Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction by Robert Lumley Part One: Mass Culture: Apocalypse Postponed 1 Apocalyptic and Integrated Intellectuals: Mass communications and theories of mass culture 2 The World of Charlie Brown 3 Reactions of Apocalyptic and Integrated Intellectuals: Then (1964) 4 Reactions of the Author: Now (1974 and 1977) 5 Orwell, or Concerning Visionary Power 6 The Future of Literacy Part Two: Mass Media and the Limits of Communication 1 Political Language: The use and abuse of rhetoric 2 Does the Audience have Bad Effects on Television? 3 Event as Mise en scene and Life as Scene-setting 4 The Phantom of Neo-TV: The debate on FelliniOs Ginger and Fred Part Three: The Rise and Fall of Counter-cultures 1 Does Counter-culture Exist? 2 The New Forms of Expression 3 On Chinese Comic Strips: Counter-information and alternative information 4 Independent Radio in Italy 5 Striking at the Heart of the State? Part Four: In Search of Italian Genius 1 Phenomena of This Sort Must Also be Included in Any Panorama of Italian Design 2 A Dollar for a Deputy: La Cicciolina 3 For Grace Received 4 The Italian Genius Industry Index

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Brilliant, wide-ranging cultural criticism by Umberto Eco.

About the Author

Umberto Eco (1932-2016) was an Italian novelist, medievalist, semiotician, philosopher, and literary critic. He is the author of several bestselling novels, including The Name of The Rose, Foucault's Pendulum, The Island of The Day Before, and Baudolino. His collections of essays include Five Moral Pieces, Kant and the Platypus, Serendipities, Travels In Hyperreality, and How To Travel With a Salmon and Other Essays.