In recent years culture' has become a central concern in a wide range of fields and disciplines. This book introduces the main substantive and theoretical strands of thisturn to culture' through the medium of a particular case study: that of the Sony Walkman. Using the example of the Walkman, the book indicates how and why cultural practices and institutions have come to play such a crucial part in our lives, and introduces some of the central ideas, concepts and methods of analysis involved in conducting cultural studies.