IntroductionI never knew that John B. Thompson was a writer in the fields of social science and sociology until I read one of his books. He is the author of the book: The media and modernity: a social theory of the media. As a professor of sociology and a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, he highlights the aspect of social science in the media in his book. The book is among the most interesting books I have ever read because Thompson explains the relationship between media and modernity using social media theory. As I examined the contents of the book, I could easily see how he uses his study of communication in social contexts. Summary and Analysis In the book, Thompson makes it easy for the reader to understand mass communication in depth. It focuses on the application of mass communication in the contemporary era. He begins by defining the word “mass” in which he argues that media today does not address mass but niche markets. I agree with him that the term “mass” is misleading. It is aimed at a vast audience made up of millions of individuals. Use the most popular newspaper as an example to illustrate this point. I also see it in movies and television shows. The society I live in has different categories of audience. In all social gatherings such as church gatherings and cases where the target group of distinct information is specific character traits, I normally observe what Thomson calls "undifferentiated individuals" (Thomson13). As I read the book, I got some insights into the use of the word "communication". At first I couldn't understand what Thomson meant by "overwhelmingly one-way" (Thomson 14), until he contrasted it with face-to-face communication... halfway down the paper... for me. Through the book, one can easily recognize oneself in the description of today's society. Conclusion This is a resourceful book that I would highly recommend to those who wish to understand original media theory and how it has influenced the modern world. Security agencies and information department managers can learn a lot from the book. It also shows developments in the media industry from the emergence of printing to recent media characterized by cutting-edge technology. Thompson's book is a perfect remedy for media-related challenges in the modern world because he explains with real-life examples how mass communication has developed over time. Although the book offers some suggestions about the future development of mass communication, the reader can certainly say that it will only improve and become more personal...