failure. A tape recorder that was not used to tape something seemed absurd, and the fact that no invention occurred but instead Sony teams working together merged existing technologies (and actually removed the taping function) seemed a crazy idea for most people in the field at the time. Clearly, as with many new products, the Walkman was not only an immediate success but changed the way people listened to music going forward.
The inclusion of numerous photos and newspaper advertisements add significant value to the book. I loved looking at the old Walkman ads and the focus on taking sound with you. There is so much more to this book, and it is well worth the read. I clearly loved Personal Stereo and highly recommend it. Thanks so much to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Personal Stereo thankfully begins long before the invention of the Walkman with a history of Sony and its founders, Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. I found this section incredibly engaging and loved learning that Sony began with a staff of eight crammed into a small office in a bombed downtown Tokyo department store in 1945. The company’s initial name was Tokyo Telecommunications Research and was later changed to Sony, derived from the Latin word for sound and a play on the English word “sonny”, a slang term meaning young boy that was common in Japan at the time. The company first began upgrading radios and then eventually produced the first tape recorder available in Japan. Next, Sony produced the transistor radio eventually earning one of its researchers the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the invention. As the saying goes “and the rest is history”.
The author also focuses on the shift from only being able to listen to music live to having music available on the radio and later records, cassettes, CDs and finally MP3 players. Again, this was not something I have ever thought twice about and was somewhat enthralled that critics could not “bear to hear a remarkably life-like human voice issuing from a box.” Music suddenly became something in the background frequently instead of the focal point. As I frequently use music to pass the time on car trips, while folding laundry and cooking dinner, and as something to just relax my mind, I was completely intrigued with the concept that recorded music caused such an uproar initially. What a sad world we would live in without easy access to music.
While there are several genesis stories for the creation of the Walkman, Sony employees generally felt the Walkman would be a failure. A tape recorder that was not used to tape something seemed absurd, and the fact that no invention occurred but instead Sony teams working together merged existing technologies (and actually removed the taping function) seemed a crazy idea for most people in the field at the time. Clearly, as with many new products, the Walkman was not only an immediate success but changed the way people listened to music going forward.
The inclusion of numerous photos and newspaper advertisements add significant value to the book. I loved looking at the old Walkman ads and the focus on taking sound with you. There is so much more to this book, and it is well worth the read. I clearly loved Personal Stereo and highly recommend it. Thanks so much to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2017
I was unfamiliar with the Object Lessons series but couldn't resist the nostalgia of the Walkman illustration on the cover. I'm so delighted to have the opportunity to review this book via an advance copy provided by Bloomsbury Academic via NetGalley. The series focuses on a single object, and briefly investigates the history and cultural impact of the object. I find it fascinating, as the objects are ubiquitous items that we don't give a second thought beyond their general use.
The personal stereo examined in this book is the cassette player, generally known as the Walkman. The study is both academic and nostalgic, using published research and history, as well as personal memories from individuals. I am young enough to not really remember a time before the Walkman existed, but old enough to remember when they were either too expensive or generally frowned upon by my parents and I coveted the Walkman for quite a long time before my grandparents finally granted my Christmas wish and gave me my first one. It was magical. Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow taps into that magic by sharing early advertisements and quotes from early adopters of the technology, but also shows the dark clouds forming by the critics. She also does a great job of comparing the utilization of SmartPhones today with the benefits and concerns of the Walkman during the height of it's popularity. There are similarities and differences in ways you probably never thought of.
I enjoyed this brief work of nonfiction and will make it a point to seek out more books and essays from this series.
The personal stereo examined in this book is the cassette player, generally known as the Walkman. The study is both academic and nostalgic, using published research and history, as well as personal memories from individuals. I am young enough to not really remember a time before the Walkman existed, but old enough to remember when they were either too expensive or generally frowned upon by my parents and I coveted the Walkman for quite a long time before my grandparents finally granted my Christmas wish and gave me my first one. It was magical. Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow taps into that magic by sharing early advertisements and quotes from early adopters of the technology, but also shows the dark clouds forming by the critics. She also does a great job of comparing the utilization of SmartPhones today with the benefits and concerns of the Walkman during the height of it's popularity. There are similarities and differences in ways you probably never thought of.
I enjoyed this brief work of nonfiction and will make it a point to seek out more books and essays from this series.
June 17, 2017
Personal Stereo is an interesting little book, though not what I thought it would be. It started out as I expected, by describing the origin and history of the Walkman. (The origin of the concept is actually quite murky, with multiple people claiming to be the first to conceive of a personal cassette player). I was surprised to learn that the first portable cassette units were actually recorders, designed for reporters and court stenographers.
The tone of the book turns unexpectedly serious during the "Norm" chapter. Some social critics at the time apparently believed that the Walkman would bring about the end of civilized society. This section of the book gets unwieldy, as the decline of etiquette, hearing loss, people getting hit by trains, the rise of the yuppie, music piracy, and even masturbation are all topics of discussion.
The third chapter is entitled "Nostalgia," and the tone lightens again. Children of the 80s do feel nostalgic about the Walkman, as evidenced by the spike in prices for a used one after Guardians of the Galaxy was released.
This was a quick read, and will bring back fond memories for those of us who grew up with foamy headphones.
The tone of the book turns unexpectedly serious during the "Norm" chapter. Some social critics at the time apparently believed that the Walkman would bring about the end of civilized society. This section of the book gets unwieldy, as the decline of etiquette, hearing loss, people getting hit by trains, the rise of the yuppie, music piracy, and even masturbation are all topics of discussion.
The third chapter is entitled "Nostalgia," and the tone lightens again. Children of the 80s do feel nostalgic about the Walkman, as evidenced by the spike in prices for a used one after Guardians of the Galaxy was released.
This was a quick read, and will bring back fond memories for those of us who grew up with foamy headphones.
June 30, 2025
This book is exactly what it sets out to be and delivers clear historical, cultural, and personal information in a clear and concise way.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
September 23, 2019
Excellent little book. Gave me a lot to think about. Reminded me of how much I love cultural criticism
April 16, 2017
Roy Amara was the president of the Institute for the Future. A scientist and researcher his most famous legacy is Amara’s Law, the idea that the impact of technology tends to be overestimated in the short term and underestimated in the long term. The story of the invention and proliferation of the personal stereo is a perfect example of this theory in practice. It is a story that has been told many times in print, though perhaps never as readably as Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow’s warm, accessible account. The real success of this presentation is the way Tuhus-Dubrow manages to convey the bewitching novelty of the portability of music, something that is now difficult to imagine as not being a feature of everyday life, but which at the time was a genuinely revelatory experience. Appropriately, the analogy of a drug is used throughout the book, the personal stereo, after all, had the power to changes users perception of the world, it was a deeply personal experience and highly addictive. Keeping with Amara’s theory, the immediate reaction from some was one of panic, often regarded as a dangerous fad, there were fears that the Walkman could be responsible for a range of societal catastrophes from generational deafness to the decline of western civilisation from a dangerous proliferation of individualism. Fast forward 35 years and the capacity of portable entertainment has increased exponentially from 120 minutes of audio to whole libraries of music, film and reading material.
Though often told as a simple story, that of Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka’s desire to listen to music without disturbing his family, in reality the invention of the personal stereo is far more complicated, contradictory and non-linear. Tuhus-Dubrow nimbly navigates the contradictions – Sony themselves endorsed multiple versions of the story of how the Walkman was invented – as well as the multiple players, including interviewing Andreas Pavel who is credited with inventing a personal stereo system that pre-dates Sony’s Walkman. It’s very much a social constructionist approach to technology, one that also acknowledges non-linear progression. The personal stereo involved no new technology and in fact involved removing functionality from existing products, so despite being a new product, the innovative element was in how technology was used, not created.
Personal Stereo, part of the Object Lessons series, is immensely readable, fast moving and well structured. Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow’s voice is distinctive and one gets a sense of her personality and individual relationship with the personal stereo through the way she tells the story without it ever being obtrusive or indulgent. An object lesson in how to write about technology well.
[I received a digital copy of this book for review from the publisher (via Netgalley).]
Though often told as a simple story, that of Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka’s desire to listen to music without disturbing his family, in reality the invention of the personal stereo is far more complicated, contradictory and non-linear. Tuhus-Dubrow nimbly navigates the contradictions – Sony themselves endorsed multiple versions of the story of how the Walkman was invented – as well as the multiple players, including interviewing Andreas Pavel who is credited with inventing a personal stereo system that pre-dates Sony’s Walkman. It’s very much a social constructionist approach to technology, one that also acknowledges non-linear progression. The personal stereo involved no new technology and in fact involved removing functionality from existing products, so despite being a new product, the innovative element was in how technology was used, not created.
Personal Stereo, part of the Object Lessons series, is immensely readable, fast moving and well structured. Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow’s voice is distinctive and one gets a sense of her personality and individual relationship with the personal stereo through the way she tells the story without it ever being obtrusive or indulgent. An object lesson in how to write about technology well.
[I received a digital copy of this book for review from the publisher (via Netgalley).]
November 21, 2023
Novelty Norm Nostalgia. I’d be glad to read more by this author. Sony has one of the best corporate origin stories, can’t believe I haven’t heard it before. Well, racism does exist so that might be why I haven’t heard of the unlikely success of a Japanese firm.
That arresting moment of listing to headphones and the world syncing up to your private beat.
What I learned:
On nostalgia: “The essential source of anxiety is uncertainty. The past, whatever its shortcomings, has the virtue of having already happened. And we survived it.”
That arresting moment of listing to headphones and the world syncing up to your private beat.
What I learned:
On nostalgia: “The essential source of anxiety is uncertainty. The past, whatever its shortcomings, has the virtue of having already happened. And we survived it.”
October 8, 2020
Whatever happened
To Tuesday and so slow
Going down to the old mine with a
Transistor radio
“Brown Eyed Girl”, Van Morrison
Personal Stereo
Personal Stereo by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow is a study of what is now one of the most common devices seen in society. Tuhus-Dubrow is a Contributing Editor at Dissent. She was previously a contributing writer for the Boston Globe’s Ideas section, a columnist for the urban affairs website Next City, and a Journalism and Media Fellow at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
Bloomsbury Academic Press has released a growing series of object lessons over the last few years. These are ordinary items that usually don’t get a second thought. My introduction to the series was Hood a book covering hoods from executioners to hoodies. In this edition, the book took me back to my discovery of music. I remember listening to music, football, and AM music on a transistor radio with a single ear bud. The mono earphone jack allowed the listener keep one ear on the music and the other on the world around them.
The Walkman brought a change. It was stereo and it let the listener chose what he or she listened to. Long before Napster and Pirate Bay people pirated music by copying vinyl records to cassette and trading with friends. This later evolved into the 80s mixed tapes which were given to special friends. Cassette tapes were the MP3s, or rather the removable storage of the day; stereos even had a side by side cassette players to copy music from one tape to another. Music became personal and portable. The Walkman offered another layer of personalization. You could listen to your music anywhere without disturbing others around you. Stereo headphones completed your privacy as you could block out the world around you with tinny sounding headphone speakers covered in a removable foam sock set over your ear.
Today, this is all too common with iPods and now with phones taking the place of the Walkman. Just glance around a commuter train or a bus and see how many people have earbuds in their ears. Previously, when trapped in a window seat a simple “Excuse me” was enough to signal to the person in the aisle seat that it was your stop. Today usually a tap on the shoulder is needed to bring that person back into the world.
Personal Stereo is the history of a device that had no original market (a cassette player that did not record) yet caught on and changed the way we listen to music. The original Sony Walkman was a hefty 14 ounces (compared to 1.1 ounces of an iPod Nano) but was so portable people used them when running. Today, nearly a pound of extra weight would be scoffed at by most runners. Sony wasn’t alone with its portable cassette player. Soon there were many knockoffs on the market but none better than the original. Walkman, like Xerox, was a product name that entered our vocabulary not only as an original but also as any comparable item. Your photocopy was called a Xerox no matter whose machine made it. Any personal portable stereo was called a “Walkman.”
Sony wasn’t alone with its portable cassette player. Soon there were many knockoffs on the market but none better than the original. Walkman, like Xerox, was a product name that entered our vocabulary not only as an original but also as any comparable item. Your photocopy was called a Xerox no matter whose machine made it. Any personal portable stereo was called a “Walkman.”
Tuhus-Dubrow takes the reader through the rise and fall of Sony and the era of cassette tapes. A nice contemporary cultural history of something that has become solidly entrenched in our culture. As I am typing this I am listening to Karla Bonoff on my iPhone through Bluetooth headphones. The same artist I would have been listening to doing this at a typewriter with a Walkman thirty-five years ago. Times change, but Personal Stereo shows us that behavior only evolves.
Available September 7, 2017
To Tuesday and so slow
Going down to the old mine with a
Transistor radio
“Brown Eyed Girl”, Van Morrison
Personal Stereo
Personal Stereo by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow is a study of what is now one of the most common devices seen in society. Tuhus-Dubrow is a Contributing Editor at Dissent. She was previously a contributing writer for the Boston Globe’s Ideas section, a columnist for the urban affairs website Next City, and a Journalism and Media Fellow at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
Bloomsbury Academic Press has released a growing series of object lessons over the last few years. These are ordinary items that usually don’t get a second thought. My introduction to the series was Hood a book covering hoods from executioners to hoodies. In this edition, the book took me back to my discovery of music. I remember listening to music, football, and AM music on a transistor radio with a single ear bud. The mono earphone jack allowed the listener keep one ear on the music and the other on the world around them.
The Walkman brought a change. It was stereo and it let the listener chose what he or she listened to. Long before Napster and Pirate Bay people pirated music by copying vinyl records to cassette and trading with friends. This later evolved into the 80s mixed tapes which were given to special friends. Cassette tapes were the MP3s, or rather the removable storage of the day; stereos even had a side by side cassette players to copy music from one tape to another. Music became personal and portable. The Walkman offered another layer of personalization. You could listen to your music anywhere without disturbing others around you. Stereo headphones completed your privacy as you could block out the world around you with tinny sounding headphone speakers covered in a removable foam sock set over your ear.
Today, this is all too common with iPods and now with phones taking the place of the Walkman. Just glance around a commuter train or a bus and see how many people have earbuds in their ears. Previously, when trapped in a window seat a simple “Excuse me” was enough to signal to the person in the aisle seat that it was your stop. Today usually a tap on the shoulder is needed to bring that person back into the world.
Personal Stereo is the history of a device that had no original market (a cassette player that did not record) yet caught on and changed the way we listen to music. The original Sony Walkman was a hefty 14 ounces (compared to 1.1 ounces of an iPod Nano) but was so portable people used them when running. Today, nearly a pound of extra weight would be scoffed at by most runners. Sony wasn’t alone with its portable cassette player. Soon there were many knockoffs on the market but none better than the original. Walkman, like Xerox, was a product name that entered our vocabulary not only as an original but also as any comparable item. Your photocopy was called a Xerox no matter whose machine made it. Any personal portable stereo was called a “Walkman.”
Sony wasn’t alone with its portable cassette player. Soon there were many knockoffs on the market but none better than the original. Walkman, like Xerox, was a product name that entered our vocabulary not only as an original but also as any comparable item. Your photocopy was called a Xerox no matter whose machine made it. Any personal portable stereo was called a “Walkman.”
Tuhus-Dubrow takes the reader through the rise and fall of Sony and the era of cassette tapes. A nice contemporary cultural history of something that has become solidly entrenched in our culture. As I am typing this I am listening to Karla Bonoff on my iPhone through Bluetooth headphones. The same artist I would have been listening to doing this at a typewriter with a Walkman thirty-five years ago. Times change, but Personal Stereo shows us that behavior only evolves.
Available September 7, 2017
May 28, 2025
"Object Lessons is a series of concise, collectable, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things... Featuring contributions from writers, artists, scholars, journalists, and others, the emphasis throughout is lucid writing, imagination, and brevity. Object Lessons paints a picture of the world around us, and tells the story of how we got here, one object at a time."
-Bloomsbury
Author Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow introduces us to the history of the personal stereo or, more specifically, the Sony Walkman. We begin with the fascinating story of Sony and its founders, Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka. Their dream and vision helped transform Sony into the technological juggernaut that it is today. But there is another story that goes alongside the growth of Sony. The story of the personal stereo beings, more or less, with the Sony Walkman. It was the first mass produced, commercially viable personal stereo systems on the market, and it changed the way people think about the world. Tuhus-Dubrow quotes interviews and statements from average people, journalists, and scholars at the time demonstrating the cultural divide that the Walkman brought into mainstream discussion. To put it simply, one side saw people proclaiming that the Sony Walkman freed people from having to suffer through noisy environments, unwanted conversations from strangers, and even gave them a sense of tranquility that they had not otherwise experienced. On the other side, people feared that the isolating experience of listening to music on a personal stereo out in public would perpetuate a continuing descent into a more insular and selfish world—a world where people no longer built healthy connections with their communities in public and everyone retreated into their own mental spaces. The funny thing is, as Tuhus-Dubrow points out, these same discussions have only become more relevant in the internet and smartphone age.
Personal Stereo is a great little book that aims straight for the core pieces of the history, socioeconomic, and cultural impact of the personal stereo system. It is both concise, thoughtful, and an excellent installment in the Object Lessons series. I highly recommend it.
-Bloomsbury
Author Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow introduces us to the history of the personal stereo or, more specifically, the Sony Walkman. We begin with the fascinating story of Sony and its founders, Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka. Their dream and vision helped transform Sony into the technological juggernaut that it is today. But there is another story that goes alongside the growth of Sony. The story of the personal stereo beings, more or less, with the Sony Walkman. It was the first mass produced, commercially viable personal stereo systems on the market, and it changed the way people think about the world. Tuhus-Dubrow quotes interviews and statements from average people, journalists, and scholars at the time demonstrating the cultural divide that the Walkman brought into mainstream discussion. To put it simply, one side saw people proclaiming that the Sony Walkman freed people from having to suffer through noisy environments, unwanted conversations from strangers, and even gave them a sense of tranquility that they had not otherwise experienced. On the other side, people feared that the isolating experience of listening to music on a personal stereo out in public would perpetuate a continuing descent into a more insular and selfish world—a world where people no longer built healthy connections with their communities in public and everyone retreated into their own mental spaces. The funny thing is, as Tuhus-Dubrow points out, these same discussions have only become more relevant in the internet and smartphone age.
Personal Stereo is a great little book that aims straight for the core pieces of the history, socioeconomic, and cultural impact of the personal stereo system. It is both concise, thoughtful, and an excellent installment in the Object Lessons series. I highly recommend it.
July 3, 2022
Bloomsbury Academic Press has released a series of "Object Lessons" over the last few years that are books on items that have less significance these days or have lost their charm in time but some of us might experience the same amount of nostalgia about many of these "objects" whenever we see one of them.
This is my first reading in the Object Lessons series and it's about the famously known device that ran on batteries for decades until in the previous decade replaced by the iPod. Yes, I am talking about the Walkman or some prefer to call it a personal stereo. Written by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, Personal Stereo is all about the handheld device that ran a cassette tape, with play, pause and forward and backward buttons. Starting from the post World War II Japan where one can find the origins of this device as well as the famous Sony Outlook that changed the public outlook and access towards music forever.
Rebecca's study starts from Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita both who co-founded Sony Corporation along with the history of their famous product, Walkman. Along with the nostalgia that comes from the reminding oneself of dear past activities or objects that one could relate to, a reader can feel it with the writer. She goes on to discuss the cultural points that make this handheld device unique and acceptable over various part of the world for decades whereas the employees of Sony Corporation at the time of the Walkman's origin felt to be absurd and a crazy idea that would lead to failure, a belief that did not share similar outcome in reality.
Author's descriptive manner implying the nature and working of the device and her own experience with it, certainly indulges the reader deeply with the context. She takes the reader through the rise and fall of Sony and the era of cassette tapes. It's a quick read and for someone who has been the owner of such a device will feel the essence of the fond memories of wearing up a set of foamy headphones.
4 out of 5!
This is my first reading in the Object Lessons series and it's about the famously known device that ran on batteries for decades until in the previous decade replaced by the iPod. Yes, I am talking about the Walkman or some prefer to call it a personal stereo. Written by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, Personal Stereo is all about the handheld device that ran a cassette tape, with play, pause and forward and backward buttons. Starting from the post World War II Japan where one can find the origins of this device as well as the famous Sony Outlook that changed the public outlook and access towards music forever.
Rebecca's study starts from Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita both who co-founded Sony Corporation along with the history of their famous product, Walkman. Along with the nostalgia that comes from the reminding oneself of dear past activities or objects that one could relate to, a reader can feel it with the writer. She goes on to discuss the cultural points that make this handheld device unique and acceptable over various part of the world for decades whereas the employees of Sony Corporation at the time of the Walkman's origin felt to be absurd and a crazy idea that would lead to failure, a belief that did not share similar outcome in reality.
Author's descriptive manner implying the nature and working of the device and her own experience with it, certainly indulges the reader deeply with the context. She takes the reader through the rise and fall of Sony and the era of cassette tapes. It's a quick read and for someone who has been the owner of such a device will feel the essence of the fond memories of wearing up a set of foamy headphones.
4 out of 5!
July 23, 2017
Bloomsbury Academic Press has released a series of "Object Lessons" over the last few years that are books on items that have less significance these days or have lost their charm in time but some of us might experience the same amount of nostalgia about many of these "objects" whenever we see one of them.
This is my first reading in the Object Lessons series and it's about the famously known device that ran on batteries for decades until in the previous decade replaced by the iPod. Yes, I am talking about the Walkman or some prefer to call it a personal stereo. Written by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, Personal Stereo is all about the handheld device that ran a cassette tape, with play, pause and forward and backward buttons. Starting from the post World War II Japan where one can find the origins of this device as well as the famous Sony Outlook that changed the public outlook and access towards music forever.
Rebecca's study starts from Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita both who co-founded Sony Corporation along with the history of their famous product, Walkman. Along with the nostalgia that comes from the reminding oneself of dear past activities or objects that one could relate to, a reader can feel it with the writer. She goes on to discuss the cultural points that make this handheld device unique and acceptable over various part of the world for decades whereas the employees of Sony Corporation at the time of the Walkman's origin felt to be absurd and a crazy idea that would lead to failure, a belief that did not share similar outcome in reality.
Author's descriptive manner implying the nature and working of the device and her own experience with it, certainly indulges the reader deeply with the context. She takes the reader through the rise and fall of Sony and the era of cassette tapes. It's a quick read and for someone who has been the owner of such a device will feel the essence of the fond memories of wearing up a set of foamy headphones.
4 out of 5!
This is my first reading in the Object Lessons series and it's about the famously known device that ran on batteries for decades until in the previous decade replaced by the iPod. Yes, I am talking about the Walkman or some prefer to call it a personal stereo. Written by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, Personal Stereo is all about the handheld device that ran a cassette tape, with play, pause and forward and backward buttons. Starting from the post World War II Japan where one can find the origins of this device as well as the famous Sony Outlook that changed the public outlook and access towards music forever.
Rebecca's study starts from Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita both who co-founded Sony Corporation along with the history of their famous product, Walkman. Along with the nostalgia that comes from the reminding oneself of dear past activities or objects that one could relate to, a reader can feel it with the writer. She goes on to discuss the cultural points that make this handheld device unique and acceptable over various part of the world for decades whereas the employees of Sony Corporation at the time of the Walkman's origin felt to be absurd and a crazy idea that would lead to failure, a belief that did not share similar outcome in reality.
Author's descriptive manner implying the nature and working of the device and her own experience with it, certainly indulges the reader deeply with the context. She takes the reader through the rise and fall of Sony and the era of cassette tapes. It's a quick read and for someone who has been the owner of such a device will feel the essence of the fond memories of wearing up a set of foamy headphones.
4 out of 5!
May 23, 2017
From Netgalley for Review
I have an enormous amount of nostalgic fondness for the Walkman, being a child of the 80s and 90s I remember the first time I used one and discovered the unadulterated joy of blocking out the anxiety of the surrounding world...I was very young but fell in love instantly. I remember staying up late on Friday nights to record my favorite 80s songs off of Friday Night 80s and planning the perfect tape collection (and calculating all the batteries I would need) for the yearly road trip, and of course all the music I would listen to while I worked with my parents. My little personal stereo was a solace in my younger days, I even preferred it to the much coveted portable CD player because on the bumpy long bus trips to school my Walkman didn't skip like the CD player.
I remember the soul-crushing dread of the tape being eaten or batteries finally dying, now my worry is my phone won't get a good wifi signal for Pandora or I can't fit all my music on my mp3 player...what a charmed life I live!
This book was a great trip into nostalgia and gave me a historical context for the much-loved machine, learning more about one of the staples of my youth and how it impacted the rest of the world was truly fascinating!
I have an enormous amount of nostalgic fondness for the Walkman, being a child of the 80s and 90s I remember the first time I used one and discovered the unadulterated joy of blocking out the anxiety of the surrounding world...I was very young but fell in love instantly. I remember staying up late on Friday nights to record my favorite 80s songs off of Friday Night 80s and planning the perfect tape collection (and calculating all the batteries I would need) for the yearly road trip, and of course all the music I would listen to while I worked with my parents. My little personal stereo was a solace in my younger days, I even preferred it to the much coveted portable CD player because on the bumpy long bus trips to school my Walkman didn't skip like the CD player.
I remember the soul-crushing dread of the tape being eaten or batteries finally dying, now my worry is my phone won't get a good wifi signal for Pandora or I can't fit all my music on my mp3 player...what a charmed life I live!
This book was a great trip into nostalgia and gave me a historical context for the much-loved machine, learning more about one of the staples of my youth and how it impacted the rest of the world was truly fascinating!
June 24, 2018
Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow’s exploration of and meditation on the humble Walkman is a wonderful little volume.
It’s the perfect length—short, sweet and thoughtful, musing on the history and impact of the world-changing little cassette playing device.
She doesn’t fetishize or wax clinical about it, but balances the history of technological progress with insights into our pop cultural evolution. Having lived through the sea change and the eventual introduction and ubiquity of pocket-sized devices, I really appreciated her concise thoughts and delving into what it all might mean. The book is no more and no less, which kind of makes it like the perfect mix tape.
Highly recommended to students of culture and those fascinated by analog eras, and anyone who remembers the joys of high-speed dubbing.
It’s the perfect length—short, sweet and thoughtful, musing on the history and impact of the world-changing little cassette playing device.
She doesn’t fetishize or wax clinical about it, but balances the history of technological progress with insights into our pop cultural evolution. Having lived through the sea change and the eventual introduction and ubiquity of pocket-sized devices, I really appreciated her concise thoughts and delving into what it all might mean. The book is no more and no less, which kind of makes it like the perfect mix tape.
Highly recommended to students of culture and those fascinated by analog eras, and anyone who remembers the joys of high-speed dubbing.
April 2, 2018
This is a good overview of what a lot of us who study the mediation of music since the late-20th century probably already know. There were a few really interesting tidbits in here (especially as regards the history of Sony); however, most of what Tuhus-Dubrow offers will appeal to non-scholars, and I suppose that's the point of the series. (Is it?) I wish that reading this had felt a little less like a trip through the last few decades of sound studies rather than a generalist or even creative view of the personal stereo (which is what I'd hoped this volume would be). I kept thinking of everyone else I know who has already made similar points about music and mobility, which was distracting to say the least. Maybe I'm the wrong audience for this?
November 4, 2017
These Object Lesson manuals are packed with interesting facts and information for such a small book.
This one is no exception.
My memories of my personal stereo are ones of joy and frustration.
Joy that I could take my music anywhere and know that I wouldn't disturb anyone, although initially I was worried that the music would "leak" out and frustration that the tapes would sometimes come unwound and get stuck in the machine.
I've ruined a few tapes in my time!
Very highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by Bloomsbury Academic via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review, which I am very happy to give.
This one is no exception.
My memories of my personal stereo are ones of joy and frustration.
Joy that I could take my music anywhere and know that I wouldn't disturb anyone, although initially I was worried that the music would "leak" out and frustration that the tapes would sometimes come unwound and get stuck in the machine.
I've ruined a few tapes in my time!
Very highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by Bloomsbury Academic via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review, which I am very happy to give.
December 4, 2020
This is an exquisite little book. I love the concept of the series, focusing a small book on an unusual topic, and this is a perfect little meditation on the Sony Walkman. I love the look back at when it was revolutionary, what it was like when it was king, and how we look back on it now. I definitely feel the pull to be nostalgic for a time when music listening was, by necessity, more limited and focused and difficult, but she cuts with good points like “there’s something icky...about being nostalgic for a slightly earlier iteration of consumer capitalism.” A lovely little book and I look forward to digging up more from the series.
August 25, 2020
A very light read, a very short book, well written. Nothing extraordinary about it: a snapshot of the Walkman, very brief history, with a dollop of cultural analysis. Part of the Object Lessons series. The books in the series are supposed to be about "the hidden lives of ordinary things" and promoted as being little jewels of presentation and graphics. False, at least as far as Personal Stereo is concerned. It contains little black-and-white photos that are abysmally reproduced; you can't even make out what is in one the photographs, so poorly is it reproduced!
September 19, 2017
I loved this book! Although I know the author, and read it initially because of that connection, I still expected it to be relatively narrow in scope and mental impact. I was wrong. It's wonderfully written, held my attention the whole way through, and mixed compelling anecdotes with a common thread that culminated in a new understanding of technological progress and how it shapes experience, memories, and overall world view.
February 21, 2018
This book accomplishes a lot in the short time it takes to read. It reminds readers (or informs them) of just how revolutionary the Walkman experience was, and how much it anticipated today's conversations about technology and personal space. I reviewed Personal Stereo for The Current.
October 17, 2017
A fascinating addition to the always interesting and enlightening Object Lessons series. The personal stereo explored and examined from its invention to its implications to its design. Everything you could ever want to know about this small device that revolutionised the way we listen to music and spoken word.
September 23, 2019
It took me a long time to get through this, which is silly because it is so short. At times I felt like it could have been shorter, but I also appreciated that it didn't try to be longer -- it stayed focused on several themes and moved through them after carefully introducing them to start. It had occasional pithy quotes, and made me consider (again) my own relationship to music through devices.
November 16, 2022
Interesting short read for music fans. Paired with B-52s Wild Planet for a friend book club. Appreciated the author’s notes about how the Walkman allowed us to be intentional with listening and listen to a record the way the musician intended us to. I wonder how much musicians consider song order now on an album?
January 20, 2025
This was excellent! It brings in just the right vibe and combination of facts, history, personal stories, humor, and nostalgia. I never owned a Sony Walkman, but in the late 80s had an off-brand model; I remember feeling frustrated at how quickly it ate up batteries! Haha
April 5, 2018
A wonderful treatise on listening to music and the changes around it in the last 35 years or so. A delightful read.
July 31, 2018
I am in love with this little book. It really makes you think about how one invention can spark ideas that eventually roll into the future. A must read for music lovers, millennials, and the like.
March 15, 2019
Underholdende, men den skraper vel mye på overflaten. Liker egentlig best partiet om Sonys historie og selve utviklingen av Walkman.
August 2, 2017
This was a lovely, short read that divulged a large amount of information that I never realised I was missing.
As a child of the 90s, the Walkman was already a cemented proposition by the time I was a teenager and my abiding memory is of a portable CD player as opposed to the old tapes. As a result I was unaware of a completely fascinating cultural revolution which preceded me.
The book is really enjoyable, tracking the progress of music as a collective experience to a personal one through the development of personal stereos, while acknowledging the interruption this created for the culture of the time. The background story of SONY added a lot to the story also- though I knew the company was a big name in the market, I didn't realise that they originated the personal stereo.
The author shows a sense of nostalgia which is relateable even for someone who missed the beginning of the revolution, which made for a really pleasant read. Super interesting.
As a child of the 90s, the Walkman was already a cemented proposition by the time I was a teenager and my abiding memory is of a portable CD player as opposed to the old tapes. As a result I was unaware of a completely fascinating cultural revolution which preceded me.
The book is really enjoyable, tracking the progress of music as a collective experience to a personal one through the development of personal stereos, while acknowledging the interruption this created for the culture of the time. The background story of SONY added a lot to the story also- though I knew the company was a big name in the market, I didn't realise that they originated the personal stereo.
The author shows a sense of nostalgia which is relateable even for someone who missed the beginning of the revolution, which made for a really pleasant read. Super interesting.
September 18, 2017
Recensione
Review
Personal Stereo ripercorre un momento della rivoluzione musicale, ovvero il passaggio dalla musica collettiva a un ascolto personale, grazie all'invenzione del Walkman da parte della Sony.
Il libro ripercorre quindi da una parte la storia dell'invenzione - a partire dalla nascita della Sony nel primo dopoguerra in Giappone, e dall'altra le implicazioni sociali dell'invenzione stessa.
Lettura decisamente interessante, la parte che ho preferito è quella relativa alla Sony e ai suoi promotori, e al lancio sul mercato del Walkman.
Ringrazio l’editore per avermi fornito la copia necessaria per scrivere questa recensione.
Review
Personal Stereo ripercorre un momento della rivoluzione musicale, ovvero il passaggio dalla musica collettiva a un ascolto personale, grazie all'invenzione del Walkman da parte della Sony.
Il libro ripercorre quindi da una parte la storia dell'invenzione - a partire dalla nascita della Sony nel primo dopoguerra in Giappone, e dall'altra le implicazioni sociali dell'invenzione stessa.
Lettura decisamente interessante, la parte che ho preferito è quella relativa alla Sony e ai suoi promotori, e al lancio sul mercato del Walkman.
Ringrazio l’editore per avermi fornito la copia necessaria per scrivere questa recensione.
January 26, 2025
I was over the moon when I realized that this was a non-fiction book! Some unexpected history here. Part of me wants to own every book in this series because it is so interesting. On the other hand, it was hard to find the motivation to read this, partly due to the size and shape. It might be different about another subject.
January 6, 2020
I’m sure that anyone from my generation (I’ll be 40 in November) can remember their first Walkman. In my case I received a Sony Walkman in 1991, however it kept eating my tapes until Christmas 1995, when I received a Fenner Walkman, which I used until 2006.
Personal Stereo forms part of Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series, where an author focuses on a seemingly banal item but is really a trivia goldmine. Personal Stereo is no exception.
In the book Tuhus-Dubrow chronicles the development of the Walkman, it’s cultural impact and it’s decline via the MP3 player (which is on the decline as well) It’s all interesting but the main message is that the Walkman and its successors made music an insular experience, rather than a social one. There were a LOT of things I didn’t know so reading this little book made me feel a bit knowledgeable as well.
Will I check out other books in the series? definitely! but just a couple.
What about your Walkman memories – do you have any?
Personal Stereo forms part of Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series, where an author focuses on a seemingly banal item but is really a trivia goldmine. Personal Stereo is no exception.
In the book Tuhus-Dubrow chronicles the development of the Walkman, it’s cultural impact and it’s decline via the MP3 player (which is on the decline as well) It’s all interesting but the main message is that the Walkman and its successors made music an insular experience, rather than a social one. There were a LOT of things I didn’t know so reading this little book made me feel a bit knowledgeable as well.
Will I check out other books in the series? definitely! but just a couple.
What about your Walkman memories – do you have any?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews