In the following keynote address given at Baylor University, author Paul Levinson discusses Canadian philosopher and academic Marshall McLuhan's seminal book, "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man," which proposed that the media--not the content that they carry-- affects the society in which it plays a role and, thus, should be the focus of study.

Levinson, a colleague of McLuhan’s, lays out, how in the decades since its 1964 publication, McLuhan’s study of media theory and the concept that "the medium is the message," still holds true.

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AUTHOR
Paul Levinson writes science fiction, sf/mystery and popular and scholarly non-fiction. The Silk Code won the Locus award for Best First Novel of 1999. His novel The Consciousness Plague won the 2003 Mary Shelley Award for outstanding Fictional Work. Paul, who has published more than 25 science fiction stories, is the Chair of the Communications and Media Studies Department at Fordham University.

NARRATORS
Paul Levinson writes science fiction, sf/mystery and popular and scholarly non-fiction. The Silk Code won the Locus award for Best First Novel of 1999. His novel The Consciousness Plague won the 2003 Mary Shelley Award for outstanding Fictional Work. Paul, who has published more than 25 science fiction stories, is the Chair of the Communications and Media Studies Department at Fordham University.