Speaking into the Air: A History of the Idea of Communication

John Peters' Speaking into the Air: A History of the Idea of Communication is an important contribution to the discussion of the history and theory of communication. Peters opens up new ground for discussing the evolution of an idea of communication. He eloquently interrelates communication, its technolo-gies, and their social impact with philosophy and literature. The book is open to criticism for its marketing of the idea of communication while presenting an idea of communication. From a Canadian perspective, Peters demonstrates a U.S. bias, short-changing significant contributions to history, theory, and the history of theory from Innis and McLuhan to Heyer and Crowley. Nevertheless, this well-written, scholarly work is a vital and important starting point for a major re-evaluation and debate concerning these issues.