His name may not be as well known as that of his colleague and spiritual descendent, Marshall McLuhan, but Harold Innis's (1894-1952) influence on contemporary critical media and communication studies has been no less profound. This concise look at Innis's life and contributions to the communication field charts his beginnings in political economy to his later work in critical media studies and communications history, synthesizing his key publications and clearly showing their ongoing resonance for the field today. The book also includes an appendix by William J. Buxton on the 'History of Communications' manuscript and one by J. David Black on the contributions of Mary Quayle Innis.