The Writing Revolution

In a world of rapid technological advancements, it can be easy toforget that writing is the original Information Technology,created to transcend the limitations of human memory and to defytime and space. The Writing Revolution picks apart thedevelopment of this communication tool to show how it has conqueredthe world. * Explores how writing has liberated the world, making possibleeverything from complex bureaucracy, literature, and science, toinstruction manuals and love letters * Draws on an engaging range of examples, from the firstcuneiform clay tablet, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Japanesesyllabaries, to the printing press and the text messaging * Weaves together ideas from a number of fields, includinghistory, cultural studies and archaeology, as well as linguisticsand literature, to create an interdisciplinary volume * Traces the origins of each of the world's major writtentraditions, along with their applications, adaptations, andcultural influences