Three facets of the media--events, myths, and sales pitches--constitute the most important lines of force taken by the information bombardment which all of us encounter and are influenced by every day. The focus of this book is on the changes created and hastened by this information explosion of the media bombardment: how we can live with them, what kind of stability can be achieved in the face of seemingly total change, what values and beliefs will persist through the bombardments of alternatives. The first chapter introduces these premises and the second chapter explores the ways in which information hits us from all directions; not only the information itself, but the patterns it follows and their effects. The latter part of the book discusses deeper questions raised by the information bombardment concerning freedom, quality of life, and intelligent responses. (Author/RH)