Personal Stereo

It seems antiquated and quaint these days, but when the Walkman was first introduced, it was downright revolutionary. A stereo in your pocket, the Walkman allowed you to enjoy your tunes anywhere and shut out the rest of the world when needed. And the story of its overwhelming success is full of curious twists and turns.

Personal Stereo explores the development of the Walkman, its impact on our culture, and its legacy, not only highlighting its time as a status symbol but discussing its surprising resurgence today as part of the analog revolution. Plus Tuhus-Dubrow shares her own personal memories of Walkman ownership, offering a nice intimate touch to a book full of fun pop-culture trivia and anecdotes.

Perhaps the best part of Personal Stereo was seeing parallels between reactions to the Walkman and recent complaints about smartphone ownership. (Particularly regarding selfishness and isolation.) Observing these cyclical historical undercurrents, large and small, is both entertaining and engaging.

You might have preferred your iPod, but there’s no doubt the Walkman was worthy of a tribute and brief history like this.