A collection of Umberto Eco's essays on mass culture from the 1960s through the 1980s, including major pieces published in English. Organized into four main parts, these essays look at a variety of topics and cultural productions, including the world of Charlie Brown, distinctions between highbrow and lowbrow, the future of literacy, and more.

Acknowledgments Introduction by Robert Lumley Part One: Mass Culture: Apocalypse Postponed 1 Apocalyptic and Integrated Intellectuals: Mass communications and theories of mass culture 2 The World of Charlie Brown 3 Reactions of Apocalyptic and Integrated Intellectuals: Then (1964) 4 Reactions of the Author: Now (1974 and 1977) 5 Orwell, or Concerning Visionary Power 6 The Future of Literacy Part Two: Mass Media and the Limits of Communication 1 Political Language: The use and abuse of rhetoric 2 Does the Audience have Bad Effects on Television? 3 Event as Mise en scene and Life as Scene-setting 4 The Phantom of Neo-TV: The debate on FelliniOs Ginger and Fred Part Three: The Rise and Fall of Counter-cultures 1 Does Counter-culture Exist? 2 The New Forms of Expression 3 On Chinese Comic Strips: Counter-information and alternative information 4 Independent Radio in Italy 5 Striking at the Heart of the State? Part Four: In Search of Italian Genius 1 Phenomena of This Sort Must Also be Included in Any Panorama of Italian Design 2 A Dollar for a Deputy: La Cicciolina 3 For Grace Received 4 The Italian Genius Industry Index