Forward Through the Rearview Mirror: Reflections on and by Marshall McLuhan

by Paul Benedetti (Editor), Nancy DeHart (Editor)

Communications thinker and prophet Marshall McLuhan gave us the phrases "the medium is the message" and "global village". Today, with the explosion of electronic technologies and on-line communication, his ideas are more relevant than ever. Forward Through the Rearview Mirror is an evocative and visually exciting exploration of McLuhan's life and work in the context of the information age. The book consists of short prose passages, aphorisms, interviews, letters, and dialogues by McLuhan—many never before published—interwoven with biographical text by his biographer Philip Marchand and commentary by such cultural critics as Louis Rossetto, Neil Postman, Camille Paglia, and Lewis Lapham.The book is organized into four Global Village and Identity, Medium is the Message, and Extensions of Man. In keeping with McLuhan's style of speaking and writing, the text consists of a series of brief entries, ranging in length from a single line to a page. The entries have been selected and positioned so that they can be read consecutively as a narrative or randomly as individual ideas. Throughout, the material by McLuhan appears in a different typeface and color from the material by others, to make the two clearly distinguishable. Part book, part magazine, part storyboard, this multidimensional look at the ideas and life of the patron saint of Wired magazine will appeal to anyone interested in technology, contemporary thought, and popular culture.

Genres: Philosophy, Psychology, Nonfiction, Biography, Technology, Theory

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 1996

Reviews

[Antonis Moras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, 90s MIT press, i guess that's all to say

[I.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a primer to his thoughts and words but a good one with commentary and photos. It’s still a jumping off point rather than a definitive look.

[Catwalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use this book as a sampler, poking into it every now and again to read an entry or two.

[Jonn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great brief visual-collage intro to McLuhan, a combination of quotes from him and quotes about him from friends and students along with a basic timeline of his life.

[K.P. Ambroziak · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Loss of identity is something that happens in rapid change. But everybody at the speed of light tends to become a nobody. This is what’s called the masked man. The masked man has no identity. He is so deeply involved in other people that he doesn’t have any personal identity."

Frightening. Identity loss occurs when we no longer attach a real live body to the image or written words being communicated, when we no longer take responsibility for what we put out into our community. With almost complete anonymity, a person can create a username, use a p.o. box address, and a prepaid cell phone number to fully function in society. We are no longer individuals, but PIN numbers and passwords.

"The electric surround of information that has tended to make man a superman at the same time reduces him into a pretty pitiable nobody by merging him with everybody. It has extended man in a colossal superhuman way, but it has not made individuals feel important."

The rise and fall of fame for the "individual anybody" through Internet videos and web presence brings about this sort of human dissolution -- from superman to pitiable nobody in nanoseconds. When anyone can expose themselves on a global scale, the significance of individuality becomes neutralized by the very notion that where there is one there are always 1,000,000 more to come.

And yet the acceptance and endorsement of such an unexceptional existence is made possible by the fact that while living this way we are continually entertained and amused by faster forms of technology. There is a cultish, frenzied pursuit for the latest, most innovative, more efficient gadget. Having entertainment in our homes, at our finger tips every waking hour, results in the apathy we need to face the loss of individuality we suffer from using all this technological stuff.

As Neil Postman writes, "Technopoly is a state of culture. It is also a state of mind. It consists in the deification of technology, which means that the culture seeks its authorization in technology, finds its satisfactions in technology, and takes its orders from technology."

As technology in our homes, workplaces, and schools redefines our morals and beliefs, it simultaneously skews our individual perspectives as separate and unique beings. Technology redefines our modes of interaction with one another.

For a fictive utopia like Aldous Huxley's, it was the invention of the automobile that spurred on the societal revolution. For most of the world today, it is the advent of the Internet -- the host of instant communication, information sharing, and visual stimulation 24 hours a day. The Internet has far surpassed any change brought forth by television in the homes -- the influx of television may have only prepared the way for the coming of this instantaneity-driven global age. It seems we are trapped in a web of our own making ... aptly named for it.

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. This guy's biggest idea is that rather than being afraid of the media, you should know it and own it. I keep resisting facebook because Im convinced that you cant own that media when it is so flooded. Still, the temptation to join it is probably mainly due to the idea that your persona can take it by storm which is impossible. It's more important what you do with it.
Chapter Sensorium is good. Layering over the female form is a function of "literate" societies and is seen as aesthetically pleasing but functional clothing that reveals form is somehow threatening.
Why is it thought about so much? The right of being a person is that you get to feel something good about the body you have to live in. And apparently, according to Marshall, America is finally learning that the body (and the female body) is a tactile thing and as appealing sheen is, form and sensation are much more satisfying. Then again I kinda disagree with it because a lot of art is covering the starkness of reality with metaphor and beauty, but I like things that look either beautiful or harsh, it doesnt matter, as long as it has meaning. Harsh things in art (and probably life) are interesting to me because they represent a struggle or a conflict that has to be overcome and learnt from. We dont represent this way enough.
And I think this is what the guy is on about...if you focus on the function of technology and its ability to create something other than reality you detract from filling it with potential and your own meaning. Right on.

[Jay Szpirs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat pretentious in it's use of 'arty' layouts, 'Forward...' is nonetheless a complete and engaging tour through McLuhans sometimes obtuse theory and writing. After reading, I felt like I had a solid handle on Marshall's core ideas and theories. The biographical details are interesting and provide useful context but I didn't feel like there was always a match between the theoretical writing, biographical writing, and the pictures.

If you're trying to teach McLuhan, this book could provide some useful material and may be more readable than that writer's own works.

[Inggita · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you know McLuhan then this book is a playful rendition of his theory - it is not a book to be read - it's also to be seen and experienced. it's visually jarring and offers mind-twisting visual puns.