This book investigates how the physical and material aspects of communication influence its meaning and reception. Gumbrecht, a professor of comparative literature and humanities, draws on a wide range of historical and theoretical perspectives to argue that the medium through which a message is conveyed is as crucial as the message itself.

This work is recognized as a significant contribution to media theory and the study of communication, offering a dense, theoretically-driven analysis. Its focus on materiality positions it as a key text for scholars interested in the historical and physical dimensions of human interaction and the transmission of knowledge.