This book "is a collection of essays by one of Canada's greatest historians, on a subject that opened broad new avenues of thought on the role of media in the creation of history. Marshall McLuhan, deeply influenced by these essays, led North America to a new awareness of the role of media in contemporary culture. The works of Harold Innis are seminal in the study of Canadian history; the essays in this volume continue to generate intense debate among historians, communications scholars, and media theorists. This new edition includes a thoughtful introduction by two scholars who outline the career of Innis and the development of his ideas. They go on to elucidate the grand themes of the essays: a communicational approach to history, and a critical reflection on the situation of culture and technology in recent times. They identify in the essays all the concepts associated with Innis's communications work: medium, bias, monopoly of knowledge, empire, and especially the oral tradition. Finally, they assess the influence of the book on the study of communications theory and Canadian history"--Back cover.