The most comprehensive survey of Polish history available in English; God's Playground demonstrates Poland's importance in European history from medieval times to the present. Abandoning the traditional nationalist approach to Polish history; Norman Davies instead stresses the country's rich multinational heritage and places the development of the Jewish German; Ukrainian; and Lithuanian communities firmly within the Polish context.Davies emphasizes the cultural history of Poland through a presentation of extensive poetical; literary; and documentary texts in English translation. In each volume; chronological chapters of political narrative are interspersed with essays on religious; social; economic; constitutional; philosophical; and diplomatic themes. This new edition has been revised and fully updated with two new chapters to bring the story to the end of the twentieth century.
#1706624 in Books Ronald Deibert 1997-04-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.05 x .75 x 6.01l; 1.05 #File Name: 0231107137334 pagesParchment Printing and Hypermedia Communication and World Order Transformation
Review
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Haven't read - didn't need....By AnnieDidn't end up needing this book as my class got cancelled - the book came in 2 days; as expected from Prime and in great condition so I would do business with this seller again but as for the book; I am not sure as I haven't read it and don't intend to as my class was cancelled so I took something else instead. Now I'm stuck with this book and three others that I purchased for the class that never took place!! ugh!0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good Read Informative TooBy Pat MundayI first used Deibert's text in a course some years ago; recently found it on my shelf reread it.It's a good; solid; authoritative history of communication in Western Culture. Deibert commands a range of sources from Elizabeth Eisenstein to Kenneth Gergen; and he does it in three ways that make the book work for popular audiences:(1) Though Deibert has the academic chops; he does not write like most academics. The book is readable with little jargon and with a well-woven synthetic approach. Even my undergrads -- who generally hate to read ANYTHING -- liked the book and had no trouble understanding it;(2) Deibert connects the "internal" history of communication with ways in which communication shapes our identity--think Martin Luther's subversive message or postmodern "imagined communities" on the web; and(3) The book has a thematic glue -- "medium theory" -- that binds the story together. This McLuhanesque approach; even if you disagree with it; is clearly stated in ways that you can test against your own understanding and experience.Parchment; Printing; and Hypermedia was originally published in 1997 and has not been re-issued. Still; it has not been superseded by another work on this topic.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Wonderfully richBy A CustomerThis book is a stellar contribution to the understanding of how communication technologies affect world politics. Its rich in historical detail; wonderfully well written; and provocative in its conclusion. A must read.
