The late 20th century is referred to as the Information Age and the claim appears to require no justification. But in this text, the authors challenge this widespread assumption. In a history of information technology from the ancient Sumerians to the world of Alan Turing and John von Neumann, the authors show how revolutions in the technology of information storage - from the invention of writing approximately 5000 years ago to the mathematical models for describing physical reality in the 17th and 18th centuries to the introduction of computers - profoundly transformed ways of thinking. They posit the theory that during the first information age, the classical age of literacy, systems for keeping written records did not simply enhance earlier oral models of communication but actually created the concept of information itself. The development first of cuneiform and later of alphabetic writing freed the mind from the mnemonic burdens of oral culture and encouraged new forms of intellectual activity. The invention of the alphabet in particular spurred the ancient Greeks to speculate on language and its relation to experience, thus prompting the rise of natural philosophy. Combining what is now known as science and philosophy, this new form of knowing classified information about the world in a hierarchical system that mirrored the observable order of nature and for two millennia provided the intellectual standard of the Western world. Throught the book, the authors emphasize that information is a historical creation of the human mind rather than a fixed aspect of reality. Providing an enquiry into how humanity has stored and processed information from prehistoric to contemporary times, the text offers a perspective on ourselves and our past, as well as a look into the future.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Michael E. Hobart is professor of history at Bryant College. Zachary S. Schiffman is professor and chair of the Department of History at Northeastern Illinois University.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
FREE shipping within United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speeds£ 22.31 shipping from U.S.A. to United Kingdom
Destination, rates & speedsSeller: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
Condition: Very Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 10346657-20
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Phatpocket Limited, Waltham Abbey, HERTS, United Kingdom
Condition: Good. Your purchase helps support Sri Lankan Children's Charity 'The Rainbow Centre'. Ex-library, so some stamps and wear, but in good overall condition. Our donations to The Rainbow Centre have helped provide an education and a safe haven to hundreds of children who live in appalling conditions. Seller Inventory # Z1-C-040-02475
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Anybook.com, Lincoln, United Kingdom
Condition: Good. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has hardback covers. In good all round condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,700grams, ISBN:080185881X. Seller Inventory # 5961415
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 10346657-20
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 2496256-6
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 2496256-6
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Anybook.com, Lincoln, United Kingdom
Condition: Good. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has hardback covers. Clean from markings. In good all round condition. No dust jacket. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,650grams, ISBN:080185881X. Seller Inventory # 9923510
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.4. Seller Inventory # G080185881XI4N01
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00074821076
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: St Vincent de Paul of Lane County, Eugene, OR, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. THESE ARE EX-LIBRARY BOOKS IN GOOD COND!!!! Former Library book. Hardcover This item shows wear from consistent use but remains in good readable condition. It may have marks on or in it, and may show other signs of previous use or shelf wear. May have minor creases or signs of wear on dust jacket. Packed with care, shipped promptly. Seller Inventory # K-01-3107
Quantity: 1 available