When In So Many Words first appeared in 2006, the Chicago Tribune observed that Robert Schmuhl’s collection of essays offered “some of the sharpest and most informative cultural criticism available.”

Now, In So Many More Words expands on the writings in the first edition and includes seventeen new essays written during the past four years. Schmuhl analyzes the emergence of Barack Obama and evaluates America’s new political landscape in light of the 2008 election. Schmuhl also looks at contemporary media and the cultural effects created by bloggers, pundits, and cable shouters. The explosive growth of news sources, he says, “comes ... Read moreat a public price—a continuing fragmentation of audiences and a marked decline in a commonly shared culture.”