The Media Equation: How People Treat Computers, Television, and New Media Like Real People and Places Book

The concept of this book is a simple question: Media = Reality? As the title describes, these researchers set out to examine whether computers, televisions, and other media follow the same social and natural rules as humans. The findings were interesting, such as how a masculine voice from a computer is responded to in the same way as a masculine voice coming from a human, or how people respond to visual stimuli on a computer screen similarly to if the object were really present.

When I had this book recommended to me, my friend told me to read the introduction and just skip around to the chapters that I thought would be interesting. Unfortunately, I'm incapable of starting a book without reading cover to cover. I would give the same advice my friend gave me, as that would keep the book interesting without seeming repetitive or drawn out. That said, it has an interesting premise and some great insights not only about media, but social constructs as well.