The Genius Box

How the "Idiot Box" Got Smart & Is Changing the Television Business

Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
164 Pages
Reviewed on 11/05/2018
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Author Biography

A first-time author, David C. Tice is Principal of TiceVision LLC, a media research consultancy, and publishes a blog about media trends and research at TiceVision.com.

For a quarter of a century, David has overseen the design, implementation, and analyses of television and media research projects for many well-known television networks, media companies, industry associations, sports leagues, and media agencies. A thought leader in research around media adoption and use, his work has been recognized numerous times through industry awards, selection to present at industry conferences, and mentions in industry press.

David's research has given him a unique vantage point for observing the emergence of new television/media technologies and services in the home, their impact on the ownership and use of existing television devices, their marketing potential, and consumers’ evolving perceptions of television.

Prior to opening his consulting practice, David worked for GfK (a top-10 global research company), as well as GfK predecessor companies Knowledge Networks (KN) and Statistical Research, Inc. (SRI). Prior to media research, he had a 10-year career in aerospace engineering.

David received a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration in Strategic Management from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Management.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Randy B. Lichtman for Readers' Favorite

David C. Tice demonstrates his vast knowledge about the television industry from many perspectives in The Genius Box: How the 'Idiot Box' Got Smart & Is Changing the Television Business. It is clear that he has a great deal of expertise on the subject, especially in the area of market research within the television field. His book examines the field through many perspectives: audience, content providers, advertisers, researchers, manufacturers, and governmental. It is clearly a very well researched book and brings a great deal of information especially to professionals in the field.

Since this is more of a textbook in its depth of information and style, it is not light reading. If you are looking for a trivia book on television episodes, this is not the one you want. With that in mind, the book is especially relevant to those who are in the media or marketing industries. Understanding the history of television and understanding where it is today is especially relevant with social media and online advertising affecting the effectiveness of television advertising. I found the chapter on advertising especially to be valuable to anyone who uses television advertising as part of their marketing strategy. The book is very much up to date with citations, including issues of net neutrality, which became important issues in early 2018.

Anyone involved professionally with television, in one of the roles mentioned earlier, will find this book to be extremely complete in looking at television from the various perspectives. Mr. Tice ends the book by considering the future of television. Based on his thorough research, he certainly has earned the credibility throughout the book to make those predictions. Overall, an excellent book on the continually changing “genius box”.