Final answer:
Marshall McLuhan's book, 'Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man', departs from traditional book formats by presenting content in a non-linear, mosaic style that emphasizes the medium's role in shaping human experience. It reflects postmodernist notions of multiple realities and requires active participation from the reader.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marshall McLuhan's book, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, challenges traditional forms of knowledge production in books. McLuhan's approach is heavily rooted in the exploration of how media affects our understanding and shapes our experiences. Rather than delivering content in a linear, conventional manner, McLuhan employs a mosaic, probing style that encourages the reader to engage with the media as an active participant.
In Understanding Media, McLuhan presents the idea that "the medium is the message". This concept suggests that the medium through which a message is delivered, and not the message itself, is what shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action. The book itself is structured in a non-linear way to mirror his theories, forcing the reader to interact with his ideas in a manner that is not typical of traditional textbooks or narratives.
Furthermore, his work aligns with postmodern principles, particularly the idea that multiple realities can be constructed through the use of language. McLuhan's work can be viewed as a practical embodiment of these notions, as it eschews straightforward content delivery for an approach that requires the reader to actively participate and create meaning for themselves.