Book Review

摘要

In origins, tone, focus, even format, these books might appear too dissimilar for a shared discussion. One is rooted in the empiricism of journalism and the sensibility of the social sciences, the other in prosaic conundrums explored with the impressionism of poetry. One relates cautionary tales about institutions and individuals producing the news, while the other purports to proffer a helping hand to the baffled news consumer. One author is an experienced hard-nosed newsman, the other a much-lauded stylist who writes on subjects ranging from philosophy and religion to architecture and travel. One book takes the familiar physical form of an octavo tome (this one 6-by-9 inches), sure to fit snugly in a shelf of typical dimensions; the other, neat and squat, with its studied layout, sprinkling of illustrative photos, font variations and other visual devices, invites the reader to look and hold.