Television: Innovation, Disruption, and the World's Most Powerful Medium: Volume 1 (The Broadcast Age and the Rise of the Network) Paperback – 8 Aug. 2016

Seth Shapiro's Television: Innovation, Disruption and the World's Most Powerful Medium is a fabulous read on so many levels. If you are a history buff you will enjoy reading it, as it follows the path of television as an offshoot of radio. If you are a TV buff, it will tell you all you ever wanted to know about how the medium we all grew up with changed the world. If you are a baby boomer you will really enjoy a trip down memory lane with all your favorite TV shows and how they came into being. If you are a millennial you'll enjoy the later years. There is something here for everyone, and I am an avid reader, and I still learned things I never knew before.In particular, I loved the format of the book, no long chapters filled with useless and idle data to try to make a book look more impressive than it is. Mr. Shapiro kept the sections short and fact filled, but thorough and very enjoyable. You are able to move on quickly, the only downside being, you finish it quickly and you will want more. I am looking forward to the next two volumes. One of the better books I've read.Mr. Shapiro, thanks so much for a wonderful trip down memory lane. So many things I grew up with and remembered from my youth. I am a New Yorker so I remember when Ernie Kovacs passed away and can still see the picture on the headlines of the Daily News. I remember watching the moon landing, Kennedy's assassination, and so many of the things in the book.I urge you to make the purchase, you won't be sorry. Loved it, wish I could give it 10 stars.

There is no sharper-eyed observer of the past, present, and future of TV than Seth Shapiro. In Volume 1, The Broadcast Age and the Rise of the Network, he guides us through TV's history with the perspective, clarity, and humor that only a true industry insider can offer. If you love TV -- and let's be honest, even if you swear you hate you know you secretly love it -- this is an incredibly insightful and fun read. But it's also an incredibly valuable business book. If you're in the marketing business, it's more important than ever to understand where we've come from if you want to understand where media is all going. Turn off the TV, turn off the wi-fi, find a comfortable chair and settle in with this outstanding book. You're guaranteed to be smarter and savvier about the world's most powerful medium than you were before. The book is indispensable. Don't miss it.

History of television.

As we move into the era of digital video, it's too easy to forget the amazing story of television and how it changed America and the world. Seth Shapiro chronicles the unique characters who invented and then fought to own this incredible medium. I admit to a little bias (I assisted the author with some preliminary research), but as a longtime student of television I believe this comprehensive and readable book is not to be missed. It's a must for students through to industry professionals and media entrepreneurs who want to learn from the successes and mistakes of those who came before. I know that it was written with total reverence for the subject matter, and that shines through in the finished product.Finally, Television reminds us that the story of the medium is one of people: some of the most fascinating people you could ever imagine.

One of those rare volumes that keeps you turning the page. Seth Shapiro took me on a journey that I hadn't realized I'd already been on. From the advent of wireless through Lucy, Johnny and even Monty Python, Shapiro offers a history that (a) I had no idea I was interested in, and (b) was a reflection of my own, personal history. A borderline baby boomer, I thought nothing of television's influence until I remembered my mom telling me that I was named after Rob Petrie; my brother, Ricky Ricardo - and I was lucky enough to stumble upon this brilliant work from an obvious savant (not, to be sure, of the idiot variety!) on all things television. Can't wait 'til volumes 2 & 3. Spend ten bucks and revisit your own life - it's a fun ride.