How television invented new media /

In this compilation of case studies, Murphy (Univ. of Michigan) argues that television has served as the basis for personal computers, video games, and other forms of new media. For the most part, scholars of television studies have given insufficient attention to the significance of the function of the television screen as the interface between new media and users. And studies of gaming--for example, Henry Jenkins's Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture (CH, Apr'07, 44-4296)--have focused only on the game culture online, making little reference to the fact that games utilize a television (or television-like) screen. Murphy bridges this scholarly gap in this ambitious, albeit brief, book by defining television not simply as a device or a means of production but instead as an environment. He successfully and effectively elaborates on this idea by introducing numerous concrete examples such as portable music players, various game consoles, and remote controllers. This is an accessible, jargon-free resource. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. Y. Kiuchi Michigan State University