Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-172) and index.

Introduction : how you can use this book -- 1. Words and communication -- 2. Signs and semiotics -- 3. When I use a word, Humpty Dumpty said ... -- 4. Antithetical meaning of words -- 5. Society precedes the individual -- 6. Language codes -- 7. The structuralist perspective -- 8. Culture and the unconscious -- 9. The importance of metaphor -- 10. A model of communication process -- 11. The Lasswell formula -- 12. Art and society : a model -- 13. Dialogic aspects of communication -- 14. Conversation as narrative -- 15. Men and women use language differently -- 16. Black speech -- 17. People of color and the media -- 18. Nonverbal communication -- 19. Facial expressions -- 20. Fashion as communication -- 21. Symbolism and religion -- 22. The meaning of symbols -- 23. The house as a symbol of femininity -- 24. Miss Americas mythic significance -- 25. Images of women in advertising -- 26. The power of advertising in capitalist societies -- 27. Myths and society -- 28. Robinson Crusoe as myth -- 29. Fairy tales and the psyche -- 30. Hot and cool media -- 31. The impact of postmodernism -- 32. The postmodern eye -- 33. Mind and media -- 34. Cybertexts and video games -- 35. Digital media -- 36. Smart mobs -- 37. How crowds think -- 38. Television and art -- 39. Amusing ourselves to death -- 40. Narratives in the media -- 41. Television is a dramatic medium -- 42. The power of rock music -- 43. Artistic texts -- 44. Psychoanalysis and literature -- 45. Humor and communication -- 46. On comedy -- 47. What does art do? -- 48. Interpretation and art -- 49. The society of spectacle -- 50. Representation and difference.