Empire and Communications

Chapter 1 Foreword Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 1 Introduction Chapter 4 2 Egypt Chapter 5 3 Babylonia Chapter 6 4 The Oral Tradition and Greek Civilization Chapter 7 5 The Written Tradition and the Roman Empire Chapter 8 6 Parchment and Paper Chapter 9 7 Paper and the Printing Press

Harold A. Innis taught political economy at the University of Toronto for more than 30 years. He became internationally famous and published a number of influential books. Innis died in 1952. Alexander John Watson is the author of Marginal Man:The Dark Vision of Harold Innis and is the president and CEO of CARE Canada.

I can think of no better inoculation against the rampant disease of present-mindedness in the contemporary world than a careful reading of [Innis's] classic, Empire and Communications. This book was the foundation on which he built his understanding of the contemporary world, in particular his view of the United States of America, its foreign policy, and its effects on other cultures. At the time of Innis's death in 1952, his perspective on the contemporary world seemed radical and far-fetched. When we read his work anew over a distance of more than fifty years, it seems fresh and, indeed, prophetic. -- Alexander John Watson, from the Introduction Innis's writings ... prove understandable and applicable in a variety of modern-day contexts. Technology and Culture, January 2009, Vol. 50 With the benefit of over 50 years of reflection, we can state without opposition that Harold Innis was an important figure in the development of communications studies, and that our students today would do well to read his book, if only to experience the joy of physically grasping and grappling with a difficult publication instead of reading the watered-down version available on Wikipedia. Journal Of International Communication This book teaches us to reflect on how the means and processes of communication have been embedded in imperial power... In a career dedicated to explaining empire, Innis discovered communication and blazed an important trail. The time is ripe to reintroduce and welcome this rewarding book, especially to Innis's [U.S.] neighbors. We live in a moment in which the wages of empire weigh heavily on the world. -- Andrew Calabrese, from the foreword