Listening In is the first in-depth history of how radio culture and content have kneaded and expanded the American psyche.

But Listening In is more than a history. It is also a reconsideration of what listening to radio has done to American culture in the twentieth century and how it has brought a completely new auditory dimension to our lives. Susan Douglas explores how listening has altered our day-to-day experiences and our own generational identities, cultivating different modes of listening in different eras.

Douglas reveals how radio has played a pivotal role in helping us imagine ourselves in invisible communities - of sports fans, Fred Allen devotees, rock'n'rollers, ham operators, Dittoheads - creating both deep cultural niches and broad national identities. Listening In is also a penetrating look at radio as a guiding force in shaping our views of race, gender roles, ethnic barriers, family dynamics, leadership, and the generation gap.