Personal Stereo

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

When the Sony Walkman debuted in 1979, people were enthralled by the novel experience it offered: immersion in the music of their choice, anytime, anywhere. But the Walkman was also denounced as self—indulgent and antisocial—the quintessential accessory for the “me” generation.

In Personal Stereo, Rebecca Tuhus—Dubrow takes us back to the birth of the device, exploring legal battles ov...