Our next reading will be a couple excerpts from Marshall McLuhan’s influential 1964 book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man.

We’ll read the Introduction, Chapter 1 and Chapter 7, all of which are included in the attached PDF: McLuhan_UnderstandingMedia_exc

Please consider the following questions, then as per our usual, write 3-4 paragraphs considering related ideas:
In Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan describes technology and media as “extensions of man.” How do media extend human beings, or humanity in general? What hazards might technological progress bring for individuals and society? If “the medium is the message,” what role can artists and designers play in creating new ideas? How is the work of a designer subordinate to the media they use to create or distribute information? 

Sidenote: I also highly recommend Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore’s experimental book, The Medium is the Massage. To tell the truth I prefer it over the text we’ll read, but it would be nearly impossible to create a good PDF. It is an incredible example of design and theory merging. Bonus points for anyone who can access a copy and make reference to it your response!