Publisher's Synopsis
Schell is writing in time, placing events in their historical context and casting an eye to the future. Another thread that runs through the book is the virtual takeover of politics by the burgeoning techniques of communication. Schell chronicles the changes engendered by modern methods of mass communication and the dangers posed by the passive system of representation these methods encourage. Schell's questions, and proffered answers, reveal how critical a journalist's analysis of events is to a healthy political sensibility for the country.