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The Disappearance of Childhood (Paperback)

by Neil Postman (Author) "As I write, twelve- and thirteen-year-old girls are among the highest-paid models in America ..." (more)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.50
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Frequently Bought Together

The Disappearance of Childhood + The Story of Childhood: Growing Up in Modern Britain + Toxic Childhood: How The Modern World Is Damaging Our Children And What We Can Do About It
Price For All Three: £17.71

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Product details

  • Paperback: 177 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage Books; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition (1 Jan 1996)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0679751661
  • ISBN-13: 978-0679751663
  • Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.5 x 2.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 24,958 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #59 in  Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Psychology & Psychiatry > Social & Developmental Psychology > Child & Developmental

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Product Description

Synopsis

Argues that the intrusion of television into every home introduces children too early to adult concepts and activities and subverts their ability to think abstractly, and the very concept of childhood is being destroyed.
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As I write, twelve- and thirteen-year-old girls are among the highest-paid models in America. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Disappearance of Childhood
62% buy the item featured on this page:
The Disappearance of Childhood 4.8 out of 5 stars (4)
£5.97
The Story of Childhood: Growing Up in Modern Britain
12% buy
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A Good Childhood: Searching for Values in a Competitive Age
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A Good Childhood: Searching for Values in a Competitive Age 4.3 out of 5 stars (15)
£5.98
Toxic Childhood: How The Modern World Is Damaging Our Children And What We Can Do About It
10% buy
Toxic Childhood: How The Modern World Is Damaging Our Children And What We Can Do About It 4.3 out of 5 stars (13)
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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4 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Is this a classic? No? Well, it deserves to be. , 11 Mar 2007
By John Williams (Llansadwrn, Wales/Cymru) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
I bought this book together with 'Toxic Childhood' by Sue Palmer. They are a well matched, complementary pair. Whereas Palmer's book is a 'how to' manual on the pitfalls of bringing up children in a society that is inimical to their well being and proper development, and contains lots of useful advice for parents and other adults, Postman's book provides a theoretical rationale for Palmer's viewpoint. Anyone who, on reading Palmer's book, is tempted to write her of as an illiberal fuddy-duddy should read Postman. 'The Disappearance of Childhood' was first published a quarter of a century ago, but is becoming (sadly) more up to date with every passing day. It's hard to pick any holes in this erudite and stylish account of how our social construction of childhood arrived with the printing press in the sixteenth century and is now being ushered out by twentieth century modes of electronic communication, leaving us with a society bereft of any special attitude towards children, a society that harks back to the dark and middle ages. The main culprit (of course) is television, but this is not just a rant against 'dumbing down'. (No, really; you'll just have to read it yourself.) As interesting as Postman's views on the 'adultification' of children is his notion of the 'childification' of adults. No-one can explain this better than Postman himself, so do give it a go. Even if you don't agree with everything Postman says, even if you find some of your own cherished ideas and values under attack, at least you won't be bored.
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43 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars PHEW:I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE, 6 Nov 2000
In Postman's book you will find the substance behind the phrase my parents' peers use constantly: it was never like that in my day. Said with a shake of the head over the dress sense of the average pre-pubescent girl it may sound like just another bit of grown-up nonsense but thought out and presented in the way Postman does in The Disappearance of Childhood it suddenly becomes terrifying. Childhood is on the endangered list. Postman charts the emergence of childhood alongside the invention of printing. He describes childhood as being a place cut off from the secrets of the printed world. If children know what adults know then there is nothing to distinguish between them. Read it to find out what let the cat out of the bag and perhaps a hint about how to put it back in again.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Appearance of the Reality of Childhood, 1 Sep 2006
I am writing this review whilst half way through the book. You are lucky that I have got the time to do this. This book is truly engaging and absorbs you into it. The strongest line being, 'Children are what we send as living examples to a time we do not get to see.' I think that is what we need to pay heed to. We were once chidlren and we will likely have children at some point in our life and the reality is, children are a symbol of innocence and require relevant nurturing & upbringing & protection to reach their full potential. This book aims more to discuss the history and the current situation of the concept of Childhood, a awesome read even for those not interested in the topic of 'Childhood.'
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4.0 out of 5 stars Dated, but still inspiring as the decline continues
Though this book was written about twenty years ago - and therefore riddled with outdated media references - its ideas are thought-provoking and as relevant today as they were on... Read more
Published 9 months ago by E. Potten

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