Paul Heyer has written an excellent introduction to [Innis's] books. His overviews of Innis's writings are clear, concise, and instructive. They should pique the interest of budding scholars and perhaps even sharpen the perceptions and understandings of veteran students of communications. The strength of Heyer's commentary is that it places Innis's contribution to communications theory in context. With Heyer as a guide, a student interested in Innis's profound contribution to our understanding of the pervasive influence of communications upon human cultures should be able to navigate through the rocks and shoals of his turgid prose.

Technology and Culture

With Harold Innis, Paul Heyer provides us with the first comprehensive intellectual biography of this seminal figure in media studies. This is a deeply researched and gracefully written book that traces Innis's extraordinary evolution as a thinker, from his groundbreaking works in political economy through his later pioneering efforts at understanding the social and cultural impact of new communications media throughout history. Heyer demonstrates the enormous influence that Innis has had over the last half century of media studies, and this book persuasively shows how Innis's legacy continues to inform and inspire contemporary historians, critics, and theorists.

Daniel J. Czitrom, Mount Holyoke College