近些年，美国在全球的影响力日渐受到挑战，而在文化领域。曾经被美国电影电视剧、流行音乐和MTV塑造的美国自由民主的光辉形象，却因为影片中的性和暴力程度增加、音乐中的粗口而不断引起世界各国家、各民族的反感和抗议。 对此，作为好莱坞的顶级制作人、前美国总统克林顿和新任美国总统奥巴马的公共关系顾问，本书作者之一的迈克·麦德沃预测，随着技术的发展，金融资本市场的全球化，世界各国的文化产业已经都被驱赶到了一个透明的、唯一的、广大的舞台上共同竞技。而在大规模热战基本失去可能性之后，现代国家形象间的对峙主要是文化的对峙。因此，当空洞乏味的所谓大片充斥各大院线，当盲目迎合观众的低俗搞笑成了主流文化，如何重拾自由文明的价值观，弥补文化之间的知识鸿沟，将成为未来媒体发展与整合的目标，也将成为各国打造文化软实力、制定正确公共外交政策的方向。

Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman's groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century. Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media—from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs—it has taken on even greater significance. <i>Amusing Ourselves to Death</i> is a prophetic look at what happens when politics, journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands of entertainment. It is also a blueprint for regaining controlof our media, so that they can serve our highest goals.